Appeal No. 1997-0863
Application 08/456,001
claim defines a static laminar mixing device wherein the
device includes, inter alia, a first mixer having “a
predetermined cross-sectional flow area” and a second mixer
“having a cross-sectional flow area that is greater than said
cross-sectional flow area of said first mixer.” While
appellants urge that this relationship is not taught or
disclosed in Miyata (brief, pages 9-17), we do not agree.
Looking at Figure 7 of Miyata, we note that the cross-
sectional flow area of the first mixer (1a) is generally equal
to the cross-sectional area of the interior flow channel of
that mixer minus the cross-sectional area of the shaft body
(10). By comparison, the cross-sectional flow area of the
second mixer (1b), at least at the inlet opening (6) and
outlet (7), appears to be equal to the cross-sectional area of
the interior flow channel of the mixer (1a). Thus, at the
inlet opening (6) and outlet (7) of the second mixer, the
cross-sectional flow area of the second mixer (1b) is “greater
than said cross-sectional flow area of said first mixer.” We
note in this regard, that claim 1 does not specify any
particular location where the cross-sectional flow area of the
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