Opinion ID: 210959
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Spherically-Shaped and Pressed Against

Text: 23 Claim 1 recites that the screw head is pressed against the hollow spherically-shaped portion. The court construed spherically-shaped to mean approximately spherical, such as a globe or a basketball. The parties do not dispute this construction on appeal. The parties dispute, however, whether the pressed against limitation requires that the screw head engage the entire spherically-shaped portion or whether it is enough that the head engage just the edge of the spherically-shaped portion. 24 In determining the meaning of the disputed claim limitation, we look principally to the intrinsic evidence of record, examining the claim language itself, the written description, and the prosecution history, if in evidence. See Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1312-17. First, the claim language does not indicate that hollow spherically-shaped portion must be limited so as not to include the edge of that portion, nor does it indicate how much of the hollow spherically-shaped portion must be pressed against the screw head. Claim 4, which depends from claim 1, requires that the radii of the hollow spherically-shaped portions (9, 19) and of the spherically-shaped screw head (4)[be] substantially equal. '678 patent, col. 4, ll. 37-40. That implies that independent claim 1 must be broad enough to read on a device with components of unequal radii that nonetheless are pressed against each other. If the screw head has a smaller radius than the hollow spherically-shaped portion, the only part of the spherically-shaped portion against which the screw head would be pressed would be the edge of the hollow spherically-shaped portion. 25 Second, the specification does not indicate that the hollow spherically-shaped portion must be limited to exclude the edge of that portion or that pressed against requires a certain amount of contact between the spherically-shaped portion and the screw head. In the absence of a stated reason to exclude the edge, it would ordinarily and customarily be understood that the referenced portion includes any and all parts of the structure. Similarly, in the absence of a stated reason to require a certain amount of contact, it would ordinarily and customarily be understood that the referenced portion is pressed against a screw head when any amount of that portion presses against the screw head. Figures 1 and 2 of the '678 patent depict hollow spherically-shaped portion 9 in crosshatching that appears to include the edge of the portion. The corresponding description of that portion does not exclude the edge, noting that [a] portion 9 in the form of a hollow spherical segment is provided in the interior immediately adjacent to the bore. '678 patent, col. 2, ll. 21-23. That description indicates that the relevant portion extends all the way to the bore, which necessarily implies that it includes the edge. Further, the description does not indicate how much of the spherically-shaped portion presses against the screw head; rather, it notes only that there is contact between the components. Id., col. 2, ll. 33-34. The prosecution history provides no further guidance. 26 For the foregoing reasons, we find Medtronic's argument unpersuasive, and we conclude that hollow spherically-shaped portion includes the edge of that portion and that the screw head is pressed against the hollow spherically-shaped portion if it presses against all or any part of that portion—including the edge.