Appeal No. 2002-0771 Page 2
Application No. 09/294,288
THE CLAIMED INVENTION
Appellants’ invention relates to a method and apparatus for diffusing one fluid, such as an
ozone gas, into another fluid, such as water. Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. An apparatus for diffusing a first fluid into a second fluid, comprising:
a membrane having a porosity which is sufficient to allow the first fluid to pass
therethrough;
a first passageway configured to apply the first fluid to a first surface of the membrane;
and
a second passageway configured to apply the second fluid to a second surface of the
membrane which is opposite to the first surface thereof such that the second fluid forms a vortex
with sufficiently low pressure to cause the first fluid to move from the first passageway through
the membrane into the second passageway and become diffused into the second fluid;
in which the second passageway is configured such that said vortex at least partially
shears the first fluid at the second surface of the membrane;
the first fluid comprises bubbles; and
the vortex at least partially shears the bubbles such that they are broken up and scattered
into smaller bubbles.
THE REJECTION
Claims 1-10 and 12-19 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable
over U.S. Patent 5,405,497 issued to Torregrossa on April 11, 1995 (Answer at 3-5). Because
Appellants have not persuaded us of reversible error on the part of the Examiner, we affirm. Our
reasons follow.
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