Appeal No. 2002-1653
Application No. 09/543,336
(a) a polyacetoacetate having acetoacetate groups and having
a number average molecular weight less than 1000 and
(b) a crosslinker for said polyacetoacetate, the crosslinker
having groups capable of crosslinking with said acetoacetate
groups, and wherein the ratio of acetoacetate groups to groups
capable of crosslinking with said acetoacetate groups is about
1.15 to about 2;
said coating composition when cured without additional
crosslinker has improved substrate adhesion.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Hoy et al. (Hoy) 3,668,183 Jun. 6, 1972
Chen et al. (Chen) 5,451,653 Sep. 19, 1995
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a coating
composition comprising a polyacetoacetate and a crosslinker for
the polyacetoacetate. The claimed ratio for the acetoacetate
groups to crosslinking groups, about 1.15 to about 2, results in
incomplete crosslinking of the polyacetoacetate. According to
appellants, "[t]he coating composition is particularly useful as
a primer for an aluminum substrate" (page 2 of principal brief,
third paragraph). Appealed claims 1, 3, 12-16 and 18-22 stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in
view of Hoy.
Appellants submit at page 3 of the principal brief that the
appealed claims stand and fall together. Accordingly, all the
appealed claims stand or fall together with claim 1.
-2-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007