Appeal No. 2006-0124
Application No. 10/071,301
The characteristics of the mordanting polymer that are
improved by the addition of a crosslinking agent are not
properties sought for an adhesive material. Accordingly, the
skilled artisan would not have considered the teachings of
Buzzell to add a crosslinking agent to be applicable to Buzzell's
adhesive material. Without the requisite teaching or suggestion
to use a crosslinking agent in the adhesive layer, the examiner
has failed to establish a prima facie case of obviousness.
Consequently, we cannot sustain the obviousness rejection of
claims 1 through 5, 9 through 12, and 19.
Each of claims 6 and 13 (the only independent claims in
Groups II and III) includes the same limitation recited in
claim 1 of an adhesive layer comprising "a water-soluble
crosslinking agent capable of crosslinking a vinyl alcohol-based
polymer." Since neither Shulman nor Delangre remedies the
deficiencies of Buzzell, we cannot sustain the obviousness
rejection of claims 6 through 8 and 13 through 18.
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