Appeal No. 2006-0480
Application No. 10/318,260
THE REFERENCES
Endo et al. (Endo) 6,520,872 Feb. 18, 2003
(filed Oct. 25, 2001)
Takemura et al. (Takemura) 6,688,992 Feb. 10, 2004
(filed Aug. 24, 2001)
THE REJECTION
Claims 1, 3, 4 and 6-12 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over Endo in view of Takemura.
OPINION
We reverse the aforementioned rejection. We need to address
only claim 1, which is the sole independent claim. Claim 1
requires that a blend from which a golf ball cover is made includes
a silicone rubber powder, a silicone resin powder or a mixture
thereof, wherein the average particle size of the silicone powder
is 0.5 to 700 μm. For that claim requirement the examiner relies
upon Takemura (answer, page 5).
Takemura discloses a golf ball having a cover made from a
blend comprising organic short fibers having a length of 5-1000 μm
(col. 1, lines 55-59; col. 5, lines 26-27). The organic short
fibers “may include nylon fiber, acrylic fiber, polyester fiber,
aramid fiber and others” (col. 5, lines 1-3). “[I]t is possible to
premix a prescribed amount of the organic short fiber in polymer of
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