Appeal 2006-3208
Application 10/097,232
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
The field of the invention is lubricants, more specifically
antimicrobial lubricants.
Prior art conveyor lubricants “permit high-speed operation of the
conveyor” but “some conveyor lubricants can promote the growth of
microbes, leading to possibly unhealthy conditions on the conveyor line or
in the filled containers” (Specification (hereafter “Spec.”) 1). Appellants
add a singlet oxygen-generating agent to prior art conveyor lubricants to
address this problem. Singlet oxygen is generated in situ by a generating
agent, preferably a photochemical generator, such as a dye (Spec. 4-6).
Appellants’ examples are made by adding a photo-activator dye (Toluidine
Blue) to a “commercial aqueous lubricant” such as MICROGLIDE™ or
KX-5120™ beverage container lubricant, both products of Ecolab Inc. (id.
at 17-23).
The claimed subject matter is reflected in independent claim 1:
1. An antimicrobial beverage conveyor lubricant
composition comprising a singlet oxygen-generating agent
and sufficient lubricant to provide a lubricant coating having
a coefficient of friction less than about 0. 14 and permitting
high-speed movement of blow-molded polyethylene
terephthalate containers along a beverage conveyor.
The Examiner has rejected claims 1-19 and 59-65 under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) over the following references:
Goodrich, Jr, et al. U.S. 6,277,337 B1 Aug. 21, 20012
Li et al. U.S. 6,207,622 B1 Mar. 27, 2001
Alder et al. U.S. 4,990,232 Feb. 5, 1991
2 The listed dates are issue dates.
2
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