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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WATANABE (US-2022/0355264).
Claim 1: Watanabe teaches hollow particles which comprise a shell containing a
resin and a hollow portion surrounded by the shell, wherein a void ratio of the hollow
particles is 50% or more; wherein, as the resin, the shell contains a polymer which
contains 90% by mass or more of hydrocarbon monomer units (para. 0092) which
meets the claimed range of 91% by mass or more, and 70% by mass or more of
crosslinkable monomer units (para. 0092) which meets the claimed range of 50% by
mass or more. Watanabe also discloses that the polymerizable monomer used for forming the shell comprises crosslinkable monomer which is a polymerizable monomer having two or more polymerizable functional groups and being able to form crosslinking in a resin by a polymerization reaction. As the polymerizable monomer, a compound having an ethylenically unsaturated bond as a polymerizable functional group is generally used (para. 0079); ethylenically unsaturated compounds are hydrocarbon monomers (e.g. alkene or alkylene). In addition, the list of the monomers are all hydrocarbon monomers (para. 0089).
Watanabe does not report the "residual double bond ratio of the
polymer" and the "dielectric dissipation factor of the hollow particles"; however, the
process of making hollow particles of Watanabe is substantially identical to the method
disclosed in the instant specification, which comprises 5 process steps: (1) Mixture
Liquid preparation; (2) suspension; (3) polymerization; (4) solid-liquid separation; and
(5) solvent removal step. Compare the disclosure of Watanabe at paragraphs [0055] to
[0065] and [0074]-[0076], [0143]-[0147],[0159]-[0161], [0164]-[0166] and [0168]-[0170]
to the instant specification at paragraphs [0024], [0050]-[0051], [0053], [0055] and
[0057]. In addition, the process of Watanabe utilizes the same processing aids such as
organic peroxide for polymerization initiator (Watanabe, para. 0116; instant
specification,para,0041-0042) hydrophobic solvents (Watanabe, para. 0120-0121;
instant specification, para. 0020, 0022 ). Therefore, it is expected that the hollow
particles of Watanabe would exhibit the same residual double bond ratio and dielectric
dissipation factor as claimed.
Claim 2: As stated in claim 1 above, because Watanabe's process is
substantially identical to the process of the claimed invention using the same processing
aids, it is expected that the relative permittity of the hollow particles of Watanabe is the
same as that of the claimed invention.
Claim 3: Watanabe reports the void ratio being 60 to 90% (para. 0202) which
falls within the claimed range of 65% or more.
Claim 4: Watanabe reports the volume average particle diameter of the hollow
particles being 4 to 10 µm (para. 0198) which falls within the claimed range of 1.0 µm to
10.0 µm.
Claims 5-6: Watanabe teaches forming a resin composition comprising the
hollow particles and a matrix resin and molded body thereof (para. 0229).
Claim 7: Watanabe teaches hollow particles comprising a content of
crosslinkable hydrocarbon monomer units is 70% by mass or more in the shell polymer
(para. 0092) which meets the claimed range of 50% by mass or more.
Claim 8: Watanabe teaches the hollow particles containing non-crosslinkable
hydrocarbon monomer units in a content of 10% to 30% by mass in the shell polymer
(para. 0092) which is well within the claimed range of 2% to 50% by mass.
Claim 9: Watanabe does not report the content of metal in the hollow particles;
however, the Watanabe process utilizes the same metal salt as dispersion stabilizer,
namely magnesium hydroxide (Watanabe, para. 0019; instant specification, para. 0043)
in the same process as that of the claimed invention as discussed in claim 1 above.
Therefore, it is expected that the hollow particles of Watanabe possesses the same
content of metal as claimed.
Claims 10-11: As stated in claim 1 above, , because Watanabe's process is
substantially identical to the process of the claimed invention using the same processing
aids, it is expected that the resin molded body comprising the hollow particles of
Watanabe would exhibit the same dielectric dissipation factor and relative permittivity as
claimed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that paragraph 0097 describes a polar resin not the polymerizable monomers forming the shell. Applicant is correct that paragraph 0097 does not describe the polymerizable monomers; however, it is a typographical error which can be seen clearly that the proportions as claimed are taught in paragraph 0092 above.
The added feature crosslinkable monomer units having two or more polymerizable functional groups and composed of elements carbon and hydrogen is taught by Watanabe at paragraph 0079.
Applicant further argues that Watanabe teaches the shell comprises polar resin which contains heteroatom-containing monomers and thus composed of elements other than hydrogen and carbon. The claims do not preclude heteroatom-containing monomers. Both the heteroatom-containing monomers and the heteroatom-free monomers of the polar resin composed mainly elements of carbon and hydrogen (paragraphs 0097-0099) and thus meet the claimed feature.
Applicant's arguments filed April 8, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for the reasons discussed above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/HOA (Holly) LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788
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