Appeal 2007-2062
Application 10/360,263
been twice presented and rejected. See Ex parte Lemoine, 46 USPQ2d 1420,
1423 (BPAI 1994); and 35 U.S.C. §§ 134 and 6(b).
According to Appellants, the invention is directed to a curable powder
film-forming composition comprising a crosslinking agent, a polymer
containing a plurality of functional groups reactive with the crosslinking
agent, and particles having a mean particle size less than 100 nanometers
(nm), where the particles are substantially free of hydroxyl functional groups
on the particle surface and are present in an amount sufficient to improve the
flow and leveling of the composition when applied to a substrate and cured,
as compared to a similar cured coating without the particles (Br. 2).1 Claim
1 is illustrative of the invention and is reproduced below:
1. A curable powder film-forming composition comprising
(i) 5 to 95 percent by weight based on the total weight of the
film-forming composition of a crosslinking agent;
(ii) 5 to 95 percent by weight based on the total weight of the
film-forming composition of a polymer containing a plurality of
functional groups reactive with the crosslinking agent; and
(iii) particles having a mean particle size less than 100 nm,
wherein the particles are substantially free of hydroxyl functional
groups on the particle surface, said particles present in an amount at
least sufficient to improve the flow and leveling of the composition
when applied to a substrate and cured, as measured by longwave
scanning, compared to a similar cured coating without the
particles.
The Examiner has relied on the following prior art reference as
evidence of unpatentability:
Schneider US 2002/0137872 A1 Sep. 26, 2002
1 We refer to and cite from the Brief dated Sep. 28, 2006.
2
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