Ex parte MIMEUR et al. - Page 7




          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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