Appeal No. 2006-0581
Application 09/997,082
1. A method of making a hydrophobic carbon fiber construction
comprising the steps of:
a) immersing a carbon fiber construction in an aqueous
dispersion of a highly fluorinated polymer;
b) contacting said dispersion with a counterelectrode; and
c) electrophoretically depositing said highly fluorinated
polymer on said carbon fiber construction by applying electric
current between said carbon fiber construction and said
counterelectrode.
10. The hydrophobic carbon fiber construction made according to the
method of claim 1.
The examiner relies upon the following references as evidence
of obviousness:
Lenfant et al. (Lenfant) 3,573,991 Apr. 6, 1971
Breault 3,972,735 Aug. 3, 1976
Kosuda et al. (Kosuda) 4,897,286 Jan. 30, 1990
Zuber et al. (Zuber) 6,803,143 Oct. 12, 2004
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a hydrophobic
carbon fiber construction made by emerging the construction in an
aqueous dispersion of a highly fluorinated polymer, and
electrophoretically depositing the polymer on the carbon fiber
construction. According to appellants, “[t]his invention is useful
in the manufacture of a fuel cell component known as a ‘gas
diffusion layer.’” (page 3 of principal brief, last sentence).
The appealed claims stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
follows:
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