Appeal 2007-0022
Application 10/148,935
SUMMARY OF DECISION
We REVERSE.
THE INVENTION
Appellant invented a flywheel and flywheel energy storage system, where
the flywheel is formed by stacking several steel discs together instead of using a
single thick cylinder (Specification 4: 8-9). Claims 1 and 14, reproduced below,
are representative of the subject matter on appeal.
1. A flywheel for an energy storage system comprised of
a low pressure housing, a flywheel supported for rotation
in said housing on a bearing system, and a motor and
generator for accelerating and decelerating said flywheel
for storing and retrieving energy, said flywheel
comprising:
an axial stack of a plurality of steel discs
connected together, said discs being free of axial through
holes;
said discs being quenched for strength prior to
assembly of said flywheel, and tempered for toughness;
adjacent discs in said stack having axial faces
abutting each other across the entire surface thereof to
create a substantially solid unitary flywheel cylinder
when assembled from said discs.
2
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