DETAILED ACTION
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claims 1-5 and 7-19 are pending. Claim 6 has been canceled.
The foreign priority application No. 2022-018705 filed on February 09, 2022 in Japan has been received and it is acknowledged.
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, 7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sezi et al. (US 2003/0150557).
With regard to claims 1 and 2, Sezi et al. teach the compound of Formula (I):
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wherein a, b, and d may be 0, and c may be 1 (par.0012-0013).
When a and d are 0, the groups X may be represented by the formula:
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, wherein R3 may be H (par.0036-0038).
Y3 may be represented by the formulas:
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100
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or
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(par.0047), and Z2 and Z3 are preferably represented by the formulas:
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(par.0061).
Sezi et al. fail to specifically teach the bismaleimide compound of formula (1) in claims 1 and 2.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to obtain the bismaleimide compound of formula (1) in claims 1 and 2, because Sezi et al. teach a compound of Formula (I) and provide examples for the coefficients a-d, and for the groups X, Y3, Z2, and Z3.
The compound of Formula (I) of Sezi et al. wherein a=0, b=0, c=1, d=0, X is
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, R3 are hydrogen atoms, Y3 is represented by the formulas:
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or
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, and the groups Z2 and Z3 are
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is a bismaleimide compound of formula (1) in claims 1 and 2, wherein n=1, Y is divalent linking group of formula –(CH2)e-, A1s are groups of formula (1-1), X is represented by the formulas (c) or (d), a is a benzene ring, r=0, and A2 is a divalent linking group obtained by removing two carboxy groups from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid compound.
With regard to claims 3 and 4, the compound above wherein Y3 is
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a bismaleimide compound of formula (1) wherein A2 is an alkylene group with 1 to 21 carbon atoms.
With regard to claim 7, the compounds above comprise as group Y a group of formula –(CH2)e-, wherein e may be up to 10 (alkylene group with up to 10 carbon atoms)(par.0036-0037).
With regard to claim 9, Sezi et al. teach a composition comprising a compound of Formula (I) and a crosslinker (par.0063). A crosslinker is capable of reacting with a maleimide group.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8, and 10-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Sezi et al. (US 2003/0150557) fail to teach the bismaleimide compound in claim 5, the composition in claim 8, the polymers in claims 10 and 17.
There are no prior art teachings that would motivate one of ordinary skill to modify Sezi et al. and obtain the bismaleimide compound in claim 5, the composition in claim 8, and the polymers in claims 10 and 17 of the instant application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on January 28, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner would like to note that the objection to the specification is withdrawn after filing of a new abstract.
The applicant argues that Sezi et al. (US 2003/0150557) fail to teach the bismaleimide compound in the amended claim 1.
However, the examiner would like to note that Sezi et al. teach the compound of Formula (I):
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wherein a, b, and d may be 0, and c may be 1 (par.0012-0013).
When a and d are 0, the groups X may be represented by the formula:
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, wherein R3 may be H (par.0036-0038).
Y3 may be represented by the formulas:
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74
100
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or
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(par.0047), and Z2 and Z3 are preferably represented by the formulas:
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(par.0061).
The compound of Formula (I) of Sezi et al. wherein a=0, b=0, c=1, d=0, X is
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, R3 are hydrogen atoms, Y3 is represented by the formulas:
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100
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or
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196
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, and the groups Z2 and Z3 are
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is a bismaleimide compound of formula (1) in the amended claim 1, wherein n=1, Y is divalent linking group of formula –(CH2)e-, A1s are groups of formula (1-1), X is represented by the formulas (c) or (d), a is a benzene ring, r=0, and A2 is a divalent linking group obtained by removing two carboxy groups from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid compound.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds 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.
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/ANCA EOFF/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722