Opinion ID: 772055
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: An apparatus for coating and drying a food comprising:

Text: 50 . . . . 51 means defining a plurality of separate product coating zones longitudinally spaced along said reel, each of said zones including at least one spray nozzle directed toward said sidewall for pressurized spraying of a coating on the food product during passage of said food product from said inlet to said outlet. 52 '683 patent, col. 7, ll. 24-25; col. 7, l. 45 to col. 8, l. 2 (emphasis added). Because the product coating zones limitation uses the word means, there is a presumption that § 112, ¶ 6 applies. Personalized Media, 161 F.3d at 703, 48 USPQ2d at 1886. However, it is unclear whether there is any function recited that corresponds to the word means. See York Prods., Inc. v. Cent. Tractor Farm & Family, 99 F.3d 1568, 1574, 40 USPQ2d 1619, 1624 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (Without an identified function, the term `means' in this claim cannot invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6.). 53 CMS asserts that the function of defining is the function that corresponds to the word means. Even assuming that is correct, we agree with Wenger that § 112, ¶ 6 does not apply because the claim recites sufficiently definite structure for performing the function of defining. See Rodime, 174 F.3d at 1302, 50 USPQ2d at 1434 ([E]ven if the claim element specifies a function, if it also recites sufficient structure or material for performing that function, § 112, ¶ 6 does not apply.). The claim specifically recites structure including spray nozzles that are directed toward the sidewall of the reel, which define (i.e., establish the boundaries of) the separate product coating zones that are longitudinally spaced along the reel. We therefore conclude that the district court did not err in concluding that the product coating zones limitation was not subject to § 112, ¶ 6. 54 CMS further argues that, even if § 112, ¶ 6 does not apply, the claimed product coating zones do not include fully perforated reels, and should be limited to imperforate reel sections. According to CMS, the only embodiment disclosed in the specification is a reel with imperforate sections separated by perforate sections, with spray nozzles for coating the food product located in each of the imperforate sections. Based on this embodiment, CMS argues that the claimed product coating zones requires a reel with spaced apart imperforate sections wherein product coating takes place. We disagree. Although claims must be read in light of the specification of which they are a part, it is improper to read limitations from the written description into a claim. Tate Access Floors, Inc. v. Maxcess Techs., Inc., 222 F.3d 958, 966, 55 USPQ2d 1513, 1518 (Fed. Cir. 2000). While claim 1 expressly recites that the reel has a plurality of perforations, it does not require that the reel have imperforate sections, nor does it limit the claimed product coating zones to such reel sections. See '683 patent, col. 7, l. 24 to col. 8, l. 2 (emphasis added). Likewise, the specification states that the claimed apparatus includes an axially rotatable reel provided with a perforate sidewall; it does not state that the reel must have imperforate sections, or that the product coating zones must be limited to such sections. Id. at col. 1, ll. 61-63 (emphasis added). Moreover, as the district court correctly noted, the references in the specification to imperforate sections and spraying zones that correspond to those sections are not limiting, as they merely describe the preferred embodiment. See Tate Access, 222 F.3d at 966, 55 USPQ2d at 1518 ([A]lthough the specification may well indicate that certain embodiments are preferred, particular embodiments appearing in the specification will not be read into the claims when the claim language is broader than such embodiments.). We therefore agree with Wenger that the district court did not err in concluding that the product coating zones limitation may be satisfied by fully perforate reels as well as reels with alternating perforate and imperforate sections.