Appeal 2007-1018
Application 10/376,782
substrate, which includes thin steel plates, especially, thin stainless steel
plates.
Rondeau, as acknowledged by Appellants, expressly teaches
Appellants' electric arc spraying of a metal anchor layer comprising an alloy
of nickel and aluminum onto a metal substrate. While Appellants contend
that Rondeau provides no mention or suggestion "that such coatings would
be desirable as a surface for the deposition of a catalytic material for an
exhaust treatment apparatus to improve the adherence of the catalytic
material thereon" (page 10 of Brief, second para.), we concur with the
Examiner that it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art
to employ the specific, metal anchor layer of Rondeau in the apparatus of
Ishida "to obtain a catalyst that is highly resistant to peel-off and has a good
adhering property to the surfaces of the metal place [sic, plate]" (page 4 of
Answer, third para.).
Also, we find that the admitted prior art found in Appellants'
Specification buttresses the Examiner's conclusion of obviousness. In
particular, Appellants acknowledge that the US patent to
Gorynin et al., US 5,204,302, expressly teaches the flame or plasma
spraying of a metal adhesive, or anchor layer, comprising nickel and
aluminum to enhance the adhesion to the substrate of a subsequently applied
catalyst composition. Hence, the admitted prior art evidences that one of
ordinary skill in the art would have had the requisite reasonable expectation
of success with respect to the compatibility of a metal anchor layer
comprising nickel and aluminum in the exhaust treatment apparatus of
Ishida. We note that Appellants have advanced no reason why one of
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