Appeal No. 96-2307
Application No. 08/293,630
and the manner of supplying the zero gas and span gas to the
analyzer(s) for calibration purposes are not disclosed in
Barcellona.
Rankine discloses a method for calibrating Claus chemical
process analyzers VIII and IX (Figure 2) that are responsive to
carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, respectively. The Rankine
process comprises the steps of providing a blended calibration
gas comprising a known mixture of a zero gas (e.g., nitrogen or
air) with the noted constituent gases (i.e., carbon dioxide and
sulphur dioxide), and serially supplying to the analyzer units
VIII and IX samples of the blended calibration gas for obtaining
a series of serial readings of the multiple analyzers for
calibration or diagnostic purposes (column 9, lines 19 through
61).
It is the examiner’s position (Answer, pages 3 and 4) that:
As to claims 1, 2, 6 and 7; it would have been
obvious to provide a blended gas comprising a known
mixture of constituent gases to calibrate Kimura’s
individual sensors because Rankine et al. (col. 7,
lines 3-24; col. 9, lines 19-29; Figs. 1, 2) teach
supplying a mixture of “carbon dioxide and sulphur
dioxide” (col. 9, line 27) to a carbon dioxide
analyzing unit VIII and sulphur dioxide analyzing unit
1X (col. 7, lines 13-19) that are both positioned in
series, and are located downstream of a combustion unit
(Figs. 1, 2). While Rankine et al. does utilize a zero
gas (“nitrogen” on lines [sic, line] 25 of col. 9) in
the blend (“mixture of nitrogen,...sulphur dioxide” on
line 27 of col. 9), Rankine does not expressly
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007