Appeal 2007-0871
Application 10/967,816
equipping a user with a buoyancy compensator comprising a
controller, tank containing at least one gas, and an expander, the tank being
operably connected to deliver the at least one gas to the expander under the
control of the controller;
providing a hydrofoil;
connecting the hydrofoil to the user;
positioning the user and hydrofoil underwater at a selected depth; and
operating the controller to alternate the overall buoyancy of the user
and hydrofoil between levels above and below neutral buoyancy, the
controller releasing the at least one gas into the ambient water to decrease
the overall buoyancy.
The Examiner relies upon the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Schuler US 3,898,705 Aug. 12, 1975
McLane US 3,947,906 Apr. 6, 1976
Appellant's claimed invention is directed to a method of underwater
propulsion of an individual using a buoyancy compensator that comprises a
controller, a tank containing at least one gas, and an expander. The tank is
operably connected to deliver the gas to the expander to alter the overall
buoyancy of the individual in the water. Gas is released to the ambient
water to decrease the overall buoyancy.
Appealed claims 1-30 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
being unpatentable over McLane in view of Schuler.
Appellant has not set forth separate arguments for any particular claim
on appeal. Accordingly, all of the appealed claims stand or fall together
with claim 1.
2
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