Appeal 2007-0921
Application 10/793,878
Appellants’ invention is directed to molten material supply apparatus
wherein a heating structure is designed to be supplied with material in the
form of rods. Claim 1 is illustrative and reproduced below:
1. A molten material supply unit comprising:
a heating cylinder constructed and arranged for receiving a solid
material rods, and comprising an inlet open to the atmosphere which
receives the solid material rods and an outlet spaced from the inlet; and
a vacuum device communicating with the heating cylinder and
constructed and arranged to generate a reduced pressure environment within
the heating cylinder,
wherein the solid material rods are heated and melted in the reduced
pressure environment as the rods move from the inlet to the outlet.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
in rejecting the appealed claims:
Premkumar US 5,775,403 Jul. 7, 1998
Cook US 5,860,468 Jan. 19, 1999
Carden US 6,098,700 Aug. 8, 2000
Claims 1, 3-8, 59, and 64-67 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as being unpatentable over Carden in view of Premkumar and Cook.
Claims 9 and 10 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Carden in view of Premkumar, Cook, and Hamashima.
Concerning the Examiner’s first stated rejection, all of the rejected
claims require a heating cylinder constructed and arranged for receiving
solid material rods, the cylinder having an inlet open to the atmosphere, a
spaced outlet, and a vacuum device communicating with the heating cylinder
to provide a reduced pressure environment therewithin. The Examiner
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