Appeal 2007-2774
Application 10/285,632
melamine-aldehyde acid colloid and, optionally, a flocculant (Mizuno
at col. 3, ll. 34-46).
[26] Examples 1-8 of Mizuno describe a test protocol using a simulated
dirty flush solution having 2,000 mg paint/liter water (Mizuno at col.
6, ll. 29-53).
5. Rejection over the Prior Art and Rebuttal
[27] The Examiner found that Knipe described a process meeting all the
limitations of claim 1 but for (a) requiring addition of a flocculant
and/or coagulant to the used flush solution in a dosage sufficient to
form paint particle aggregates at least 20 microns in size, and (b)
requiring the used flush solution to contain between 5 and 20 percent
by volume of paint (Answer at 5, ¶ 2, and 7, ¶ 1).
[28] The Examiner found that Mahoney taught adding pH-adjusting
chemicals, coagulants and/or flocculants to aggregate and remove
paint particles from used flush solutions being purified and recycled
(Answer at 6, ¶ 1).
[29] The Examiner found that forming aggregated paint particle sizes of at
least 20 microns is an inherent property of the coagulants and/or
flocculants used by Mahoney because both Mahoney and Appellant's
specification disclose use of the same "conventional" coagulants and
flocculants (Answer at 6, ¶ 1).
[30] The Examiner concluded that it would have been obvious to
incorporate a step of adding coagulant and/or flocculant to the used
flush solution in an amount sufficient to result in aggregated particles
of at least 20 microns into the method of Knipe as taught by Mahoney
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