DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s reply, filed 29 January 2026 in response to the requirement for restriction mailed 17 December 2025, has been fully considered. As per Applicant’s election of Group I, claims 1-10 are pending under examination in the forms originally filed and claims 11-16 are withdrawn (see below).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 29 January 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 29 January 2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: i) “the platy silica” should instead be –and the platy silica--; and ii) in line 4, “wt% relative” should instead be –wt%, relative--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: i) “wt%, and the platy” should instead be –wt% and the platy--; and ii) “wt% relative” should instead be –wt%, relative--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: “is polysiloxane” should instead be –is a polysiloxane--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: “vinyltrimethoxysilane or phenyltrimethoxysilane” should instead be –is a vinyltrimethoxysilane or a phenyltrimethoxysilane--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “is tetravinyl” should instead be –is a tetravinyl--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 5, the recitation of “the anti-settling agent” is indefinite as it is not made clear if the claim refers to the first anti-settling agent of claim 1, the second anti-settling agent of claim 1, or specifically both.
Regarding claim 7, the recitation of “the heat dissipation filler” is indefinite as it is not made clear if the claim refers to the first heat dissipation filler of claim 1, the second heat dissipation filler of claim 1, or specifically both. This includes claim 8 as it depends from claim 7.
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.
Claims 1 and 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota et al. (US PGPub 2020/0270499).
Regarding claim 1, Ota teaches multicomponent curable thermally conductive silicone gel compositions comprising (I) a liquid composition including components (A), (C), (D), (E), and (F), and (II) a liquid composition including components (B), (D), (E), and (F) (abstract; [0011]-[0021]; [0037]-[0040]). Ota teaches the curable thermally conductive silicone gel is obtained by mixing together liquid (I) and liquid (II) ([0129]-[0132]).
Ota teaches (I) (instant second-component), comprising: (A) an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane ([0045])(instant second silicone resin); (C) a catalyst for hydrosilylation ([0068])(instgant catalyst); (D) a thermally conductive filler ([0073])(instant second heat dissipation filler); (E) a silane-coupling agent ([0087]); (F) an organopolysiloxane having a hydrolyzable silyl group ([0102])(instant second anti-settling agent); and further may also comprise a hydrosilylation reaction inhibitor ([0071]-[0073]; [0125]), (G) a heat resistance imparting agent ([0125]), and other additives ([0127]).
Ota teaches (II) (instant first-component), comprising: (B) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane crosslinker ([0051])(instant crosslinking agent); (D) thermally conductive filler ([0073])(instant first heat dissipation filler); (E) a silane-coupling agent ([0087])(also readable over instant crosslinking agent); (F) an organopolysiloxane having a hydrolyzable silyl group ([0102])(instant first anti-settling agent); and further may also comprise an amount of component (A) ([0040])(instant first silicone resin), a hydrosilylation reaction inhibitor ([0071]-[0073]; [0125]), (G) a heat resistance imparting agent ([0125]), and other additives ([0127]).
Regarding claim 5, Ota teaches the curable composition as set forth above and further teaches component (F) is an organopolysiloxane (see above; [0102]-[0112]).
Regarding claim 6, Ota teaches the curable composition as set forth above and further teaches component (E) is a silane-coupling agent ([0087]) selected from compounds of formula R1(4-c)Si(OR2)c ([0089]), including vinyltrimethyoxysilane ([0093]).
Regarding claims 7-8, Ota teaches the curable composition as set forth above and further teaches that the (E) silane coupling agent is hydrolyzable and the (F) organopolysiloxane having a hydrolyzable silyl group are both present to surface treat the (D) component, wherein the filler (D) is preferably reacted with (E) first followed by (F) ([0085]-0088]; [0100]; [0103]). Ota teaches the filler(s) (D) are combined with (E)/(F), where (E) is hydrolyzed to form a polymer on the surface of (D), and heat treated (instant curing process) ([0120]-[0122]).
Regarding claim 9, Ota teaches the curable composition as set forth above and further teaches in liquid (I) (instant second-component) component (A) is a main component and has a viscosity in the range from 10 to 100,000 mPas ([0046]) and teaches in liquid (II) (instant first-component) component (B) has a viscosity in the range from 1 to 1,000 mPas ([0056]). Ota further exemplifies liquid (I) and (II) combinations where the viscosity of liquid (I) is higher than the viscosity of liquid (II) and the difference is less than 200,000 cps (Table 1).
Regarding claim 10, Ota teaches the curable composition as set forth above and further teaches the reaction inhibitor which may be present in liquid (I) or liquid (II) ([0125]) is selected from known hydrosilylation inhibiting compounds, including 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane ([0072])(instant tetravinyl tetramethyl cyclotetrasiloxane).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 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.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE L STANLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3870. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Eashoo can be reached at 571-272-1197. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JANE L STANLEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1767
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