Appeal No. 96-3062
Application 08/239,029
the prior art structure could be modified does not make such a
modification obvious unless the prior art suggests the
desirability of doing so. See In re Gordon, 733 F.2d 900, 902,
221 USPQ 1125, 1127 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
Claim 34 is directed to a superventuri power source
comprising a series of at least two venturi tubes (alpha and
beta) arranged and related in a manner specified in the claim and
a turbine “adjacent the throat of the beta-venturi tube to
recover useful rotary mechanical power from flow of the selected
medium” through the power source. We share the examiner’s view
that all of the subject matter recited in claim 34 is disclosed
in the Bloch reference except for the presence of a turbine
adjacent to the throat of the second (beta) venturi tube, that
is, the structure set forth in the final two lines of the claim.
The system disclosed by Bloch has three venturi tubes and a
deflector. A single turbine is provided, positioned in the
throat of the alpha venturi tube (A-A’). The objective of the
Bloch invention is to reduce the dimensions of the turbine. This
is accomplished by recompressing the fluid exiting from the
turbine and venturi tube so that it can exit more freely. In
order to recompress the fluid exiting the turbine, a plurality of
concentric venturi tubes (B-B and C-C) and a deflector (D-D) are
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