Appeal No. 1997-1992 Page 8 Application No. 08/115,388 dinitrosophenylenediamine compounds such as N,N-dinitroso-N- cyclohexyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (page 4) which may be used to inhibit polymerization of acrylic acid derivatives, an alkyl substituted N,N'-dinitrosophenylenediamine compound within the scope of the formula of component (a) of claim 10 is not described by Watanabe. We find that the examiner has not adequately explained, on this record, why a skilled artisan would have been led to use an N,N’-dialkyl-N,N'- dinitrosophenylenediamine compound as part of a composition within the scope of the claimed distillation process for polymerization suppression. We cannot subscribe to the examiner's position that Tung in combination with Otsuki and Watanabe would have suggested the claimed distillation method. In this regard, Tung discloses that various compounds including some N,N'-dinitrosophenylenediamine compounds within the scope of the appealed claim formula for component (a) are useful in rubber compounding such as "... for controlling the vulcanization of sulfur vulcanizable rubbers..." (column 4, lines 22-24). In our view, Tung would not have suggested to one of ordinary skill in this art that N-alkyl-N-nitroso compounds can be used as polymerization inhibitors.Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007