Appeal No. 96-0473
Application No. 08/082,727
is assisted by and maintained by a block and/or graft copolymer which compatibilizes these two
separate materials within the core component.
While conceding that the microphase separation structure of Crystal is formed between the
disperse phase and the encapsulating matrix (Answer, para. bridging pages 7-8), the examiner
maintains
Wellman et al., while teaching the core can be solvent poor, teach that the core
is not solvent free (col. 9, l. 5-17) and Wellman et al. teach the core can be a mixture of
various materials, both liquid and solid and that the resin is dispersed in a liquid (col. 4,
l. 51 to col. 5, l. 40; and col. 6, l. 3-46). Therefore, Wellman et al. teach the core
material comprises two or more materials. [Answer, page 7]
The examiner’s position is not well taken for the following reasons.
First, Wellman discloses that the core material may be any suitable liquid or solid material
soluble or dispersible in the same solvent or mixture of solvents as the wall material (col. 4, lines 51-
55). Wellman goes on to provide a number of examples of suitable liquid core materials and mixtures
thereof (col. 4, line 55 - col. 5, line 5), suitable semi-solid core materials and mixtures thereof (col. 5,
lines 5-17), and suitable solid core materials and mixtures thereof (col. 5, lines 17-37). While
Wellman specifies that mixtures within each group are acceptable, we do not find where Wellman
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