Appeal No. 1998-1219
Application 08/419,317
purging the reactor with the less adsorbable product and
countercurrently repressurizing the reactor with the less
adsorbable product prior to commencing the next process cycle
(Brief, pages 4-5). A copy of illustrative claim 1 is
attached as an Appendix to this decision.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Stönner et al. (Stönner) 4,491,573 Jan. 1, 1985
Sauvion et al. (Sauvion) 4,906,448 Mar. 6, 1990
Keefer 5,256,172 Oct. 26,
1993
Dandekar et al. (Dandekar) 5,449,696 Sep. 12,
1995
(filed Aug. 1, 1994)
Hirai et al. (JP ‘436) 58-049436 Mar. 23,
1983
(published kokai application)1
Kikuchi et al. (Kikuchi), “Hydrogen Production from Methane
Steam Reforming assisted by use of Membrane Reactor,” 509-515,
Natural Gas Conversion, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.,
Amsterdam, 1991.
Claims 1-22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶2, “as
being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and
distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards
1We rely upon a full English translation of this document,
previously made of record.
2
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