Appeal No. 2006-0415
Application No. 10/267,200
1 term of art, meaning that the adhesive may be easily spread.
2 Waddill provides context for that term. At column 7, lines 1-5,
3 test results with one epoxy adduct are characterized as “low
4 viscosity.” They include results of 9700, 7750, 8250, 7300, and
5 6500 cps at 25°C. Waddill thus describes a low viscosity, i.e.
6 solventless, adhesive should be in the vicinity of 9700 cps or
7 below at 25°C. (Waddill, column 6, last line).
8 The appellant urges that this value is for an epoxy adduct,
9 not the adhesive formulation. While that observation is true, it
10 does not change the meaning of the term “low viscosity” as
11 understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.1 Accordingly, it
12 appears to us that the examiner has correctly determined that the
13 appellant has simply claimed the useful range of low viscosity
14 adhesives.
15 The appellant also contends that the references fail to teach
16 a time period for the viscosity to be maintained. We disagree.
17 De Keyser clearly recognizes that adhesivity increases over time
18 with polymerization – from a few minutes to a few hours. (De
19 Keyser, column 2, lines 13-16). This is directly related to an
20 increase in viscosity (Id., column 2, lines 16-19). It also
1 See, e.g. Exhibit C, US Patent 5,319,062, column 5, lines 48-56, where “low
viscosity” is considered to be 10,000 centipoise or lower at 40°C.
13
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