Appeal No. 2004-0018 Page 2
Application No. 09/220,018
INTRODUCTION
The claims are directed to a foamed polypropylene sheet with cells which are oblong in
the thickness direction of the sheet. Claim 1 is illustrative of the subject matter on appeal:
1. A foamed thermoplastic resin sheet, having a foaming ratio of not less than 2.5,
wherein cells, existing in an interior part which extends inward from a depth of 20 percent of the
whole thickness of said sheet from the front and rear surfaces thereof, respectively, in a thickness
direction thereof and from 15 percent of the width of said sheet from both side edges,
respectively, satisfy the following expressions (1) and [(2):]2
0.5 # D/C # 0.9 . . . (1)
0.5 # E/C # 0.9 . . . (2)
where C represents a mean cell diameter in the thickness direction of said formed sheet,
D represents a mean cell diameter in an extrusion direction of the same, and E represents a mean
cell diameter in the width direction of the same, and where the thermoplastic resin is
polypropylene resin.
The Examiner rejects the claims as unpatentable over prior art. As evidence of
unpatentability, the Examiner relies upon the following prior art references:
Shirai et al. (Shirai) 4,626,183 Dec. 2, 1986
Deblander 5,147,481 Sep. 15, 1992
2“(2):” was present in the claim before the Amendment of May 29, 2001 and it appears that its deletion was
not intentional.
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007