Appeal No. 2006-1678
Application No. 10/677,869
thermally spray above Tm (the softening temperature), it is
perfectly possible for the polymer to be deposited at a
temperature below Tm, and then post heated to provide the
coalesced coating desired" (page 13 of Answer, first paragraph,
last sentence). Hence, we agree with the examiner that the
"cold gas dynamic spraying" of Brogan corresponds to the claimed
kinetic spraying. Indeed, appellants acknowledge that "[c]old
gas dynamic spraying which is equivalent to kinetic spraying
always means that there is no thermal softening of the particles
being sprayed and that they strike a surface to be coated in the
same physical state as they began" (page 14 of principal brief,
second paragraph). Also, we concur with the examiner's
rationale that:
While Brogan describes the defects as occurring after
the coating through wear, it would have been obvious
to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Brogan
to repair a conical defect or other defect caused by
the kinetic spraying process itself within an
expectation of providing a desirably repaired coating,
because Brogan teaches to repair a worn down and
defective coating in general by recoating where the
defects are caused by impact, wear or abrasion
processes by remelting and thermally spraying coating
that coalesces with the old coating and conical
defects or other kinetic spraying defects in the
coating . . . [page 14 of Answer, first full
sentence].
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