Appeal No. 95-1042
Application 07/964,002
structures are produced because the fugitive support takes up
space and therefore limits cell density (col. 1, lines 59-62).
Thus, Cleveland avoids using fugitive supports for making his
cellular structures. However, as discussed above, the teaching
that vaporizing a fugitive support is an effective means for
removing the support from a green ceramic film formed thereon
would have indicated to one of ordinary skill in the art that
this removal means is an alternative to removing the support
before firing as taught by Park (col. 7, lines 45-49).
Appellants also argue that the reason why the support is
removed before the ceramic is sintered is “that polymer supports
of the kind utilized by Park are thermoplastics which tend to
warp and curl when heated, distorting any green sheet or tape
preforms disposed thereon” (brief, page 7). Appellants’ support
for this argument is column 6, lines 45-55 of Parks, wherein
Parks states:
The drying chamber is preferably approximately 8 feet
long and is fitted with a plurality of spindles 19 to
support the flexible tape as it passes therethrough.
These spindles 19 are spaced at different levels so as
to form somewhat of an arc the length of the drying
chamber. This is required when heating extremely thin
films of ceramic-particulate on flexible tapes inasmuch
as the tape itself undergoes some warping when
subjected to heat.
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