Appeal 2006-3268
Application 10/479,696
(Answer 9). The Examiner states that from these disclosures Hofmann’s
control valve 50 interacts with the pressure P2 detected at an outlet of the
metering valve 16 (Answer 9).
Appellant responds that Hofmann provides no recording element for
recording the pressure P2 and its changes such that the recorded P2 value is
used to influence pressure regulation (Reply Br. 4).
Regarding claim 21, Appellant argues that in Hofmann P2
corresponds to the pressure prevalent on the outlet-side of metering valve
16, not a pressure sensor (Br. 8).
The Examiner responds that a pressure sensor is inherently disclosed
in Hofmann because Hofmann discloses carefully controlling the metering
valve inlet-side pressure P1, metering valve outlet-side pressure P2 and gas
pressure Pg (Answer 9-10).
We agree with the Examiner that claims 13, 21, and 26 are anticipated
by Hofmann.
Like Appellant in his Figures 1, 2 and 4, Hofmann uses the dashed-
line draftsman convention to show a control connection between the mixing
chamber 4, pressure control valve 50, and pressure accumulator 22
(Hofmann, Figure 1). We find Hofmann’s dashed control line indicates
pneumatic control of valve 50 (Hofmann, col. 3, ll. 25-27; col. 4, ll. 60-63).
Pneumatic controls use a gas to sense and provide variations in pressure to
control a device. Hofmann discloses that gas pressure Pg is the control
pressure that regulates the pressure control valve 50 such that the pressure
drop (P2-P1) across metering valve 16 is maintained constant (Hofmann,
col. 5, ll. 5-27).
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