DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102)a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Hifumi et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0055357.
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Hifumi discloses in paragraphs 0288 a laminate comprising a substrate and a cured layer formed with a composition wherein the substrate can include glass. Paragraph 0290 discloses that the cured product and laminate can be used for prepregs and printed circuit boards. The abstract and 0022-0024 disclose a polymer composition including a first structural unit represented by at least one of formulae (1-1), (1-2) and (1-3)
PNG
media_image1.png
923
826
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein R1 are each independently a halogen atom, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a monovalent halogenated hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms wherein n can be an integer from 0 to 2 [0025]. Additionally, Hifumi discloses a structural unit (2-2)
PNG
media_image2.png
185
825
media_image2.png
Greyscale
. The first and second structural units of Hifumi read on the claimed polymer when R10 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms [organic divalent group] as defined in [0030] of Hifumi [ wherein the second structural unit (2-2) represents X in Applicant’s claimed polymer structure of claims 1 and 2.
Regarding claim 3, Hifumi discloses in paragraph 0242 that the polymer composition can include a curable compound.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hifumi et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0055357 in view of Sugawara, U.S. Patent Number 2009/0270552.
Hifumi, above, remains relied upon for claim 1. Sugawara discloses a prepreg [0090]. Paragraph a polymerizable composition comprising an aromatic condensed ring containing cycloolefin monomer wherein the ring can include a pyrazine ring or pyrimidine ring [0017]. Paragraph 0033 of Sugawara discloses that the composition includes a flame retardant. It is disclosed in paragraph 0078 that the composition of Sugawara can also include a reinforcement and a filler. Paragraph 0080 discloses that the filler is an inorganic filler such as silica, talc, calcium carbonate, alumina, clay, magnesia, titania zirconia. Paragraph 0106 of Sugawara discloses a copper clad laminate. Additionally, Sugawara discloses in paragraph 0106 a multilayer printed wiring board including the prepreg. Sugawara discloses in paragraph 0114 two glass cloths 7268 wherein the polymerizable composition was poured over the glass cloth. Paragraph 0002 discloses that the polymerizable composition has excellent flame retardance.
Regarding claim 4, Hifumi discloses that the composition includes a curing auxiliary agent [0242 and 0253]. Applicant’s claim 4 does exclude the curing aid and the curing agent from being the same. Applicant’s claim 4 is not specific to the curing aid and the curing agent. Paragraph 0278 of Hifumi discloses additional components in the composition such as a reinforcing agent and a flame retardant. Hifumi is silent to an inorganic filler. Hifumi and Sugawara are analogous art in that both references are directed to prepregs including a polymerizable composition including a monomer having a pyrazine or pyrimidine condensed ring structural unit wherein the prepreg can be utilized in a printed wiring board or circuit board. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize an inorganic filler such as silica in the polymerizable composition of Hifumi for the benefit of enhanced flame retardancy.
Regarding claim 6, Hifumi discloses a laminate. Hifumi is silent to a metal clad laminate. Paragraph 0106 of Sugawara discloses a copper clad laminate. Additionally, Sugawara discloses in paragraph 0106 a multilayer printed wiring board including the prepreg. Paragraph 0002 discloses that the polymerizable composition has excellent flame retardance. Hifumi and Sugawara are analogous art in that both references are directed to prepregs including a polymerizable composition including a monomer having a pyrazine or pyrimidine condensed ring structural unit wherein the prepreg can be utilized in a printed wiring board or circuit board. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize the copper clad laminate of Sugawara as the laminate of Hifumi in order to obtain a circuit board including a prepreg having enhanced flame retardancy.
Regarding claim 7, Hifumi discloses a circuit board [0290]. Hifumi is silent to a printed wiring board comprising a metal-clad laminate wherein part of the metal foil has been removed. Paragraph 0106 of Sugawara discloses a copper clad laminate. Additionally, Sugawara discloses in paragraph 0106 a multilayer printed wiring board including the prepreg. Hifumi and Sugawara are analogous art in that both references are directed to prepregs including a polymerizable composition including a monomer having a pyrazine or pyrimidine condensed ring structural unit wherein the prepreg can be utilized in a printed wiring board or circuit board. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize the copper clad laminate of Sugawara as the laminate of Hifumi in order to obtain a circuit board including a prepreg having enhanced flame retardancy.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hifumi et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0055357 in view of Sugawara, U.S. Patent Number 2009/0270552, as evidenced by Made-in-China, 7268 Plain Weave Glass Cloth.
Regarding claim 5, Hifumi discloses a glass substrate. Hifumi is silent to the base material being a glass cloth having a dielectric constant of 6.8 or less. Sugawara discloses in paragraph 0114 two glass cloths 7268 wherein the polymerizable composition was poured over the glass cloth. Made-in-China glass cloth 7268 provides evidence for the glass cloths of Sugawara having a dielectric constant of 3.3. Hifumi and Sugawara are analogous art in that both references are directed to prepregs including a polymerizable composition including a monomer having a pyrazine or pyrimidine condensed ring structural unit wherein the prepreg can be utilized in a printed wiring board or circuit board. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize the 7268 glass cloths of Sugawara as the glass substrate of Hifumi to obtain a prepreg with enhanced flame retardancy to be used in a laminate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMIE S THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1530. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd, can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786