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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi et al. (2020/0129815) in view of Iwami et al. (2005/0049084). Claim 1, Hayashi discloses a golf ball comprising a spherical core, and an outermost cover positioned outside the spherical core and having a plurality of dimples formed thereon, wherein a hardness difference S (=Hs-Ho) of 20 between a surface hardness Hs of the spherical core and a center hardness Ho (Shore C hardness) of the spherical core [0143], a material hardness C (Shore D hardness) of 65 for the outermost cover [0151]. Hayashi discloses the golf ball has between 200 and 500 dimple but does not disclose the total volume of the dimples [0150]. Iwami teaches a golf ball comprising about 432 dimples with a total volume V (V+W) (mm3) of the plurality of dimples below a surface of a virtual sphere from 485.2 mm3 to 585.2 mm3 (tables 3-4 (V+W)). Solving for Vx(S+C)/1000≥50 (585.2x(20+65)/1000 = 50). One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the dimple volume for the desired flight performance. Claim 2, Iwami teaches a lower volume V (applicant’s Vi) of 400.4 mm3 and an upper volume W (applicant’s Vo) of 184.9 mm3 (table 4 examples VI). Vi-1.50xVo ≥ 0 [400.4-1.5x184.9 = 123.05]. Claim 3, Hayashi discloses wherein SxC≥1000 (20x65=1300) is satisfied. Claim 4, Hayashi discloses the cover contains an ionomer resin (table 3). Claim 5, Hayashi discloses 85≥Vx(S+C)/1000≥50 (585.2x(20+65)/1000 = 50). Claim 6, Hayashi discloses the hardness difference S is 20 in Shore C hardness [0143]. Claim 7, Hayashi discloses the surface hardness Hs of the spherical core ranges from 50 to 90 in Shore C hardness [0141]. Claim 8, Hayashi discloses the center hardness Ho of the spherical core ranges from 40 to 90 in Shore C hardness [0142]. Claim 9, Hayashi discloses the material hardness C of the outermost cover ranges from 20 to 70 in Shore D hardness [0151]. Claim 10, Iwami teaches the total volume V (V+W) of the plurality of dimples ranges from 485.2 mm3 to 585.2 mm3 (tables 3-4 (V+W)). Claim 11, Hayashi discloses the outermost cover layer has a thickness from 0.3 mm to 4.0 mm [0149]. Claim 12, Iwami teaches a lower volume V (applicant’s Vi) of 400.4 mm3 and an upper volume W (applicant’s Vo) of 184.9 mm3 (table 4 examples VI). 260 ≥ Vi-1.50xVo ≥ 0 [400.4-1.5x184.9 = 123.05]. Claim 13, Hayashi discloses wherein 2500 ≥ SxC ≥ 1000 (20x65=1300) is satisfied. One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the dimple volume for the desired flight performance.
Conclusion
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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
February 3, 2026
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