Ex Parte Budinger et al - Page 3

                 Appeal 2007-0882                                                                                      
                 Application 10/702,987                                                                                

                 Examiner has failed to identify a teaching, motivation, or suggestion in                              
                 White, alone or in combination with Bajan, of all the recited claim elements.                         
                 The issue before us is:  Has the Examiner properly established a prima facie                          
                 case of obviousness within the meaning of 35 U.S.C § 103(a)?                                          
                        For the reasons discussed below, we answer this question in the                                
                 affirmative.  Accordingly, we affirm as to both grounds of rejection.                                 

                                               FINDINGS OF FACT                                                        
                 1) White discloses “methods for repairing surface cracks in structural                                
                     alloy parts, such as engines, by cleaning, coating, and hot isostatic                             
                     pressing the part to provide a leak-free repaired area, while maintaining                         
                     the crystalline structure and mechanical properties of the alloy part.”                           
                     Col. 1, ll. 8-13.  White discloses that the method may be used to repair                          
                     cracks in articles such as turbine blades and turbine shrouds.  Col. 2,                           
                     l. 63 - col. 3, l. 1.  “The article may have internal passageways                                 
                     communicating through the end of the article.”  Col. 3, ll. 2-3.                                  
                 2) White teaches that “[t]he superalloy may have a superalloy                                         
                     composition of a nickel-base, iron-base, or cobalt-base superalloy, such                          
                     as is well known and described, for example, in Metals Handbook Tenth                             
                     Edition, Vol. 1, Properties Selection:  Iron, Steel and High-Performance                          
                     Alloys, ASM International (1990), pages 981-994 and 995-1006, which                               
                     describes many castable superalloys, and specifically nickel-base                                 
                     superalloys that may be directionally solidified or formed as single                              
                     crystals.”  White, col. 4, ll. 22-30.                                                             
                 3) According to White, “[d]uring manufacturing or service life, many                                  
                     directionally solidified superalloy parts, such as blades 1, experience                           

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