Appeal 2007-1008
Application 10/208,861
ISSUE
The issue in this case is whether the Examiner erred in finding that the
prior art discloses partially curing a first layer of coating on a fiber at a first
coating/curing stage and further curing the first layer of coating on the fiber
at a second coating/curing stage.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Appellants claim an apparatus for curing a coated fiber including a
first coating curing stage which partially cures a first layer of the coating of
the fiber and a second coating curing stage located downstream from the
first coating curing stage to further cure the first layer of the coating. The
time between the first coating curing stage and the entrance to the second
coating curing stage is at least 40 msec. Appellant discloses that optimal
curing of the first layer of coating is achieved by the recited time delay
between the first and second coating curing stage of the first layer of coating
(Specification p. 13). A second layer of coating is applied by a coater
downstream of the second coating curing stage of the first layer of coating.
Mensah discloses an apparatus for curing a coated fiber in which a
fiber is coated by a coater 18 and proceeds to a coating curing stage 20
downstream of coater 18 (Figure 1). The cured fiber receives a second
coating by secondary coater 22 and then proceeds to a second coating curing
stage 23. Mensah does not disclose partial curing of a first layer of coating
or a second curing the first layer. Rather, the first layer of coating in
Mensah is cured only once and completely at a first coating curing stage 20.
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Last modified: September 9, 2013