Appeal 2006-0891
Application 10/224,886
INTRODUCTION
The claims are directed to methods of incorporating encapsulated
chemical leavening agents into dough ingredients. According to Appellant’s
Specification, the chemical leavening agents are designed to react to produce
a gas that leavens dough during baking (Specification 1:22-2:3). However,
sometimes these agents react prematurely causing premature gas release and
premature dough expansion during storage of the dough (Specification 2:4-
10). One technique known in the art for minimizing premature dough
leavening is to encapsulate the chemical leavening agents (Specification
2:11-18). But, according to the Specification, the encapsulated chemical
leavening agents have been found to be sensitive to shear (Specification
3:19-20). Shear can cause breaking or other damage, thereby exposing the
chemical leavening agents to the bulk dough composition and creating the
possibility of premature leavening during storage (Specification 3: 12-28).
According to Appellant, conventional dough forming methods use processes
such as high speed (high shear) mixing to incorporate an encapsulated
chemical leavening agent into dough ingredients or dough compositions
without appreciating or accounting for the damage that can occur to the
encapsulated particles (Specification 3:29 to 4:7). Appellant limits the
breakage and damage by limiting the exposure of the encapsulated particles
to high shear, high speed mixing or by using only low shear mixing
(Specification 5). The Specification states that “‘[h]igh speed’ mixing
generally refers to the use of standard bowl-type mixer with reciprocating,
rotating, or spinning ‘beater’ or other mechanically impinging utensils that
reciprocate or rotate at speeds in excess of 36 revolutions per minute (rpm).”
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