Appeal No. 2000-0595 Serial No. 09/025,400 According to appellants, the invention is directed to a method of making a melt blended composition useful as an adhesive for electronic applications, where the method requires melt blending at temperatures greater than 150°C. components including polyphenylene ether (PPE), polystyrene (PS), and an uncured epoxy (Brief, page 4). A copy of illustrative independent claim 1 is attached as an Appendix to this decision. The examiner has relied upon Chao et al. (Chao), U.S. Patent No. 5,001,010, issued Mar. 19, 1991, as evidence of obviousness. The claims on appeal stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite due to the claimed term “curable epoxy” (Answer, pages 2-3). The claims on appeal also stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Chao (Answer, page 3). We reverse both of the rejections on appeal for reasons stated in the Brief, Reply Brief, and as set forth below. OPINION A. The Rejection under § 112, ¶2 The examiner states that the claimed term “curable epoxy” merely defines a “functionality” which is not curable in the -2-Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007