Appeal No. 1997-1059
Application No. 08/305,733
(a) injecting an effective amount of an atmosphere
into the coffee in a closed space or into the closed space
containing the coffee, the atmosphere consisting
essentially of a noble gas selected from the group
consisting of argon, neon, xenon, and krypton; and
(b) saturating said coffee or said closed space
containing said coffee with said atmosphere to more than
50% volume of full saturation with said noble gas; and
maintaining said saturation throughout said coffee or said
closed space containing said coffee and during all the
time that the coffee is present in said closed space.
The subject matter on appeal relates to a method for improving
the aroma or flavor or both of coffee using the recited noble gases
(specification, page, 5). The method comprises injecting an
effective amount of the recited noble gas into the coffee or into the
closed space containing the coffee, saturating the coffee or the
closed space containing the coffee with the noble gas to more than
50% volume of full saturation, and maintaining this “saturation”
condition throughout the coffee or the closed space containing the
coffee during all the time that the coffee is present in the closed
space.
As evidence of unpatentability, the examiner relies upon the
following prior art:
The appellants’ admitted prior art as described on pages 2 and 3 of
the present specification (admitted prior art).
2
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