Appeal No. 2001-0278
Application 09/069,002
particles are placed in the composite materials or an adhesive. The bonded article, it is
said, is then caused to vibrate with electromagnetic energy absorbed by the particles
and the vibration signature is analyzed to determine the quality of the bond (Examiner’s
Answer, page 6, lines 8-11).
Additionally, the Examiner states that “[a] part which is found to be defective or of
inadequate strength must be either discarded or fixed. It is generally known to weld
thermoplastic composite parts, nondestructively evaluate the welds, and reweld if
unbonded regions are found” (Examiner’s Answer, page 7, lines 12-14; citing Mittleider,
column 19, lines 35-56). .
The Examiner then concludes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill
in the art at the time the invention was made to use Clark’s nondestructive evaluation
method on the bonded laminates of Kodokian because one of ordinary skill would have
been motivated to reduce the chances that a defective part is used in an end product;
and to salvage the expensive composite materials rather than discard them.
(Examiner’s Answer, page 6, lines 15-18 and page 7, lines 15-17).
The Appellants state that:
Kodokian does not suggest welding, evaluating welds, or rewelding to improve
the strength of welds. Kodokian does not teach connecting composites,
inspecting connected composites (let alone the one Applicant claims in step (d)),
or rewelding welds discovered to have inadequate strength. (Appeal Brief, page
6, lines 14-16).
and
Clark neither welds nor rewelds where inadequate strength is discovered. While
Clark may be able to locate areas of inadequate bonding in adhesive bonds, he
does not teach how to alleviate these areas of weakness.
Neither reference inputs an electromagnetic pulse in to the welded
composite to excite the buried susceptor and then listens to the acoustic signal
created by the excited susceptor. (Appeal Brief, page 6, lines 19-24).
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