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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-10 and 12-13) in the reply filed on July 13, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 11 and 14-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. The requirement is deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 1-6 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minagawa et al (JP 2016050247, please refer to English language machine translation for mapping).
Regarding claims 1-6, Minagawa teaches a polyamide resin composition (Abstract) comprising:
A polycarboxylic acid component and a polyfunctional amine component (page 3)
The polycarboxylic acid component is 100 mol % terephthalic acid (page 4).
The polyfunctional amine component can comprising an aliphatic and an alicyclic polyfunctional amine (page 5). The aliphatic polyfunctional amine can be 1,6-diaminohexane (page 5) and the alicyclic polyfunctional amine can be 1,3 bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane (page 5). The aliphatic polyfunctional amine can be present in the amount from 60 to 100% mol (page 5) and therefore, the alicyclic polyfunctional amine can be calculated to range from 0 to 40 % mol.
Minagawa also teaches the incorporation of a flame retardant such as phosphinate compound (page 9 and 10) present in the amount from 1.5 to 20 % by weight based on the total amount of the composition (page 10 and claim 1).
Minagawa fails to specifically exemplify the exact polyamide resin. However, Minagawa discloses each of the components of the composition, and teaches that they are all suitable for use in the polyamide resin. It is within the ordinary level of skill in the art to make any of the resins suggested by a reference, including selecting materials from a list in a reference. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to prepare any of the resins suggested by Minagawa, including the claimed polyamide resin. In view of this, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the present invention to use the teachings of Minagawa. One of ordinary skill would be able to use the teachings of Minagawa to arrive at the presently claimed invention. It would be nothing more than using known compounds in a typical manner to achieve predictable results. KSR v. Teleflex, 550 U.S. 418, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claims 12-13, Minagawa teaches a polyamide molded article for parts of an electrical device (page 1 and examples).
Claim(s) 1-5 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seki et al (US 2009/0069478) in view of Murakami et al (US 6,130,312).
Regarding claims 1-5 and 7, Seki teaches a polyamide resin comprising 20 to 80% by weight of a polyamide (Abstract). It also contains 5 to 40% by weight of a flame retardant (Abstract) such as a polybrominated styrene resin ([0046]). Seki teaches that the polyamide comprises terephthalic acid (100% of the dicarboxylic acid component) and can that the diamine component can contain 1,6-diaminohexane ([0031]) and 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane ([0033]).
However, Seki fails to teach the amount of the 1,3 bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane and the 1,6-diaminohexane.
Murakami teaches a polyamide which comprises terephthalic acid and from 50-100 mol % of 1,6-diaminohexane and 0-50 mol % of 1,3-bid(aminomethyl)cyclohexane (col. 3 – col. 4).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the polyamide of Seki have the amounts of the diamines as taught by Murakami. One would have been motivated to do so in order to receive the expected benefit of producing a polyamide which is very processable (Murakami, col. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Seki teaches that the composition further comprises 0.01 to 0.45 % by mass of an antimony compound (Abstract).
Regarding claim 9, Seki teaches that the composition contains 0.5 to 10 % by mass of a salt of zinc or calcium (Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, Seki teaches that the polyamide resin is used for insulation material (circuit breaker) ([0080]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DORIS L LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-3872. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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DORIS L. LEE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1764
/DORIS L LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1764
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