Ex Parte Hartmann et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Nov 29, 2016

13082772 (P.T.A.B. Nov. 29, 2016)

United States Patent and Trademark Office UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O.Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 13/082,772 04/08/2011 Thomas Hartmann 707470-00054 6769 35161 7590 11/29/2016 DTrKTNSON WRIGHT PT T C EXAMINER 1825 Eye St., NW SAAD, ERIN BARRY Suite 900 WASHINGTON, DC 20006 ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 1735 MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE 11/29/2016 PAPER Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte THOMAS HARTMANN and DIETER NUETZEL Appeal 2015-004234 Application 13/082,772 Technology Center 1700 Before ADRIENE LEPIANE HANLON, TERRY J. OWENS, and BRIAN D. RANGE Administrative Patent Judges. OWENS, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL STATEMENT OF THE CASE The Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner’ rejection of claims 1-12 and 21. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). The Invention The Appellants claim a brazing process. Claim 1 is illustrative: 1. A process for brazing two or more parts comprising: inserting of a braze with a composition consisting of NiresCraBbPcSid with 20 atomic percent < a < 22 atomic percent; 1.2 atomic percent < b < 3.6 atomic percent; 12.5 atomic percent < c < 14.5 atomic percent; 0 atomic percent < d < 1.5 atomic percent; incidental impurities < 0.5 atomic percent; and residual Ni, between two or more parts to be joined to Appeal 2015-004234 Application 13/082,772 form a joint, wherein the parts to be joined having a higher melting temperature than the braze; heating the ioint to a temperature of between 1020°C and 1070°C; cooling the joint to form a brazed connection between the parts wherein the brazed connection has a solder seam wherein the loss of solder seam mass after ageing for 1000 hours at 70°C in a corrosion medium with a pH value < 2 and S042'N03'C1' ions is less than 0.08%. The Reference Hartmann (as translated) DE 10 2007 049 508 A1 Apr. 23, 2009 The Rejection Claims 1-12 and 21 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Hartmann. OPINION We affirm the rejection. The Appellants argue the claims in two groups: 1) claims 1, 2, 4-12, and 21, and 2) claim 3 (App. Br. 3-9). We therefore limit our discussion to claim 3 and one claim in the other group, i.e., claim 1. Claims 2, 4-12, and 21 stand or fall with claim 1. See 37 C.F.R. § 41.37(c)(l)(iv) (2012). Claim 1 Hartmann brazes parts using, as a brazing composition, NiRestCraBbPcSid where, in atomic percent, 2