Appeal No. 2006-1119
Application No. 09/381,631
38. Process of manufacturing glass from vitrifiable
materials comprising a step of supplying all or part of the
thermal energy necessary for melting vitrifiable materials
by injecting a combustible mixture comprising at least one
fuel and at least one oxidizer gas, or gaseous products
resulting from combustion of the combustible mixture, below
the level of the mass of said vitrifiable materials, and
melting said vitrifiable materials, wherein said vitrifiable
materials comprise liquid or solid combustible elements, or
mixtures thereof, and materials selected from the group
consisting of batch materials, cullet, vitrifiable waste,
and mixtures thereof, and manufacturing glass from said
melted vitrifiable materials.
In the rejection of the appealed claims, the examiner relies
upon the following references:
Greve 4,983,549 Jan. 8, 1991
Floyd et al. (Floyd) 5,615,626 Apr. 1, 1997
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a process for
manufacturing glass from vitrifiable materials, such as
vitrifiable waste. A combustible mixture comprising a fuel and
an oxidizer gas is injected below the vitrifiable material for
melting the same.
Appealed claims 38, 39, 42-45, 50, 56 and 98 stand rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by Floyd. Claims
40, 46, 78, 101-104, 106, 115 and 116 stand rejected under 35
U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Floyd. Claims 77 and
105 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable
over Floyd in view of Greve.
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