Appeal No. 1998-3281
Application 08/650,500
least 6 carbon atoms" and a hydrophobic segment comprising "two
carboxylic acid groups which are hydrophilic groups." Page 3 of
the Answer. The examiner also finds other groups depicted in
Beach's claims meet appellant's requirements for a polymer having
a combination of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. The
examiner concludes that because Beach discloses such dispersants
as useful for dispersing pigments in ink jet inks that it would
have been prima facie obvious to use the ink compositions of
Beach in an ink jet printing apparatus, thus rendering the
claimed subject matter unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
We find that Beach is directed to polymers having a
polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid or polyethyleneimine
backbone which are "functionalized" by grafting on the backbone
various moieties which form pendant hydrophobic groups on the
backbone. However, while appellant's claims require that it is
the hydrophilic group on the backbone which has 9 or more atoms
bonded in a linear chain the pendent group on the backbone in
claim 5 of Beach does not, as appellant has argued, have at least
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