Appeal No. 96-0987
Application No. 08/226,467
appellants' example on page 6 of the specification as originally
filed of "PU-type elastomer resins" as well as with the
disclosure in the patent to Molitor of the formation of golf club
heads from "low density, high strength material such as reaction
injection molded (RIM) polyurethane" (column 2, lines 29-30).
Thus, since Fenton discloses the thin layer of viscoelastic resin
23 to be "comprised of silicone rubber or a PVC plastisol or any
synthetic or natural rubber" (column 2, lines 33-34), we reach
the conclusion that the viscoelastic material of Fenton is not
one capable of being molded by the RIM process.
We next turn to the disclosure of Molitor which the
examiner has relied upon for the teaching of the use of materials
suitable for use with the RIM process as being well known in the
art of making golf clubs. However, it is clear from the
disclosure of Molitor that the use of RIM polyurethane is in a
second embodiment of the invention wherein the entire club head
is formed of "low density, high strength material such as
reaction injection molded (RIM) polyurethane" (column 2, lines
28-30) with "insert weights molded into and encapsulated by the
polyurethane material" (column 2, lines 32-33). The first
embodiment is directed to club heads fabricated "as a hollow
metal shell" (column 2, line 23), and there is no disclosure in
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