Appeal No. 95-3424
Application 08/143,598
The claims on appeal are directed to an apparatus for collecting an airborne release of
hydrogen fluoride (HF) from so-called "hydrogen fluoride (HF) utilizing means". According to
appellants' specification, such means can include, inter alia, any of a number of vessels associated with
an alkylation system. The claimed apparatus is designed to contain or mitigate an accidental airborne
release or leak of HF from such process vessels.
Appellants acknowledge on page 3 of their brief that the claims on appeal stand or fall together.
Accordingly, we will limit our consideration to claim 1, the sole independent claim, which reads as
follows:
1. Environmental safety apparatus for collecting an airborne release of hydrogen fluoride from
hydrogen fluoride utilizing means comprising:
a containment baffle defining a volume sufficient to substantially enclose said hydrogen fluoride
utilizing means;
at least one hydrogen fluoride detecting means mounted within said containment baffle;
flood means to substantially flood said containment baffle with an aqueous liquid;
means responsive to said detecting means to activate said flood means; and
means to receive said aqueous liquid from said containment baffle.
The examiner relies upon the following prior art references as evidence of obviousness:
Bajek et al (Bajek) 3,751,229 Aug. 07, 1973
Hachmuth et al (Hachmuth) 4,677,244 Jun. 30, 1987
Partridge, Jr. et al (Partridge) 5,277,881 Jan. 11, 1994
(filed Sep. 14, 1992)
2
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