Appeal No. 1999-2507
Application No. 08/967,367
11, line 57.) In this regard, it is important to note that the
appellants' reason for adding the recited particulate core/shell
component is to obtain a product that exhibits "good impact
strength even at low temperatures." (Specification, page 11,
lines 21-23.) Laughner additionally teaches that the
thermoplastic polymeric material that can benefit from the
addition of the elastomeric impact modifier include
polyalkenamers obtained from cycloolefins as well as
polyolefins.3
Based on these teachings in the prior art, the examiner
determined that one of ordinary skill in the art would have found
it prima facie obvious to add Laughner's MBS core/shell elastomer
into the compositions of either Brekner or Yamamoto
with the reasonable expectation of obtaining a product that
exhibits improved impact strength. We agree. The motivation to
combine the prior art references comes from the express
teachings of Laughner that the MBS core/shell elastomer provides
improved impact strength in various classes of thermoplastic
polymers, which classes encompass those described in Brekner or
Yamamoto.
3 According to the appellants, cycloolefin copolymers are
polyolefins. (Specification, p. 2, ll. 23-28.)
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