Ex parte MASON - Page 8




          Appeal No. 96-1790                                                          
          Application No. 08/285,375                                                  


          of phosphates alone listed as flame retardants by Watanabe                  
          does not negate the teaching that the specific                              
          tris(tribromoneopentyl) phosphate component of the claims on                
          appeal is taught to be a flame retardant customarily used in                
          polycarbonate molding compositions.  In re Merck & Co. v.                   
          Biocraft Labs., 874 F.2d 804, 807, 10 USPQ2d 1843, 1846 (Fed.               
          Cir. 1989); In re Corkill, 771 F.2d 1496, 1500, 226 USPQ 1005,              
          1008 (Fed. Cir. 1985).                                                      
               For the foregoing reasons, we determine that the examiner              
          has established a prima facie case of obviousness in view of                
          the applied prior art.  Appellant has submitted evidence of                 
          “unexpected improved chemical resistance” in rebuttal (Brief,               
          pages 2-4 and 6).  This evidence consists of two Tables from                
          page 13 of the specification (Brief, page 3).  As noted by the              
          examiner on page 4 of the Answer, this comparative evidence                 
          only contains one specific polycarbonate, one specific ester,               
          and one specific graft polymer.  Appellant has not shown why                
          this evidence would be predictive of or commensurate with the               
          scope of the claims on appeal.  In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272,                 
          276, 205 USPQ 215, 219 (CCPA 1980).  Furthermore, appellant                 

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