Appeal 2007-2133
Application 10/790,502
Claims 25, 27, 29, and 36 illustrate Appellants’ invention of a process
for sealing and insulating a fuel cell plate and an insulated fuel cell plate
prepared by a coating process, and are representative of the claims on
appeal:
25. A process for sealing and insulating a fuel cell plate, the process
comprising:
providing a gas impermeable fuel cell plate having first and second
surfaces;
applying an epoxy nitrile resin at generally ambient temperatures on at
least the first surface of the fuel cell plate, the coating precursor adapted to
polymerize or to cross-link in response to infrared radiation; and
exposing epoxy nitrile resin on the fuel cell plate to infrared radiation
to initiate polymerization or cross-linking.
27. The process of claim 25, wherein the epoxy nitrile resin is
exposed to infrared radiation for about less than about forty five minutes.
29. An insulated fuel cell plate comprising:
a gas impermeable plate having first and second surfaces; and
a solid coating polymerized or cross-linked in response to infrared
radiation at generally ambient temperatures and adhering to at least one of
the first and second surfaces of the plate, the solid coating comprising an
epoxy nitrile resin.
36. An insulated fuel cell plate comprising:
a gas impermeable plate having first and second surfaces; and
a coating polymerized or cross-linked in response to infrared radiation
and adhering to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the plate, the
coating consisting essentially of an epoxy nitrile resin.
The Examiner relies upon the evidence in these references:
Siebert US 4,025,578 May 24, 1977
Pellegri US 4,197,178 Apr. 8, 1980
Canfield US 6,274,262 B1 Aug. 14, 2001
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013