Appeal No. 2000-1917
Application 09/076,863
DISCUSSION
The German reference discloses a heat exchanger
particularly designed to eliminate problematic joints between
tubes and tube plates made of metal such as high alloy steel
(see pages 1
through 4 in the translation). One of the noted problems is
corrosion. According to the reference,
[t]he tube plate 1, including the tube 2, is to
be connected by welding . . . . The tube 2 to be
welded is provided on the weld side with a welding
bevel 3. The tube plate 1 is provided on the side
facing away from the weld site with a bore 5 which
has a significantly greater diameter than the tube
2. However, the bore 5, is arranged only so deeply
in the tube plate that the collar 6, which contacts
the tube, remains at the welding site 4.
In order to form the weld seam, this collar is
also provided with a welding bevel. The joint of
the tube and the tube plate is obtained by making an
autogenic or electrical weld 4 [translation, pages 4
and 5].
As conceded by the examiner (see page 3 in the answer),
the German heat exchanger does not meet the limitations in
claim 1 requiring the heat exchanger recited therein to be a
“fluororesin” heat exchanger comprising a plurality of “resin”
tubes.
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