Appeal No. 2005-0582
Application 09/870,014
hybrid process and that a mixture of helium and O2 can be used as
the shield gas for the laser welding, whereas various mixtures,
such as argon and CO2 or argon and helium, can be used as the
shield gas for the arc welding (see column 2, lines 36-52).
Hence, based on this disclosure, we find that one of ordinary
skill in the art would have understood that the area of the weld
in close proximity to both the laser and arc welding may use a
shield gas comprising a combination of argon, helium and O2 or
CO2. As emphasized by the examiner, the appealed claims embrace
a process wherein only one part of a welding zone, for example,
the portion where the arc and laser welding essentially overlap,
is shielded by the claimed gas mixture. Furthermore, the
appealed claims also encompass gas mixtures having as little as
0.1% by volume of either O2 or CO2, which is substantially the
same as the mixture of helium and argon specifically noted by
Hamasaki. Also, we agree with the examiner that Yenni, Cherne
and Galantino ‘841 further buttress the conclusion that it would
have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to use a
shield gas consisting of argon, helium and O2 or CO2 in at least
one part of a hybrid arc/laser welding zone.
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007