Appeal No. 96-3584
Application No. 08/267,877
to accelerate the opening of an epoxy ring (see May at page
298). According to appellant, the mechanism depicted by May
"indicates that phenol does not react with the epoxy, but
rather hydrogen bonds in the transition state as it is the
amine which reacts with the epoxy" (page 8 of Brief).
Accordingly, since May does not disclose that resorcinol,
when used as an accelerator in an epoxy resin composition,
reacts with the epoxy resin, and appellant has substantively
refuted the examiner's statement that such a reaction takes
place during acceleration, we look to the examiner for a
response to appellant's refutation. However, the Examiner's
Answer is silent on this crucial point. Consequently, based
on the record before us, we must find that there is
insufficient evidence to support the examiner's position.
The other references cited by the examiner, Shimizu and
Armstrong, do not remedy the noted deficiency of May.
In conclusion, based on the foregoing, we are constrained
to reverse the examiner's rejections.
REVERSED
EDWARD C. KIMLIN )
-4-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007