Appeal No. 2006-0892 Page 3
Application No. 10/202,701
At the outset, we note that appellants argue the rejected
claims as a group. Accordingly, we select claim 9 as the
representative claim on which we decide this appeal. Appellants
do not dispute that Yang corresponds to the claimed device in
disclosing a bipolar plate useful in an electrochemical cell that
includes a plate with a flow region disposed on a side of the
plate. However, appellants (brief, page 8) maintain that the
claim 9 requirement for a length to width ratio of four to one
for the claimed flow region is not taught by and would not have
been suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art by Yang. We
disagree.
In this regard, we note that Yang teaches that the bipolar
plates disclosed therein are designed to allow for a uniform and
sufficient pressure differential or pressure drop between inlet
and outlet manifolds via flow restrictions placed therein to
clear reaction products and condense humidity from flow channels
formed on the flow side(s) or region of the bipolar plates
thereof. See, e.g., column 2, line 54 through column 3, line 381
of Yang.
1Indeed, Yang’s disclosed concern with the plate channels
corresponds to appellants’ disclosure concerning the prevention
of pockets of condensate from forming in plate channels at page
4, paragraph number 0011 of the subject specification.
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