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 § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe et al. (2016/0175660). Claim 1, Watanabe discloses a multi-piece solid golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the core is formed of a rubber composition into a single layer, the intermediate layer and the cover are both formed of a single-layer resin composition (fig 2)[0024], and a relationship among an initial velocity of the core, an initial velocity of a sphere (intermediate layer-encased sphere) obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer, and an initial velocity of a sphere (ball) obtained by encasing the intermediate layer-encased sphere with the cover satisfies the following two conditions: 1) (initial velocity of ball = 77.22) < (initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere =77.76) (table 4, example 1); 2) 0.70 ≤ (initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere) - (initial velocity of core) ≤ 0.90 (m/s) [0092], wherein when each sphere of the core and the ball is compressed under a final load of 1,275 N (130 kgf) from an initial load of 98 N (10 kgf) and deflections (mm) are denoted by C (mm) and B (mm), respectively, a value of C - B (4.09-3.04 = 1.05) is not more than 1.10 mm (table 4, example 2), and a relationship between a thickness of the intermediate layer and a diameter of the ball satisfies the following condition: 0.024 ≤ (thickness of intermediate layer)/(diameter of ball) ≤ 0.034 [1.2/42.7 = 0.28] [0068] (table 4). The core surface hardness minus the core center hardness is at least 22 [0047]. Claim 2, a specific gravity of the intermediate layer is at least 1.05 [0070]. Claim 3, the resin composition of the intermediate layer contains a high-acid ionomer resin having an acid content of at least 16 wt% [0064]. Claim 5, a difference between a specific gravity of the cover (1.11) and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer (1.1) [0070](table 4, example 1); a difference between the specific gravity of the intermediate layer (1.1) and a specific gravity of the core (1.18) [0070](table 4, example 1); and a difference between the specific gravity of the core (1.18) and the specific gravity of the cover (1.11) [0058] (table 4, example 1) are all within 0.15. Claim 6, the deflection B of the ball has a value of 2.81 mm (table 4, example 1). Claim 7, the following condition is satisfied: ball surface hardness < surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere > core surface hardness (table 4, example 1). Claim 8, the following condition is satisfied: cover thickness (0.6) < intermediate layer thickness (1.2), where the intermediate layer thickness is 1.2 mm [0083, 0068].
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe et al. (2016/0175660) in view of Simonutti et al. (2004/0038752). Watanabe does not disclose fillers in the intermediate layer. Simonutti teaches an intermediate layer containing an inorganic particulate filler [0021]. One of ordinary skill in the art would have included the filler in the layer for the desired weight.
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe et al. (2016/0175660) in view of Watanabe (2021/0346765). Claim 9, Watanabe ‘660 does not disclose the hardness profile. Watanabe ‘765 teaches a core diameter of from 35.1 to 41.3 mm [0040], and the core has a hardness profile in which, letting the Shore C hardness at a core center be Cc, the Shore C hardness at a position 4 mm outward from the core center be Cc+4, the Shore C hardness at a midpoint M between the core center and a core surface be Cm, the Shore C hardness at a position 4 mm inward from the midpoint M of the core be Cm-4, the Shore C hardness at a position 4 mm outward from the midpoint M of the core be Cm+4, the Shore C hardness at a position 4 mm inward from the core surface be Cs-4, and the Shore C hardness at the core surface be Cs, and defining surface areas A to D as follows: surface area A: 1/2×4×(Cc+4 - Cc) surface area B: 1/2×4×(Cm - Cm-4) surface area C: 1/2×4×(Cm+4 - Cm) surface area D: 1/2×4×(Cs - Cs-4) [0051], wherein (surface area C + surface area D) - (surface area A + surface area B) ≥ 2.0 is satisfied [(14.8 +15.5) – (4.6 + 7.8) = 17.9] (table 5, example 4). Claim 10, the following two conditions are satisfied: (surface area C) - (surface area A + surface area B) ≥ 2.0 [(14.8) – (4.6 + 7.8) = 2.4]; (surface area D) - (surface area A + surface area B) ≥ 2.0 [(15.5) – (4.6 + 7.8) = 3.1] (table 5, example 4). One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the core hardness profile for improved distance.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
June 12, 2026
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