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 § 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 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (Design and Synthesis of Thermal Contracting Polymer with Unique Eight-Membered Carbocycle Unit,
Macromolecules 2018, 51, 1377-1385), cited in IDS and previous Office Action in view of Davis (US 10723834), necessitated by Amendment.
Wang teaches a linear polymer with following formula (see Figure 1b at page 1379):
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which has a tunable coefficient of thermal expansion (see page 1377, right column).
In reference to claims 6-9, the polyamide above is obtained by reaction of 1,2:5,6-
dibenzocyclooctadiene (DBCOD) -based dicarboxylic acid unit of the following formula (see Figure 1):
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and 3,4' -Oxydianiline (ODA (see page 1378, left column).
Wang fails to teach newly claimed crosslinking through benzene rings through functionalities in a cis position.
Davis teaches a thermostable composition, which cross-linked by cis- stilbenes. The thermoset compositions possess such greatly improved processing characteristics such as lower melting temperature and lower viscosity and have greatly improved thermal stability (see Abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use Davis’s cis stilbenes as cross-linkers in Wang’s composition, since they form thermosets with low melting temperature and low viscosity and greatly improved thermal stability.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Inoue et al (Thermal and Gas Adsorption Properties of Tröger's Base/Diazacyclooctane Hybrid Ladder Polymers, ChemNanoMat 2021, 7, 1-8) in view of Davis, necessitated by Amendment.
Inoue teaches the following polymerization (see Scheme 1 at page 2):
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A polymer consisting of Tröger's base (TB) undergoes ring opening of the bicyclic amine upon N-
methylation followed by alkaline hydrolysis, resulting in a hybrid ladder polymer that contains
diazacyclooctane (DACO) units with tert-and sec-amino groups. The hybrid ladder polymers with various
TB/DACO ratios can be prepared depending on the reaction conditions (see Abstract).
Inoue fails to teach tunable coefficient of thermal expansion.
However, polymer above has the same structure as the polymer of instant Application (see Figures 8
and 9 in the printed publication).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art to expect the same
properties from Inoue's and Applicant's polymers, since they have the same formulas.
Inoue fails to teach newly claimed crosslinking through benzene rings through functionalities in a cis position.
Davis teaches a thermostable composition, which cross-linked by cis- stilbenes. The thermoset compositions possesses such greatly improved processing characteristics such as lower melting temperature and lower viscosity and have greatly improved thermal stability (see Abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use Davis’s cis stilbenes as cross-linker’s in Inoue’s composition, since they form thermosets with low melting temperature and low viscosity and greatly improved thermal stability.
Claims 1-5 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gormley et al
(US 20210388138) as evidences by Wang in view of Davis, necessitated by Amendment.
Gormley teaches a compound comprising an a, ß - unsaturated carboxy amide [C (R') = C (R") C (=0 =
) NH ] group or unsaturated sulfonamide [/C (R') = C (R") S(=0) = 2NH- group conjugated to a group
of formula (1):
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Where X is N or CH and R and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally
substituted C3-C6 alkyl, and optionally substituted C3 - C8, cycloalkyl; m is 1, 2, 3, or 4 (see claims 1
and 4).
In addition, Gormley teaches the following structures (see claims 15 and 23):
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wherein Y is C (0) or S(=0) 2
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wherein R5 is a small molecule, therapeutic agent, or macromolecule.
Note that Gormley discloses copolymerization of cp - DIBAC monomer (1) into side chain functionalized
linear polymers (see 0018), where DIBAC is dibenzoazacyclooctyne (see 0004).
Gormley fails to teach tunable thermal expansion coefficient.
Wang evidences that dibenzocyclooctane-containing polymers have tunable thermal expansion
coefficient (see page 1377).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to expect such property as tunable thermal expansion coefficient from Gormley copolymer, since it has dibenzocyclooctane fragments in its structure.
Gormley fails to teach newly claimed crosslinking through benzene rings through functionalities in a cis position.
Davis teaches a thermostable composition, which cross-linked by cis- stilbenes. The thermoset compositions possesses such greatly improved processing characteristics such as lower melting temperature and lower viscosity and have greatly improved thermal stability (see Abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use Davis’s cis stilbenes as cross-linker’s in Gormley’s composition, since they form thermosets with low melting temperature and low viscosity and greatly improved thermal stability.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY LISTVOYB whose telephone number is (571)272-6105. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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GL
/GREGORY LISTVOYB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765