Appeal No. 2005-0015 Page 2
Application No. 09/788,274
invention. In both embodiments, appellant’s leak point wetness sensor utilizes only a
single temperature sensor, said temperature sensor 28 being mounted to the instrument
body at a location where it will be contacted by leaked fluid. In the first embodiment
(Figure 4), a circuit 33 generates and provides a signal, usually a voltage, simulative of
some lower temperature than would be expected from the liquid, such signal usually
being proportional to ambient. The signal output from the temperature sensor 28 is
compared with the signal from circuit 33 by comparator 32 to determine when leaked
liquid has wetted the temperature sensor 28. In the second embodiment (Figure 5), the
signal from temperature sensor 28 is provided to a rate of change detector 40 adapted
to react to a quick rise in temperature, thereby indicating wetting of the temperature
sensor by leaked liquid. A copy of the claims under appeal is set forth in the appendix
to the appellant's brief.
The following rejection is before us for review.
Claims 1-4 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by
Ketchum1.
Rather than reiterate the conflicting viewpoints advanced by the examiner and
the appellant regarding the above-noted rejection, we make reference to the answer
(Paper No. 12) for the examiner's complete reasoning in support of the rejection and to
the brief (Paper No. 11) for the appellant's arguments thereagainst.
OPINION
1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,804, issued January 26, 1999.
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