Appeal No. 1997-3383
Application No. 08/310,052
as water-soluble solids from air, wherein the contaminant-
containing air is taken up from the immediate environment of a
polyurethane foam processing line comprising passing the
organic contaminant-containing air through a packed tower
scrubber in the absence of an active filter material and the
presence of an inert material present in said tower as packing
in such a manner as to provide a plurality of tortuous
channels through the packed tower, and simultaneously
therewith spraying pH-adjusted water as a wash fluid down over
the packing as the air passes through the packing so that each
of the organic contaminant-containing air and wash fluid are
caused to move through the plurality of tortuous channels in
the packing so as to cause the pH-adjusted water to come into
contact with the organic contaminants in the air, thereby
removing the contaminants from the air as water-soluble
solids.
The references of record relied upon by the examiner are:
Conyers 2,560,636 Jul. 17, 1951
Maegerlein et al. (Maegerlein) 24 36 781 1 Feb. 12, 1976
(Offenlegungsschrift)
The appealed claims stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as unpatentable over Maegerlein in view of Conyers.
We reverse.
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a process of
separating and removing organic contaminants as water-soluble
solids from air, wherein the contaminant-containing air is
taken up from the immediate environment of a polyurethane foam
1 Our reliance on this reference is based on the English
translation of record.
2
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