Appeal No. 2006-0581
Application 09/997,082
evidences the obviousness of employing an electrophoretic method
for effecting the deposition of the polymer on the carbon fiber
construction.
While Kosuda does not expressly teach a highly fluorinated
polymer as the polymer to be electrophoretically deposited, Kosuda
is directed to the electrophoretic deposition of thermoplastic
resins, in general, on a carbon fiber structure. Kosuda teaches
that the electrophoretic method provides a uniform impregnation of
the polymer resulting in a carbon fiber construction having good
mechanical properties. While Kosuda teaches methods of coating
other than electrophoresis, the reference specifically states that
“[i]n order to enhance the effects of the present invention, the
powder of a thermoplastic resin may be impregnated and deposited on
carbon fibers by electrophoretically [sic], i.e., by applying a
direct current between the suspension and carbon fibers immersed in
the suspension” (column 5, lines 50-56). Accordingly, based on the
collective teachings of either Zuber or Breault and Kosuda, we are
satisfied that one of ordinary skill in the art would have had the
requisite reasonable expectation of successfully providing a uniform
coating of a highly fluorinated polymer on a carbon fiber
construction by utilizing the electrophoresis taught by Kosuda.
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