DETAILED ACTION
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-13 and 20 stand withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. As stated in the last office action the election was treated as an election without traverse in the because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 8-13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 fails to further limit claim 1 upon which it depends. Claim 1 limit the comonomers be propylene and ethylene, while the term “olefins” of claim 8 broadly comprises all alkylene monomers.
Claims 9-13 are indefinite because of the term “preferably”.
Other claims are deemed indefinite in view of their dependence on claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 14-19 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art references of record teaches a polypropylene microsphere with the half peak width ranging from 4-10oC and the spherical shape of 0.9-1.1having the spherical L/D ratio of 0.9 to 1.1 .
Wang (EP 3617238) teaches a polypropylene consists of ethylene and propylene as sole comonomers; and the ethylene content is 2-5 wt% which is well within the claimed range and melt index is also in the claimed range. However, it is unclear whether the polypropylene is microsphere within the L/D ratio as claimed.
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HOA (Holly) LE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788