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 § 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe (2023/0082849) in view of Isogawa (2013/0324318). Claim 1, Watanabe discloses a golf ball comprising a spherical core, an intermediate layer positioned outside the spherical core, and an outermost cover positioned outside the intermediate layer and having a plurality of dimples formed thereon. A hardness difference S (Hs - Ho) between a center hardness Ho (Shore C hardness) of the spherical core and a surface hardness Hs (Shore C hardness) of the spherical core is 18 [0076]. A material hardness Hm (Shore D hardness) of the intermediate layer is 60 Shore D [0078]. A thickness Tm (mm) of the intermediate layer is 0.9 mm [0076]. A material hardness Hc (Shore D hardness) of the outermost cover 35 [0089]. A thickness Tc (mm) of the outermost cover 0.6 mm [0091]. Watanabe discloses dimples but does not disclose a lower dimple volume less than 300 mm3. Isogawa teaches a lower dimple volume of at least 250 mm3 [0117]. Solving for the equation [S×(Hm×Tm+Hc×Tc)]/(Tm+Tc)×Vi/1000<230 [18x(60x.9)+(35x.6)]/(.9+.6)x(250/1000) = 225. One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the dimple volume for the desired flight performance. Claim 2, Watanabe discloses 0.35<(H10-Ho)/S<0.6 is satisfied where H10 is a hardness at a 10 mm point from a center of the spherical core (71-62)/18=0.5 (see fig 3 for H10) [0064]. Claim 3, Watanabe discloses the hardness difference S<17.4 (table 6, comp ex 4). Claim 4, Isogawa teaches Vi = 250 mm3 [0117]. Claim 5, Watanabe discloses the surface hardness Hs (Shore C hardness) of the spherical core < a surface hardness Hms (Shore C hardness) of the intermediate layer > a surface hardness Hcs (Shore C hardness) of the golf ball is satisfied [0104-0105]. Claim 6, Watanabe discloses the outermost cover contains a polyurethane as a resin component [0093]. Claim 7, solving for the equation [S×(Hm×Tm+Hc×Tc)]/(Tm+Tc)×Vi/1000<230 [18x(60x.9)+(35x.6)]/(.9+.6)x(250/1000) = 225. Claim 8, Watanabe discloses the center hardness Ho of the spherical core ranges from 62 to 72 in Shore C hardness [0064]. Claim 9, Watanabe discloses the surface hardness Hs of the spherical core ranges from 83 to 92 in Shore C hardness [0056]. Claim 10, Watanabe discloses the thickness Tm of the intermediate layer ranges from 0.9 mm to 1.5 mm [0080]. The intermediate layer hardness is from 60 to 72 Shore D [0078]. Claim 11, Watanabe discloses the thickness Tc of the outermost cover ranges from 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm [0091]. The cover layer material hardness is from 35 to 50 Shore D [0089]. Claim 12, Watanabe discloses the hardness difference S=16 (table 6, comp ex 4). One of ordinary skill in the art would vary the hardness for optimal performance. Claim 13, [16x(60x.9)+(35x.6)]/(.9+.6)x(250/1000) = 200 (using S=16 from comp ex 6). Claim 14, Watanabe discloses a product (Hm×Tm) obtained by multiplying the material hardness Hm (Shore D hardness) of the intermediate layer by the thickness Tm (mm) of the intermediate layer ranges from 50 to 140 (.9x60=54). Claim 15, Watanabe discloses a product (Hc×Tc) obtained by multiplying the material hardness Hc (Shore D hardness) of the outermost cover by the thickness Tc (mm) of the outermost cover ranges from 10 to 45 (35x6=21). Claim 16, Watanabe discloses a total thickness (Tm+Tc) of the thickness Tm of the intermediate layer and the thickness Tc of the outermost cover ranges from 1.4 mm to 2.8 mm [0092]. Claim 17, Watanabe discloses the hardness H10 at the 10 mm point from the center of the spherical core is 71 in Shore C hardness (fig 3). Claim 18, Watanabe discloses the surface hardness Hs of the spherical core is not limited and may be at least 83 in Shore C hardness [0056]. Claim 19, Watanabe discloses the material hardness Hc of the outermost cover is not limited but may be at least 35 Shore D hardness. Claim 20, Isogawa teaches a lower dimple volume of at least 250 mm3 [0117]. One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the dimple volume for the desired flight performance.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues the Watanabe does not disclose ranges for the hardness and thickness of the layers. However, as shown in the above rejection, the ranges overlap or border applicant’s values. While the preferred range may not be relied on the broader ranges cannot be ignored.
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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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
July 29, 2026
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