Appeal No. 2001-0778
Application No. 08/717,995
In particular, we agree with the examiner that it would have been obvious, within
the purview of 35 U.S.C. § 103, to provide an intermediate metal bonding layer in the
tubular electromagnetic flowmeter of Gardner in order to enhance the adhesion of a
fluoropolymer (PTFE) liner to the metal surface of the tubular flowmeter housing.
The motivation for making this modification arises from the suggestion by Tsai (pg. 4,
ln. 27 - pg. 5, ln. 4; pg. 11, lns. 7-13) that the application of a thin metallic layer to a
metal substrate will facilitate the attachment and bonding of an overlying fluoropolymer
layer to the substrate.
With regard to claim 1, we also note that Tsai (pg. 7, lns. 15-22) indicates that
the intermediate metallic layer may be aluminum.
In essence, appellants urge that Tsai cannot be combined with Gardner since
Tsai is from a non-analogous field (cookware v. tubular flowmeters). We disagree. As
stated by the examiner, Tsai would appear to be reasonably pertinent to the particular
problem, i.e., adequate bonding of a fluoropolymer coating to a metal surface, with
which the inventor was involved. Both Gardner and Tsai relate to bonding the same
basic coating material, i.e., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), to a metal surface (Gardner:
pg. 1, lns. 16-24; Tsai: pg. 4, lns. 15-24). Accordingly, the teachings of Tsai are
relevant to Gardner.
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