Appeal No. 2006-1862
Application No. 09/954,443
THE REFERENCES
Eisenstadt 3,228,170 Jan. 11, 1966
Nakamura et al. 6,301,859 Oct. 16, 2001
(Nakamura) (filed Apr. 23, 1999)
THE REJECTION
Claims 9, 12-18 and 21-26 stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Eisenstadt in view of
Nakamura.
OPINION
We reverse the aforementioned rejection. We need to address
only the independent claims, i.e., claims 9 and 18. Claim 9
claims a system comprising a flowable material feeder for feeding
a flowable liquid-containing condiment to a portion control sized
package, and a form/fill/seal apparatus including a heat seal die
comprising two longitudinal heat tubes. Claim 18 claims a method
comprising feeding a flowable liquid-containing condiment to a
form/fill/seal apparatus, and sealing a portion control sized
package using a heat seal die comprising two longitudinal heat
tubes.
Eisenstadt discloses “machinery for making small packages of
liquids, semi-liquids, liquids of high viscosity such as mustard,
syrup, etc.” (col. 1, lines 10-12). The packages are sealed by
pressing their edges between heating elements (48, 65, 66)
(col. 2, line 47 – col. 3, line 40).
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