Appeal No. 2006-0369 Παγε 18
Application No. 10/225,395
Respecting representative claim 29 and the present rejection, the
examiner has also determined that Yokono suggested using a
thermosetting polymer to impregnate a paper substrate, and thus
would have further suggested the claimed curable circuit
substrate of representative claim 29 for use in Urban. See page
11 of the answer.
Appellants argue that Yokono employs a sulfur cross-linking
agent together with heat and pressure curing, that Valaitis
teaches away from using such sulfur material, that Urban teaches
away from using heat and pressure curing, and further that a
copper layer can not be placed next to a sulfur-containing
adhesion layer. Thus, appellants conclude that there would be no
suggestion to combine Urban, Valaitis and Urban.
However, as explained by the examiner at pages 21 and 22 of
the answer, there are four separate cross-linking methods
described in the applied references, each of which are useful in
curing EPDM material. Moreover, as noted by the examiner at page
22 of the answer, a radiation curing method employing a peroxide
cross-linking agent would have been recognized by one of ordinary
skill in the art as a desirable option for cost and avoidance of
adverse property reasons.4 Here, appellants have not made their
4
4 It is noted that representative claim 29 is drawn to an
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