Invalidity dossier
US 3793165
Added 9/23/2026, 4:54:32 PM
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Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
US Patent 3,793,165 — "Method of electrodeposition using catalyzed hydrogen"
Bibliographic data (per supplied text): Inventors W. Juda and R. Novak. Original assignee Prototech Inc.; current assignee listed as E Tek Inc. Application US00212789A filed December 27, 1971; granted and published February 19, 1974. Prior art date 1971-12-27. Legal status listed as expired — lifetime (anticipated expiration 1991-02-19). Classification: C25D 3/00/3/02 (electroplating baths) and C25C 1/00 (electrolytic metal recovery/refining).
Purpose: The invention concerns electrodeposition of metals and other elements from solutions, aided by catalyst-activated hydrogen. It is described as suited to recovering copper from dilute acid leach solutions of low-grade ores, or from spent, impurity-laden copper electrorefining electrolyte.
Plain-language scope: A hydrogen-ionizing catalyst (e.g., platinum or palladium) is placed in ionic but not physical contact with a metal-salt solution. Hydrogen is passed along the catalyst to activate it. An external conductive path connects the catalyst, acting as a hydrogen anode, to a conductive surface in the solution, acting as a cathode, forming an electrochemical cell that generates current without an external power supply. Metal deposits on the cathode while metal ions and reduced metal are kept from touching the catalyst. This separation is achieved by interposing a porous diffusion barrier between solution and catalyst and flowing an acidic solution (e.g., sulfuric acid) through the barrier from the catalyst side into the salt solution, preventing backward flow of metal ions or reduced metal. The excerpt reports a barrier about 2–3 mm thick with fine porosity, gravity-fed acid flow of a few ml per minute, and examples using copper sulfate (current about 185 mA measured; normal operation about 40 mA; about 56°C) and silver acetate (about 1.0 g/L, pH 1.6; silver screen cathode; about 57 mA over 30 minutes).
Not established by this excerpt: the full claim set, complete description, any drawing content, the identity of cited prior art, and any litigation, validity, or ownership-transfer history beyond the bare reassignment entries listed.
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US3793165](/patent/US3793165)/en
Generated 10/1/2026, 9:44:02 PM
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Litigation summary
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
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Prior art
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Obviousness
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Extensions
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Derivative works
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