DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al (TW 202128424 A which has been machine translated).
As to claim 1, 4 and 5, Arai discloses a composition for obtaining a cured article exhibiting excellent low dielectric characteristics and high adhesiveness to a metal foil (abs). The composition comprises an aromatic vinyl compound monomer, an aromatic polyene, a copolymer and olefin (abs). The aromatic polyene monomer is a polyene having a carbon of 5 or more and not more than 20 having a plurality of vinyl and/or vinylidene groups. The polyene can preferable be p-3-butenylstyrene (UX) (paragraph 20) which reads on applicant’s claimed formula I, with X being a single bond and n being 1. This is also the same material being used within the present invention examples as seen in table 1. However, this reference is silent to the use of this material in the examples.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Arai and used p-3-butenylstyrene for the polyene monomer as it is disclosed as a suitable material for the polyene monomer and therefore it would have been obvious to have chosen that material from the list of polyenes. See MPEP 2144.06.
As to claim 2, Arai discloses that the composition can further contain an aromatic vinyl compound monomer which can be styrene (paragraph 19).
As to claim 3, Arai discloses that the composition comprises 0-70 mass % of aromatic vinyl compound, the content of the aromatic vinyl compound, the aromatic polyene and the olefin monomer unit is 100 mass% (paragraph 16). The content of the olefin monomer unit is preferable 30 mass % or more (paragraph 24). However, this reference is silent to the amount of structural units UX based on the mol%.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Arai and made the mol % of the structural unit UX (the aromatic polyene) be from 1 to 90 mol% as Arai discloses one of ordinary skill in the art would know how to adjust the amount of these materials within the composition to form an improved article as Arai teaches that the polyene improves cure efficiency (paragraph 20) and improved dielectric properties (paragraph 23), the olefin monomer effects the toughness which results in no cracks and improved impact resistance (paragraph 24) and the aromatic vinyl effects peel strength (paragraph 22).
As to claims 6-12, Arai discloses that the composition can contain other curable compounds having functional groups such as polyphenylene ether, maleimides (paragraphs 27-40). The composition can be prepreg (paragraph 40) and can also be used in the uncured or semi cured state to be adhered to a metal foil such as copper for wiring boards (paragraph 68-70).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M POLLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5734. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8am till 4:30 pm.
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/CHRISTOPHER M POLLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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