Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/240,725

Modifier and Preparation Method Thereof, and Modified Acrylic Resin and Preparation Method and Use Thereof

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Aug 31, 2023
Examiner
SASTRI, SATYA B
Art Unit
1762
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Qihe Leahou Chemical Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
63%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 1m
To Grant
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 63% of resolved cases
63%
Career Allow Rate
561 granted / 888 resolved
-1.8% vs TC avg
Strong +30% interview lift
Without
With
+29.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
63 currently pending
Career history
951
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
47.2%
+7.2% vs TC avg
§102
13.3%
-26.7% vs TC avg
§112
24.8%
-15.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 888 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
Detailed Action The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claims 1-16 are currently pending in the application. Claim Objection s Claim s 1 and 5 are objected to because of the following informali ties : C laim 1 recites the species “ N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine ” twice in the Markush listing. Additionally, in the recited preparation process of the hyperbranched esterified polymer, the phrase “mixing the acylate” may be amended to recite “mixing the acylate of the second hydroxyl organic amine ” to differentiate it from the acylate of the first acylation. Claim 5 should be amended to improve clarity , for consistency with the preamble and for completion , as proposed herein below : A preparation method of modified acrylic resin according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: p reparing a modif ier compris ing an acylate and/or a hyperbranched esterified polymer ; wherein said acylate is p repared by an acylation reaction of maleic anhydride with a first hydroxyl organic amine , said hyperbranched esterified polymer is prepared by subjecting a second hydroxyl organic amine and maleic anhydride to an acylation to obtain an acylate; and mixing the acylate of the second hydroxyl organic amine with a n acidic catalyst , wherein said first hydroxyl organic amine and said second hydroxyl organic amine independently are one or more selected from the group consisting of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, and N,N,N',N'- tetrahydroxyethylethylenediamine ; mixing water, the modifier, acrylic acid, a crosslinking agent, and an initiator to obtain a mixture; and polymeriz ing said mixture to obtain the modified acrylic resin. Appropriate correctio ns and/or clarification s are required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claim s 1-4, 6 , 10, 13-16 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. Claim 1 recites the following: “ A modified acrylic resin, comprising the following raw materials in parts by mass: 100 parts of acrylic acid, 5 parts to 60 parts of a modifier, 1 part to 30 parts of a crosslinking agent, 1 part to 30 parts of an initiator, and 200 parts to 600 parts of water; ”. The claim is indefinite due to conflicting claim language . Although t he preamble is drawn to a “A modified acrylic resin” , the recitation “comprising the following raw materials” implies that the raw material for forming the modified acrylic resins are present in an unreacted state , i.e., there is no reference to mix ing and polymeriz ing steps in the body of the claim to form the claimed modified acrylic resin. Claims 2-4 are subsumed by rejected base claim 1 and are therefore, included in this rejection. Claim s 2 , 6 and 1 4 recite the following: “ solid acid is one or more selected from the group consisting of an immobilized liquid acid, an acidic oxide, a transition metal sulfide, a phosphate, a sulfate, a zeolite molecular sieve, a heteropolyacid, a cation exchange resin, a natural clay min e ral, and a solid superacid ”. The claims are indefinite because a n acid ic catalyst is not evident in all the recited species , in addition to the inclu sion of a “ liquid acid ” as a “ solid acid ” . Claims 10, 15 and 16 depend on rejected base claims 6 and 14. Claim 13 is as follows : A method for use of the modified acrylic resin according to claim 1 as a reta i ning agent. The claim is indefinite because the claimed method does not positively recite one or more active method steps of us ing of the modified acrylic resin . Claims 14-16 are subsumed by claim 13 are therefore included in this rejection. For the purpose of examination, in view of the support in the disclosure (PGPUB- [0034]-[0050]), claim 1 is interpreted as follows : A modified acrylic resin, formed from a mixture of , in parts by mass: 100 parts of acrylic acid, 5 parts to 60 parts of a modifier, 1 part to 30 parts of a crosslinking agent, 1 part to 30 parts of an initiator, and 200 parts to 600 parts of water; wherein said modifier comprises an acylate and/or a hyperbranched esterified polymer; wherein said acylate is formed by a n acylation reaction of maleic anhydride with a first hydroxyl organic amine , said hyperbranched esterified polymer is formed by subjecting a second hydroxyl organic amine and maleic anhydride to a n acylation to obtain an acylate; and mixing the acylate of the second acylation with a n acidic catalyst to allow esterification to obtain the hyperbranched esterified polymer , wherein said first hydroxyl organic amine and said second hydroxyl organic amine independently are one or more selected from the group consisting of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, and N,N,N',N'- tetrahydroxyethylethylenediamine ; and wherein water, the modifier, acrylic acid, the crosslinking agent, and the initiator are mixed and polymeriz ed to obtain the modified acrylic resi n. For the purpose of examination, the catalyst in c laims 2, 6, 1 4 is interpreted as one or more of specific species of an immobilized liquid acid, an acidic oxide, a transition metal sulfide, a phosphate, a sulfate, a zeolite molecular sieve, a heteropolyacid, a cation exchange resin, a natural clay min e ral, and a solid superacid that are disclosed in [0034] of the specification. Note - C laim 1 may be amended to delete the phrase “acidic catalyst” to accommodate such specific species from the disclosure. However, i f claim 1 were to be amended to recite such species , then claim 5 should adopt a consistent language and delete the phrase “acidic catalyst” ( in the language proposed in paragraph 2 above ) , claims 2, 6 and 14 would need to be cancelled and dependent claims thereof would need to be amended for consistency. Allowable Subject Matter Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action , and overcoming the objections set forth in paragraph 2 above. Claim 5 , 7-9, 11 and 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 1, but would be allowable if claim 5 is rewritten in independent form as suggested in paragraph s 2 and 9 above. C laims 2 -4 , 6, 10, 13- 16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following closest prior art made of record : CN102120788 A (machine translation) teaches a leather fatliquoring agent prepared by reacting a hydroxyl organic amine, maleic anhydride , and a long chain vinyl compound, such as carboxymethyl octadecyl methyl diallyl ammonium chloride, hexadecyl methyl diallyl ammonium chloride, octadecyl methyl diallyl ammonium chloride, tetraallyl ammonium chloride, hexadecyl acrylate and octadecyl acrylate . CN1 12679650 A ( machine translation) teaches a method for preparing polymaleic anhydride fatty alcohol ether mono-ester leather fatliquoring agent, by polymerizing maleic anhydride to form a maleic anhydride polymer , reacting it with a fatty alcohol ether and a catalyst and neutralizing the product with alkaline aqueous solution . However, the cited prior art is silent on a modified acrylic resin formed by polymerizing a composition comprising acrylic acid, 5 parts to 60 parts of a modifier, 1 part to 30 parts of a crosslinking agent, 1 part to 30 parts of an initiator, and 200 parts to 600 parts of water within the scope of the claimed invention. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Satya Sastri at (571) 272 1112. The examiner can be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5.30PM (EST). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Mr. Robert Jones can be reached at (571)-270- 7733. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273 8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll- free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272- 1000. /Satya B Sastri/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 31, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 25, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
63%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+29.5%)
3y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 888 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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