Appeal No. 1998-1872
Application No. 08/568,285
BACKGROUND
The disclosed invention is directed to a helium leak detector for detecting leaks in a
device under test. Claim 1 is reproduced below.
1. A leak detector including at least one analysis unit connected to the inlet of a
first secondary pump, a pre-evacuation set connected to an inlet coupling, the inlet
of said pre-evacuation set further being connected to the outlet of said first
secondary pump via a pipe provided with a first valve, wherein said pre-evacuation
set comprises a second secondary pump and a mechanical primary pump
connected together in series, and wherein a pipe provided with a second valve
connects an intermediate point of said first secondary pump to the inlet of said
secondary pump.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Saulgeot 4,773,256 Sep. 27, 1988
Baret 5,297,422 Mar. 29, 1994
Claims 1-5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
Saulgeot and Baret.
We refer to the Final Rejection (Paper No. 8) and the Examiner's Answer (Paper
No. 15) for a statement of the examiner's position and to the Brief (Paper No. 14) and the
Reply Brief (Paper No. 17) for appellants’ position with respect to the claims which stand
rejected.
OPINION
Grouping of Claims
-2-
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