Appeal 2006-2492
Application 09/916,247
ii) the steps of backwashing the
membranes and draining the tank in a
cycle may be performed either before
the other or partially or substantially
simultaneously; and,
f) wetting the membranes at least once per week
with a cleaning chemical having a selected concentration for a
selected duration after performing step (b) in a first cycle and after or
while performing step (e) in the first cycle, without returning to step
(b) in the first cycle and before starting a subsequent cycle.
The Examiner relies on the following references in rejecting the
appealed subject matter:
Smith US 5,403,479 Apr. 4, 1995
Del Vecchio US 6,331,251 B1 Dec. 18, 2001
U.S. Application 11/106,681 for double patenting.
The Examiner entered the following final rejections:
I. Claims 26-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated
by Smith.
II. Claims 26-28, 31, and 33-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102
(e) as anticipated by Del Vecchio.
III. Claims 29, 30, and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
obvious over the combined teachings of Del Vecchio and Smith.
IV. Claims 26-29, 31, and 33 are provisionally rejected for a statutory
double patenting over the copending claims 1-6 of application 11/106,681.
V. Claims 26-36 are provisionally rejected for obviousness-type
double patenting over the copending claims 7-29 of application number
11/106,681.
3
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013