Appeal 2007-0130
Application 10/688,584
1 from microwave generator 2' to the treatment section 1' and is therefore a
2 microwave guide. A plurality of microwave guides may be positioned along
3 the treatment section 1' (Chauffoureaux, col. 2, ll. 31-34). An unloading
4 section through which the material is unloaded comprising a die 16 is
5 provided. A piston ram 17 is provided for causing the material to travel
6 through the treatment section (Chauffoureaux, col. 2, ll. 55-60). A person of
7 ordinary skill in the art would understand that the piston ram 17 would move
8 in one direction toward the unloading section to move the material through
9 the treatment section and then in another direction back to the starting
10 position. From this starting position, the piston ram is able to move more
11 material through the treatment section 1'. Therefore, in this respect the
12 piston ram 17 is a reciprocating ram as broadly claimed.
13 Wear discloses a microwave device which includes a plurality of
14 microwave guides 116, 126 and 132 (Wear, col. 8, l. 29; col. 9, l. 43; col. 10,
15 l. 20).
16 Gerling discloses a microwave device having a tube through which
17 the material to be treated with microwaves is tilted (Figure 1). The tube
18 causes the material to be treated to travel through a microwave oven 20.
19 Gerling also discloses that the microwave device is of the type adapted for
20 modular construction which readily permits scale up and scale down to suit
21 production requirements (Gerling, col. 9, ll. 47-51).
22 DISCUSSION
23 Rejection of claims 1 and 2
24 We are not persuaded by Appellants’ argument that Chauffoureaux is
25 not relevant prior art because it relates to the heating of a polar polymer and
5
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