Appeal No. 2000-1638
Application No. 08/829,699
for evaporation type applications. Thus, in order to improve
evaporation performance of the pipe, Asaumi also provides
"multiple fine rough sections at about 50 to 800 µ" between
fins. These fine rough sections markedly promote "the
formation of a boiling core during evaporation" (translation,3
page 5). The resulting pipe, having both notch fins and fine
rough sections, achieves excellent condensation and
evaporation performance (translation, page 6).
The examiner finds that Yamamoto discloses the invention
recited in appellant's claim 1 with the exception of the
recited troughs. According to the examiner,4
[i]t is well known in the art of such textured
surface tubes to cross cut through spirally
extending ribs to form turbulence generating
interruptions, breaking up laminar flow and
improving heat transfer efficiency (see Asaumi et
al). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of5
ordinary skill in the art to provide such cross cut
troughs in the spirally ribbed tube of Yamamoto et
We understand the "boiling core" alluded to by Asaumi to be nucleation3
sites for promoting or permitting nucleate boiling.
The fins 12 respond to the recited "primary ribs" and the projections4
13 respond to the recited "secondary ribs."
We find no express disclosure of such a function of the notches or5
cross-cuts in Asaumi. Rather, as discussed above, the stated function of the
notches appears to be condensation liquid drainage.
6
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