Appeal No. 2002-0728
Application No. 09/404,570
containing acid as a conductivity enhancing agent in its hot melt
ink composition. See the Answer, page 9.
To remedy this deficiency, the examiner relies on the
disclosures of Shacklette and Han. The examiner finds (Answer,
page 9), and the appellant does not dispute (Brief, pages 32-33),
that:
Shacklette discloses the use of polyaniline
complexes with phosphonic or phosphinic acid in order to
impart conductivity and enhanced thermal stability to
polymers including formaldehyde-sulfonamide (col.3, lines
45 and 66-68, col. 9, lines 39-41, col. 10, lines 1 and 3
col. 12, lines 30-38, col. 13, line 9, and col. 18, lines
40-42). Although there is no explicit disclosure that
the complex is suitable for use in inks, it is well known
in the art as found in state-of-the-art references such
as [Han] (page 17, lines 25-26) that these polyaniline-
phosphorous-containing acid complexes are indeed suitable
for use in inks.
Thus, we determine that one of ordinary skill in the art would have
been led to employ the claimed complex of dianiline and a
phosphorus-containing acid taught by Shacklette and/or Han in the
hot melt composition of the type described in Schwarz, motivated by
a reasonable expectation of successfully imparting desired
conductivity and enhanced thermal stability.
The appellant does not argue that there is no motivation to
employ the complex taught by Shacklette and/or Han in the hot melt
ink composition of Schwarz. See the Brief, pages 32-33. Rather,
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