Appeal No. 2004-0919 Page 7
Application No. 09/842,607
The teachings of Horiuchi
Horiuchi's invention relates to a golf ball having excellent impact resilience and
good flying performance. The golf ball comprises a core and a cover covering the core,
wherein the cover contains at least 20 % by weight of a carboxyl-rich ionomer resin
prepared by neutralizing 15 to 80 mol % of carboxylic acid groups of an olefinic
copolymer containing 16 to 30 % by weight of an alpha, beta-ethylenic unsaturated
carboxylic acid with monovalent or divalent metal ions. Example 3 of Table 1 of
Horiuchi teaches a golf ball cover made from a blend of 30% high acid ionomer and
70% low acid ionomer.
The anticipation rejection
We sustain the rejection of claims 11, 14 to 26 and 29 to 39 under 35 U.S.C.
§ 102(b).
A claim is anticipated only if each and every element as set forth in the claim is
found, either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art reference.
Verdegaal Bros. Inc. v. Union Oil Co., 814 F.2d 628, 631, 2 USPQ2d 1051, 1053 (Fed.
Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 827 (1987). The inquiry as to whether a reference
anticipates a claim must focus on what subject matter is encompassed by the claim and
what subject matter is described by the reference. As set forth by the court in Kalman
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