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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 19 January 2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the Office.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12 August 2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the Office.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4 December 2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the Office.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
The claim refers to “a rate of ((A)/(B))” and also “a content rate ((A)/(B))” when it appear that the word ratio should be used instead of rate.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shuhei et al. (JP2016191043, from the IDS filed 19 January 2024, hereinafter referred to as “Shuhei”).
As to Claim 1: Shuhei teaches a thermally conductive composition comprising epoxy and a thermally conductive powder (Abstract). Shuhei further teaches that the epoxy comprises a polyfunctional epoxy resin, a flexible epoxy resin, and a monofunctional epoxy resin (Abstract). Wherein the flexible epoxy resin can be a dimer type epoxy resin [0039], the polyfunctional resin can be a glycidyl amine [0027], and the monofunctional epoxy resin can be a glycidyl ether resin [0041]. Shuhei additionally teaches that the thermally conductive powder can be present in an amount of about 900 parts based on 100 parts of resin [0024] and that the conductive filler can be half 1 micron and half 15 microns (Example 17) which would have a average ratio of 15 and a mass ratio of 1.
Shuhei does not explicitly teach an example wherein the dimer acid epoxy resin is 1 to 30 parts and the liquid epoxy resin is 1 to 40 parts.
However, Shuhei teaches that the amount of the dimer acid can be 1-45 parts [0039] and that the glycidyl ether epoxy (i.e., the liquid epoxy) is added in a way to control the viscosity and the glass transition point of the paste [0040]. At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the dimer acid epoxy resin Is 1 to 30 parts and the liquid epoxy resin is 1 to 40 parts because Shuhei teaches that this is an acceptable range for the dimer acid epoxy and that the glycidyl ether epoxy is used to control the viscosity and the glass transition point of the paste [0040].
As to Claim 2: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can be a dimer acid modified epoxy which is a glycidyl ester epoxy resin which has been modified with dimer acid [0034].
As to Claim 3: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can include glycidyl ether epoxy resin which is a liquid epoxy resin [0041].
As to Claim 4: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can include glycidyl amine epoxy resin [0027].
As to Claim 5: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 2 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can include glycidyl ether epoxy resin which is a liquid epoxy resin [0041].
As to Claim 6: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 2 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can include glycidyl amine epoxy resin [0027].
As to Claim 7: Shuhei teaches the composition of claim 3 (supra). Shuhei further teaches that the composition can include glycidyl amine epoxy resin [0027].
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW J OYER whose telephone number is (571)270-0347. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST M-F.
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/Andrew J. Oyer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1767
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