Appeal 2007-2233
Application 10/228,754
We reverse the decision of the Primary Examiner.
Claim 17 illustrates Appellants’ invention of a method for applying a
catalyst composition to an interior of a hollow substrate, and is
representative of the claims on appeal.
17. A method for applying a catalyst composition to the interior of a
hollow substrate comprising:
coating the interior of a hollow substrate with a catalytic composition
by partially immersing an end the substrate into a vessel containing a bath
of coating slurry and applying a vacuum to the partially immersed substrate
at an intensity and time sufficient to draw the coating slurry upwardly from
the bath into the interior of the hollow substrate:
removing the substrate from the bath;
rotating the substrate 180º; and
then applying a blast of air to the end of the substrate which had been
immersed into the slurry to distribute the catalytic composition therewithin.
The Examiner relies on the evidence in these references:
Hoyer US 4,038,939 Apr. 2, 1977
Watanabe US 5,182,140 Jan. 26, 1993
Rosynsky WO 97/48500 A1 Dec. 24, 1997
The Examiner applies Rosynsky in view of Watanabe to claim 17, one
of two independent claims, and other claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a), and
these references further combined with Hoyer with respect to other claims
under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a), the two grounds of rejection submitted for review
on appeal by Appellants (Answer 3-7; Br. 5). We decide this appeal on
independent claim 17. 37 C.F.R. § 41.37(c)(1)(vii) (2005).
The claimed method comprises at least the steps of, among other
things, coating the interior of a substrate by partially immersing an end
thereof into a vessel containing the composition and applying a vacuum to
the substrate to draw the composition upward into the interior of the
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