DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “the structure” with “a structure”. The structure depicted in Formula (III) represents only a fragment of the fluorinated ionic polymer network rather than the entire fluorinated ionic polymer network.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In Formula (III), please replace “R1” with “R1” so that format is consistent with that recited in line 16 and in successive claims.
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Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 6, please replace “the crosslinking” with “a crosslinking”.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 7, please replace “comprised” with “comprises”.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 11, please insert “lower-” prior to “alkyl”.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Although claim construction utilizing the exemplary term “such as” is no longer considered egregious, leaving group precursors “-SH, -OH, -SR5, or -OR5, wherein R5 is a protecting group” are further defined in claim 14. Therefore, the recitation in line 14 of claim 1 is redundant and may be deleted.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 17, please insert “or” prior to “substituted cycloalkyl”.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 4, line 1, please replace “and -CF2H” with “or -CF2H”.
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 5, please replace “groups” with “group consisting of”.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “and -Cl” with “or -Cl”.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, claim states that each instance of Y is independently chosen from absent, -OSO2R4, or -Cl. This appears inconsistent with the condition set forth in the independent claim where at least one Y is a crosslinking agent [sic].
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “and a crosslinking” with “or a crosslinking”.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: In context of claim reciting a series of crosslinking agent, it appears that R1 is in at least one instance ethylene (-CH2CH2-, wherein one terminus is bonded to leaving group Y) instead of ethyl (-CH2CH3).
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 4, please insert “lower-” prior to “alkyl”.
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “the fluoroolefin” with “a fluoroolefin”.
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim at lines 3 and 4 describes a fluoroolefin-vinyl ether copolymer compound of Formula (I), wherein n is an integer from 1 to 2000. Formula (I) depicts a structural fragment derived from two monomers rather than a discrete compound. This is especially the case when n is 1.
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 8, please replace “and substituted cycloalkyl” with “or substituted cycloalkyl”.
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 11, please replace “O-aryl, and” with “O-aryl, or”.
Claim 25 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, please replace “the steps” with “a step”.
Claim 26 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, please replace “the step” with “a step”.
Claim 26 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, please replace “the sorbed” with “a sorbed”.
Claim 27 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, please replace “the step” with “a step”.
Claim 28 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, please replace “claim 125” with “claim 25”.
Claim 29 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “and a combination” with “or a combination”.
Claim 29 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 4, please replace “Formula (I)” with “Formula (III)”.
Claim 31 is objected to because of the following informalities: In context of claim reciting a series of crosslinking agent, it appears that R1 is a substituted C1-C10 alkyl such that the C1-C10 alkyl is substituted with group Y.
Claim 31 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “and a combination” with “or a combination”.
Claim 31 is objected to because of the following informalities: In context of claim reciting a series of crosslinking agent, it appears that R1 is in at least one instance ethylene (-CH2CH2-, wherein one terminus is bonded to leaving group Y) instead of ethyl (-CH2CH3).
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.
Claims 1-6, 9, 10, 13-15, 21, 22, 24-29, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim 1 at line 5 defines Y as a crosslinking agent and claim at line 6 requires that at least one Y is a crosslinking agent. Group Y is not a crosslinking agent per se, but a moiety after incorporation into the fluorinated ionic polymer network, as described in line 7. The structure in Formula (III) would represent a segment of polymer in which one nucleophilic group of a polyfunctional crosslinking agent has reacted with a leaving group attached to R1 while the other nucleophilic group(s) remain unreacted. Claim is deemed indefinite failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention because of imprecise and ambiguous language. Dependent claims are subsumed under the rejection.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112 because a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product. Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any material or product. See also MPEP § 2173.05(u).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim recites a method for preparing a fluorinated ionic polymer network further comprising a step of preparing a fluorinated ionic polymer network, where the step comprises polymerization of at least two separate olefin containing molecules. The preamble is repetitive, and it is unclear what claim intends to describe. Claim 21, from which claim 24 depends, establishes that the fluorinated ionic polymer network is formed by contacting a fluoroolefin-vinyl ether copolymer with a crosslinking agent. Thus, it is unclear how further polymerizing two separate olefin containing molecules leads to formation the fluorinated ionic polymer network.
It appears that claim attempts to describe a step of preparing the fluoroolefin-vinyl ether copolymer. In this case, the method requires polymerization of at least one vinyl ether monomer having formula CH2=CHO-R1-Y and at least one monomer having formula CF2=CFX, rather than two generic and ill-defined olefin containing molecules.
Based on these considerations, claim 24 is deemed indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Conclusion
The present invention is drawn to a fluorinated ionic polymer network comprising a fluoroolefin-vinyl ether copolymer and at least one crosslinking agent. Another embodiment of the invention is a method for preparing fluorinated ionic polymer network comprising contacting a fluoroolefin-vinyl ether copolymer with at least one crosslinking agent.
Subject of claims is patentably distinct over the following references:
Buvat et al. (US 10,230,121) discloses a heat curable polymer containing at least one recurrent unit of formula (I), at least one recurrent unit of formula (II), and at least one recurrent unit of formula (III), shown below. A representative polymer contains units derived from toluene sulfonylbutyl vinyl ether and chlortrifluoroethylene. Reference does not teach reaction of the polymer with a crosslinking agent to produce a fluorinated ionic polymer network.
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Okabe et al. (JP 7-121973) discloses a curable functionalized fluorinated polymer prepared from tetrafluoroethylene, chloroethyl vinyl ether (corresponding to formula (III), Y = halo), ethyl vinyl ether, and hydroxybutyl vinyl ether (corresponding to formula (III), Y = leaving group precursor -OH). Reference teaches use of hexamethylene diisocyanate and isophorone diisocyanate as crosslinking agent. The resulting cured fluorinated polymer is non-ionic.
Lannuzel et al. (US 10,730,979) discloses a polymer of formula poly[VDF-co-(CTFE-CEVE-CTFE)] containing adjacent units derived from chloroethyl vinyl ether and chlorotrifluoroethylene. In a subsequent step, the polymer is converted to an iodine containing polymer poly[VDF-co-(CTFE-IEVE-CTFE)]. Inventors contemplate subjecting polymer to radical crosslinking in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate or to crosslinking by nucleophilic substitution of iodine. Reference does not teach preparation of a fluorinated ionic polymer network as described in instant claims.
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Additional references listed in the accompanying PTO-892 have been listed to show the state of the art with respect to curable fluoropolymer containing TFE/CTFE base units and end functionalized alkylene vinyl ether units. None of the references teaches crosslinking to form the fluorinated ionic polymer network set forth in instant claims.
Claims are not in condition for allowance.
Information Disclosure Statement
Two of the information disclosure statements filed on January 31, 2024 are identical as are the two information disclosure statements filed on February 14, 2025. Duplicate references were not considered.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rip A. Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-1104. The examiner can be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, 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.
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/RIP A LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762 March 2, 2026