Appeal No. 95-0318
Application 08/031,046
temperature below the decomposition temperature of the
matrix polymer;
b. heating said copolymer to a temperature at or above the
decomposition temperature of the thermally decomposable
polymer and below the glass transition temperature and
the decomposition temperature of the matrix polymer to
form said foam polymer.
In the rejection of the appealed claims, the examiner relies
upon the following reference:
Scheuerlein et al. (Scheuerlein) 3,917,761 Nov. 4, 1975
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a process for
forming a foamed polymer having a pore size less than about
1000D . The process comprises two steps: (1) forming a
copolymer of a matrix polymer, such as a polyimide, and a
thermally decomposable polymer, such as poly(propylene oxide);
(2) heating the formed copolymer to a temperature that is above
the decomposition temperature of the thermally decomposable
polymer but below the glass transition temperature and the
decomposition temperature of the matrix polymer.
Appealed claims 13-15, 17 and 23 stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 102(e) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over Scheuerlein.
Upon careful consideration of the opposing arguments
presented on appeal, we will not sustain the examiner’s
rejection.
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