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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umehara (US 2023/0323000) and further in view of Tsuda (US 2023/0193024).
Umehara teaches a resin composition designed for wiring boards comprising a polyphenylene ether compound (claim component B) and a maleimide compound (claimed component A) (Abstract). More particularly, exemplary maleimide compounds include at least one selected from the group consisting of as compound including a fused ring of an aromatic ring and an aliphatic ring in a molecular structure thereof and including two or more N substituted maleimide groups (formula 2 in Paragraph 72). In such an instance, though, Umehara fails to specifically disclose a tensile elastic modulus of the polyphenylene ether.
Tsuda is similarly directed to a resin composition designed for wiring boards and including a polyphenylene ether. More particularly, Tsuda teaches that low elastic modulus values correspond with high toughness, with values of 4 GPa or less being identified as being acceptable (Paragraph 178). While such modulus values are associated with the composition as a whole, as opposed to the polyphenylene ether, said ether is the primary polymer component of the composition and would be expected to demonstrate an elastic modulus in the vicinity of the overall modulus. Thus, it reasons that the polyphenylene ether would have an elastic modulus significantly smaller than 10 GPa. It is additionally noted that polyphenylene ether constitutes an inventive material and as such, it reasons that the modulus values of the polyphenylene ether in the composition Umehara would be extremely similar to that required by the claimed invention.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, formula 2 depicts the presence of an indane ring.
With respect to claims 4 and 6, the composition of Umehara includes a polyphenylene ether and a thermoplastic styrenic polymer (Paragraphs 24 and 112).
As to claims 7-11, Umehara refers to a prepreg, a metal foil with resin, a metal-clad laminate, and a wiring board (Paragraphs 1 and 2).
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kasahara (US 2022/0363850) and further in view of Umehara.
Kasahara is directed to a composition designed for wiring boards and including a maleimide compound having two or more N-substituted maleimide groups (claimed component A) and a modified conjugated diene polymer, such as polybutadiene having a 1,2 vinyl group (claimed component B) (Paragraph 106). Given that such a polybutadiene corresponds with an inventive polymer, it reasons that the elastic modulus of the polybutadiene in Kasahara would mimic that required by the claimed invention. It is emphasized that Kasahara teaches number average molecular weights between 400 and 2,500 (Paragraph 110) and such fully encompasses the preferred range disclosed by Applicant (Paragraph 125 in originally filed specification), further suggesting that the elastic modulus of the diene polymer in Kasahara would be consistent with that required by the claimed invention (materials in Kasahara and current application appear to be substantially the same).
In such an instance, though, Kasahara is silent with respect to a maleimide compound including a fused ring of an aromatic ring and an aliphatic ring in a molecular structure thereof. It is initially noted that Kasahara (Paragraph 35) includes the following language:
Although the component (a1) is not particularly limited so long as it is a maleimide compound having two or more N-substituted maleimide groups…
As such, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to us any number of maleimide compounds, including those required by the claimed invention. More particularly, Umehara is similarly directed to a resin composition designed for wiring boards and including an indane ring-containing maleimide material (Paragraphs 1 and 72). Absent a conclusive showing of unexpected results, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to use known maleimide compounds.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, formula 2 in Umehara depicts the presence of an indane ring.
With respect to claims 4 and 5, as noted above, the composition of Kasahara includes a modified conjugated diene polymer.
Regarding claim 6, Kasahara teaches the inclusion of a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (Paragraph 150).
As to claims 7-11, Kasahara describes a prepreg, a laminate, a resin film, a printed wiring board, and a semiconductor package (Paragraph 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN R FISCHER whose telephone number is (571)272-1215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 5:30-2:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Katelyn Smith can be reached at 571-270-5545. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Justin Fischer
/JUSTIN R FISCHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749 January 9, 2026