Appeal No. 1997-1821
Application No. 08/460,023
page 1). Accordingly, claims 1, 3-7 and 16-18 remain on appeal
(id.). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 134.
According to appellants, the invention is directed to
reducing the fluorine content of an acyclic saturated compound of
a specified formula, where this compound is reacted with HCl in
the vapor phase at an elevated temperature in the presence of a
catalyst, with the mole ratio of HCl to the acyclic saturated
compound being at least about 1:1 (Brief, page 3). Illustrative
independent claim 1 is reproduced below:
1. A method for reducing the fluorine content of an acyclic
saturated compound selected from the group consisting of CHC12F,
CHClF2, CHF3, CHClFCF3, CHCl2CF3 and CHF2CH3, comprising the step of:
reacting said acyclic saturated compound with HCl in the vapor
phase at a temperature within the range of from about 250/C to
450/C in the presence of a catalyst, the mole ratio of HCl to said
acyclic saturated compound being at least about 1:1.
The examiner has relied upon Elsheikh et al. (Elsheikh), U.S.
Patent No. 5,177,271, issued Jan. 5, 1993, as the sole evidence
of obviousness. Thus the claims on appeal stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Elsheikh (Answer, page 3).
We reverse this rejection for the reasons set forth below.
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