Appeal No. 2002-0218
Application No. 09/332,415
Given the desire of one of ordinary skill in the art to
reduce the size and weight of an autothermal reformer assembly,
we concur with the examiner that one of ordinary skill in the art
would have been led to employ the open cell foam catalyst carrier
taught in Narumiya as the carrier for the reforming catalyst of
the autothermal reformer assembly described in Clawson, motivated
by a reasonable expectation of successfully reducing the size and
weight of the assembly and enhancing the heat transfer, gas
mixing and distribution, and gas conversion during the
autothermal reforming process. See, e.g., Nomiya, 509 F.2d at
572, 184 USPQ at 613 (“that knowledge of a problem provides a
reason or motivation for workers in the art . . . ”).
In reaching this determination, we recognize that Narumiya
is directed to employing its open cell foam catalyst carrier in a
purification device, rather than in a reforming zone of an
autothermal reformer assembly, as argued by the appellant.
However, as indicated supra, the appellant acknowledges that it
is known to be desirable in the autothermal reforming art to
reduce the size and weight of an autothermal reformer assembly
via selecting particular catalyst shapes and/or configurations.
We find that Narumiya is also interested in decreasing the size
and the weight of a purification device by employing a
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