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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 19 November 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendments and Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and arguments, filed 19 November 2025, with respect to rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Applicant has amended the claims to limit the curing agent and the ILE in such a way that is persuasive to overcome the rejection regarding the scope of the claim. Accordingly, the 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s amendments and arguments, filed 19 November 2025, with respect to rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Applicant has amended the claims to delete the term predetermined which is persuasive to overcome the rejection regarding the scope of the claim. Accordingly, the 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 19 November 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the Paley and Lammerschop when combined fail to suggest that the curing agent is composed of aliphatic polyetheramine. However, Lammerschop teaches a curing agent which is T-403 which is the specific curing agent of claim 4 and is taught to be an aliphatic polyetheramine in the instant specification in paragraph 0021. Therefore, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103 are maintained.
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 1, 4-8, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Paley et al. (US 2010/0004389, hereinafter referred to as “Paley ‘389”) in view of Lammerschop et al. (US 2007/0231582, hereinafter referred to as “Lammerschop”).
As to Claims 1, 4, and 24: Paley teaches a method of making cured elastomer comprising mixing an ionic liquid epoxy and a curing agent [0019]. Paley further teaches that the resin cures in 1-2 hours at 150-200°C which reads on a curing duration and a curing temperature [0019]. Paley further teaches that the ionic liquid epoxy monomer resins are cured using curing agents such as diamine, triamine, or tetraamine compounds [0016]. Paley further teaches that the ionic liquid epoxy is 1,3-bis(glycidyl)imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonimide [0018].
Paley does not teach an example wherein the curing agent has a molecular weight of greater than 300 grams per mol.
However, Lammerschop teaches suitable curing agents for epoxy compositions include triamines such as T-403 which is a polyetheramine compound having a molecular weight of greater than 300 grams per mol [0040]. Paley and Lammerschop are analogous art in that they are from the same field of endeavor, namely epoxy compositions. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the T-403 curing agent of Lammerschop as the curing agent in the ionic liquid epoxy composition of Paley because Paley teaches that any diamine, triamine or tetramine compound can be used as a curing agent [0016] and Lammerschop teaches that T-403 is a known triamine curing agent for epoxy compositions [0040].
As to Claims 5 and 6: Paley and Lammerschop render obvious the composition of claim 1 (supra). Paley further teaches that the ratio of the ionic liquid epoxy to the curing agent can be 2:1 [0022].
As to Claim 7: Paley and Lammerschop render obvious the composition of claim 1 (supra). Paley further teaches that the curing temperature can be 150-200°C [0019].
As to Claim 8: Paley and Lammerschop render obvious the composition of claim 1 (supra). Paley further teaches that the curing duration can be 1-2 hours [0019].
Claims 16-18, 23, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Paley et al. (US 2010/0004389, hereinafter referred to as “Paley ‘389”) in view of Lammerschop et al. (US 2007/0231582, hereinafter referred to as “Lammerschop”).
As to Claims 16-18, 23, and 26: Paley teaches a method of making cured elastomer comprising mixing an ionic liquid epoxy and a curing agent [0019]. Paley further teaches that the resin cures in 1-2 hours at 150-200°C which reads on a curing duration and a curing temperature [0019]. Paley further teaches that the ionic liquid epoxy is 1,3-bis(glycidyl)imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonimide [0018]. Paley further teaches that the liquid mixture can be applied between two surfaces and cured at room temperature [0021]. Paley further teaches that the ionic liquid epoxy monomer resins are cured using curing agents such as diamine, triamine, or tetraamine compounds [0016].
Paley does not teach an example wherein the curing agent has a molecular weight of greater than 300 grams per mol.
However, Lammerschop teaches suitable curing agents for epoxy compositions include triamines such as T-403 which is a polyetheramine compound having a molecular weight of greater than 300 grams per mol [0040]. Paley and Lammerschop are analogous art in that they are from the same field of endeavor, namely epoxy compositions. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the T-403 curing agent of Lammerschop as the curing agent in the ionic liquid epoxy composition of Paley because Paley teaches that any diamine, triamine or tetramine compound can be used as a curing agent [0016] and Lammerschop teaches that T-403 is a known triamine curing agent for epoxy compositions [0040].
Correspondence
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/Andrew J. Oyer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1767
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