Appeal 2007-0687
Application 10/797,422
1 Hasz discloses that the alumina coating can be deposited on the
2 thermal barrier coating by a sol-gel process. Hasz, col. 4, ll. 25-27.
3 However, Hasz does not discloses that the alumina may be applied as an
4 alumina precursor and converted in situ to alumina.
5 The Examiner found that Spence discloses an alumina/silica coating
6 which protects against environmental contaminants. The coating may be
7 applied as an alumina/silica precursor that yields an alumina/silica coating
8 upon deposition and subsequent heating. The Examiner found that Spence
9 discloses that the coating may be applied to various substrates, including
10 ceramics. Answer 3-4.
11 The Examiner concluded that it would have been obvious to one of
12 ordinary skill in the art to apply the alumina/silica protective coating
13 disclosed in Spence on the thermal barrier coating disclosed in Hasz to
14 provide an alternative means for protecting the thermal barrier coating in
15 Hasz from environmental contaminants. Answer 5.
16 The Appellants argue that there is no motivation to combine the
17 teachings of Spence and Hasz because the protective coatings in Spence and
18 Hasz do not protect against the same or even similar environmental
19 contaminants. Br. 7.
20 The protective coatings in Spence and Hasz each contain alumina and
21 are used to protect gas turbines from fuel source contaminants. Therefore,
22 we find that one of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the coatings
23 in Spence and Hasz to be effective against the same or similar fuel source
24 contaminants.
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