Ex Parte Robertson et al - Page 5

                 Appeal 2007-2257                                                                                        
                 Application 11/118,509                                                                                  
                        The Examiner found that Bogard relates to the replacement of a                                   
                 turbine disk air seal land ring.  A replacement ring, composed of wrought                               
                 nickel-base alloys or titanium alloys, is bonded to the disk in place of a worn                         
                 or damaged land ring.  The replacement ring and the disk material can be                                
                 composed of similar chemical composition as the disk material.  Bogard                                  
                 teaches both the disk and the replacement ring having contact areas for                                 
                 bonding which are properly aligned, heated, and pressed under conditions                                
                 sufficient to ensure proper bonding by forge joining (Bogard, Col. 4, ll. 3-                            
                 53).  Bogard does not expressly teach using resistance heating for the forge                            
                 joining process, and, therefore, also does not teach applying an electrical                             
                 current to either part.  The Examiner cited Robertson for describing the                                
                 suitability of using the resistance heating bonding technique for wrought                               
                 alloy materials (Answer 4-5).                                                                           
                        Appellants’ principal argument is that Robertson teaches away from                               
                 the claimed invention (Br. 8).  Appellants also argue that there is no                                  
                 suggestion or motivation to combine the teachings of Bogard and Robertson                               
                 (Br. 8-9).                                                                                              
                        We do not find Appellants’ arguments persuasive.  The Examiner                                   
                 properly determined that Bogard and Robertson utilize essentially the same                              
                 temperatures and pressures to join the wrought materials through the forge                              
                 joining process (Answer 7-8).  As such, a person of ordinary skill in the art                           
                 would have reasonably expected that wrought materials would have been                                   
                 bonded together utilizing a resistance heating bonding technique for the                                
                 forge joining process.  Appellants are reminded that the test for obviousness                           
                 is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to                                
                 one of ordinary skill in the art, and that only a reasonable expectation of                             

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