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.
Claims 1-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over International Patent Application Publication WO 2023/054725 to Narusawa et al. (the English equivalent, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2026/0132549 is referenced herein) (“Narusawa”).
With regard to Claims 1, 5-8, 11, Narusawa discloses a liquid crystalline polyester fiber having improved weatherability. See, e.g., Abstract, entire document. Narusawa discloses that the liquid crystalline polyester is formed from a copolyester composed of 50 to 70 mol % of 6-hydroxy-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid, 5 to 7 mol % of terephthalic acid, 10 to 30 mol % of hydroquinone, and 15 to 25 mol % of 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid. Paragraphs [0032] and [0033]. Narusawa discloses that “the melting point of the liquid crystalline polyester of the invention is within a range of 200 to 380° C., more preferably 250 to 350° C., and still more preferably 290 to 340° C.” Paragraph [0056]. In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. M.P.E.P. 2144.05. With regard to Claims 2-4, Narusawa does not disclose polymer composition properties of a dielectric constant of 5 or less, a dissipation factor of 0.005 or less (or 0.001 or less), or a deflection temperature under load of about 200 to 350 degrees C. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to presume that these properties would be inherent to the polymer composition disclosed by Narusawa. Support for the presumption is found because Narusawa discloses a similar liquid crystal polyester, containing similar mol % of amounts of Formulae (II), (III), (IV), and (V), to produce a polymer composition having a similar melting point range, which, in turn, is similarly used to form fibers and fiber materials. The burden is upon the Applicant to show otherwise. The Patent and Trademark Office can require applicants to prove that prior art products do not necessarily or inherently possess characteristics of claimed products where claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes; burden of proof is on applicants where rejection based on inherency under 35 U.S.C. § 102 or on prima facie obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, jointly or alternatively, and Patent and Trademark Office’s inability to manufacture products or to obtain and compare prior art products evidences fairness of this rejection. In re Best, Bolton, and Shaw, 195 USPQ 431 (CCPA 1977). With regard to Claim 9, the repeating unit by Formula (I) can be present in an amount of 0 mol %, according to Claim 1, so its structural features in Claim 9 are optional to the polymer so long as a repeating unit represented by Formula (I) is not present. With regard to Claim 10, Narusawa discloses that 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl can be used to form the copolyester as an alternative aromatic diol to hydroquinone. Paragraph [0030]. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention to utilize 4,4’-dihydroxybiphenyl as an aromatic diol in the copolyester used to form the liquid crystalline polyester fiber because Narusawa teaches that such a substitution is known and can be achieved without any undue burden. The substitution of known equivalent structures involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Fout 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982). With regard to Claims 12 and 13, Narusawa discloses the liquid crystalline polymer fiber can be used to form yarn with dpf of 2 to 25. Paragraphs [0044], [0045], and [0049] to [0053]. With regard to Claim 14, Narusawa discloses the yarn has an elongation at break of 3.8 to 4.0%, a tenacity of 27.6 to 29.5 cN/dtex, and an elastic modulus of 550 to 560 cN/dtex. Paragraphs [0100] to [0102]. With regard to Claims 15 and 16, Narusawa discloses the “liquid crystalline polyester multifilament of the invention can be not only used as a multifilament, but also separated and used as a monofilament, for example, and can also be suitably used as staple fibers, cut fibers, and the like. Further, it can also be utilized as a fiber structure such as a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a braided cord.” Paragraph [0091]. With regard to Claim 20, Narusawa discloses that the fiber can be used in printed circuit boards, filters, and industrial materials. Paragraph [0092].
Claims 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narusawa in view of Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 111101256 to Xu et al. (submitted in April 6, 2026 IDS) (“Xu”).
With regard to Claims 17-19, although Narusawa discloses that the fiber can be used to form a woven fabric, and the material can be fashioned to provide a printed circuit board, paragraphs [0091] and [0092], Narusawa does not specifically teach impregnating the fabric with a resin and bonding it with a conductive copper layer. Xu is also related to the formation of printed circuit boards using liquid crystal polymer woven fabrics. See, e.g., Abstract, entire document. Xu teaches that, in order to form a printed circuit board, the woven fabric comprising liquid crystal polymer can be impregnated with a resin and bonded with a conductive copper layer to form a copper-clad laminate. Page 2; see also claim 17. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention to impregnate the liquid crystal woven fabric disclosed by Narusawa with a resin and bond it to a conductive copper layer in order to form a printed circuit board, as shown to be known in the art by Xu.
Conclusion
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JEREMY R. PIERCE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1789
/JEREMY R PIERCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1789
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