Appeal 2006-2137
Application 10/375,748
form a slurry of about 12% by weight solids (10-50% by weight
solids); dispensing the slurry into an annular mold (placing a
slurry composition in a die cavity); applying pressure to the
slurry in the mold to dewater the slurry, via a top and bottom
filter medium which forms pad [sic. part] of the mold, to about
30-40% by weight water content thereby forming a preform
(extracting the water from the slurry by pressing on the slurry in
the die cavity with a die punch); drying the preform in 150
degrees F to 1% by weight water level (followed by drying,
resulting in the formation of a friction material preform); and
pressing the dried preform between two hot mold plates in a hot
press with sufficient pressure and for a sufficient length of time
to form a final friction product having a desired density and the
other desired properties … (column 1 , lines 10-26; column 2,
lines 16-20; column 4, lines 7-32; Example 2 in column 5).
As acknowledged by the Examiner (Answer 3-7) and argued by the
Appellant (Br. 3-7), Parker does not mention the claimed diameter of friction
and wear modifiers and fillers, the claimed proportions of solid materials,
and the claimed die punch design. However, we concur with the Examiner
that these features are necessarily present in Parker and/or suggested by the
prior art references as a whole.
As to claimed diameter of friction and wear modifiers and filler, the
Appellant does not challenge the Examiner’s finding at page 4 of the
Answer that Parker teaches conventional “friction and wear modifiers and
fillers, such as graphite (carbonaceous particles) and vermiculite (inorganic
flake materials)” which are useful for forming friction products. See also
Parker, column 3, lines 23-30 and column 2, lines 3-9. These conventional
friction and wear modifiers and fillers, as correctly found by the Examiner at
page 5 of the Answer, necessarily have “a particle size of 50 mesh or smaller
(1/2-10 mm in the largest dimension)” as explained by Tabe. See also Tabe,
5
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