Appeal 2006-2795
Application 10/689,392
1 ISSUES
2 Has Appellant shown that the Examiner erred finding that there is a
3 reason or motivation to combine the teachings of Smith and Press.
4
5 FINDINGS OF FACT
6 Appellant invented a seal retainer 10 that is depicted in Figures 1 and
7 2. The seal retainer 10 is used in a female hydraulic coupling member 72.
8 The seal retainer 10 includes a first metal seal 64 and a second metal seal 68.
9 First metal seal 64 and second metal seal 68 are integral with the seal
10 retainer 10. First metal seal 64 is machined so that when the probe of the
11 metal coupling member is inserted into the female coupling member 72, the
12 metal seal 64 will be forced out slightly causing a press fit or interference fit
13 (Specification, paragraph 00015). If pressurized fluid is attempting to flow
14 up along the probe, it will first fill cavity 66, which as the pressure builds,
15 will simply work to increase the seal pressure of the metal seal 64 against
16 the probe (Specification, paragraph 00015). Second metal seal 68 is
17 machined so that when end 29 of the seal retainer is in contact with shoulder
18 76 of the female hydraulic member, the legs of metal seal 68 are in press
19 contact with shoulder 78 of the female hydraulic member so that a slight
20 displacement of second seal 68 occurs. If fluid from outside the coupling
21 tries to come around the seal retainer and gets past seal 70, fluid will fill
22 cavity 82 and cause additional pressure to further seal off fluid flow
23 using second metal seal 68 (Specification, paragraph 00016).
24 Smith discloses a seal retainer 22 for an undersea female hydraulic
25 member 14 (col. 1, lines 6 to 9; Figure 3). A first metal seal 15 and second
26 metal seal 55 are disposed in contact with seal retainer 22 (col. 5, line 37;
3
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Last modified: September 9, 2013