Appeal No. 2004-1043
Application No. 09/960,907
Specifically, claims 1 and 10 recite the following
limitation:
(e) maintaining said electrolyte and
aluminum in said cell in a molten
condition during said extended periods of
reduced current flow by application of
heat to said bottom for purposes of
heating said cell. (Claim 1, lines 16-18;
claim 10, lines 20-22).
Claims 1 and 10 do not recite an air sweep (or any
other specific heating means) or recite any structural
limitations regarding the placement of a heating means.
Claims 1 and 14 only limit the heating means to applying
heat to the bottom of the cell liner. As seen in Figure 2
of the Weaver reference the heating means is centrally
located within the cell. Due to mechanisms of heat
transfer, the heating means would transfer heat radially
outward from the heating means, thus heating all portions
of the electrolytic cell, including the bottom of the cell.
This is affirmed by Weaver’s disclosure that the heating
means is used to prevent the electrolyte from freezing; the
majority of the electrolyte is located below the heating
mans, implying that heat is transferred in a downward
direction towards the bottom of the cell. Additionally,
the Examiner deems claims 1 and 10, as well as 18 and 27,
obvious in view of the other secondary references, which
expressly teach advantages to providing an air sweep at the
bottom, outer surface of the cell liner.
ii. The Weaver reference teaches a different method
of agitation (XJI.B, pages 21-22)
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