Ex Parte Binot - Page 7


                 Appeal No.  2007-0175                                                          Page 7                   
                 Application No.  10/467,134                                                                             
                        Vion discusses the “elementary steps” involved in degritting and                                 
                 degreasing (Vion, column 1, line 64 – column 2, line 28) and explains (column 2,                        
                 lines 12-27) that in the degreasing step the grease particles are coalesced and                         
                 “very fine air bubbles” are optionally employed to improve the gravity separation                       
                 of the grease.  While Vion is not explicitly clear as to what is meant by “gravity                      
                 separation” of the grease, we understand from column 4, lines 35-37 and 49-54                           
                 of Vion that the injection of fine air bubbles accelerates the rate of rise of the                      
                 grease particles, where they are later taken up off the top of the reactor, e.g.,                       
                 flotation degreasing.  Therefore, it would appear to us, that whether or not air                        
                 bubbles are included in the process of degreasing outlined by Vion at column 2,                         
                 lines 12-27, Vion contemplates flotation degreasing.  Vion then discusses the                           
                 steps of mechanical-chemical treatment (column 2, lines 28-48), which is                                
                 followed by the settling operation which comprises “the removal of flocculated                          
                 matter and the grease particles trapped in the floc.”  Vion, column 2, lines 49-56.                     
                        As Vion explains, column 2, line 57 – column 3, line 4, as a consequence                         
                 of breaking the process steps down into elementary steps, several of the                                
                 processing steps can be performed simultaneously.  We note, however, that                               
                 even when various steps involved in the water-treatment process are performed                           
                 simultaneously, Vion refers to the separation of grease particles and the start of                      
                 the settling operation as two separate components of the combined process.                              
                 See e.g., Vion, column 3, lines 3-4 “separating the grease particles and                                
                 commencing a settling operation.”  This is emphasized in the four steps outlined                        
                 by Vion at column 4, lines 3-60, particularly, column 4, lines 35-37 (“[i]n order to                    






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