Appeal No. 1996-1864
Application No. 08/330,349
oxide) to improve adhesion or other properties. However, they
neither teach nor suggest employing a combination of a
sulfopolyester and an epoxy compound in the anti-static layer
of Anderson. Although the Valsecchi reference relied upon by
the examiner employs an epoxy compound, Valsecchi uses the
epoxy compound for rendering a sulfonated polymer in the anti-
static layer insoluble through some unknown reaction between
the epoxy compound and the sulfonated polymer. See column 7,
line 59 to column 8, line 10. The examiner has supplied no
evidence to support a conclusion that the desired unknown
reaction described in Valsecchi is not adversely affected in
the presence of the vanadium oxide described in either
Anderson, Chang, Buchanan or Guestaux. Nor has the examiner
provided sufficient evidence to conclude that one of ordinary
skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation that
the modified sulfopolyester taught in Valsecchi
(sulfopolyester modified by an epoxy compound) would
necessarily have the desirable properties of a sulfopolyester,
such as the improved adhesion suggested by Chang. In
addition, the examiner has not provided any explanation as to
why it would have been obvious to employ the claimed adhesive-
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