DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Final Rejection
Claims 1-13 and 15-17 and 19 are pending. Claims 1 and 3 are amended in the response filed 2/24/2026. Claims 14 and 18 are cancelled.
Support for the amendments dated 2/24/2026 can be found in at least original claim 3 and [0076].
Response to Amendment
The rejection of claims 1-2, 4-13, 15-17 and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan et al. (US 20190185893 A1) and Labeque et al. (EP 2399979B1) is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of claim 18 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan et al. (US 20190185893 A1) and Labeque et al. (EP 2399979B1) and further in view of Behabtu et al. (WO2018081263A1) is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s cancellation of the claim.
The rejection of claims 3 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan et al. (US 20190185893 A1) and Labeque et al. (EP 2399979B1) and further in view of Behabtu et al. (WO2018081263A1) is maintained.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s urge that the Behabtu only guide one of ordinary skill to 1.7% alpha 1,2 linkages on page 22. Upon careful consideration of Applicant’s amendment with respect to the claim language presented for examination, a new grounds of rejection is made below addressing the claim amendments over Behabtu et al. page 23, ln.16-23 guiding one of ordinary skill to upto 10% alpha 1,2 linkages in short chain dextran. Accordingly, the claim amendments are addressed below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-13, 15-17 and 19 are rejected 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan et al. (US 20190185893 A1) and Labeque et al. (EP 2399979B1) and further in view of Behabtu et al. (WO2018081263A1).
Guan et al. teach a glucan [0038] ether or ester derivative is incorporated in detergent [0046] comprising a unit dose [0141] and or liquid [0142] encompassing claim 1 limitation to a water-soluble unit dose article comprising a liquid laundry treatment composition comprising a cationically modified poly alpha-1,6-glucan ether compound comprising a backbone of glucose monomer units.
Thus, limitation to wherein at least 75% or at least 80%, or at least 90% of the glucose monomer units are linked via alpha-1,6-glycosidic linkages as required by claims 1, 8 and 19; is met by Guan et al. using dextran backbone. Guan et al. teach [0119] that the dextran is a water soluble alpha glucan comprising at least 90% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages. See [0119] copied herein below:
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Guan et al. teach claim 1 limitation to 5-15% water by teaching at least 10% water in [0035].
[0117] of Guan et al. teach the claimed cationic modification of a poly alpha 1,6 glucan ether as required by claim 1.
Guan et al. do not specifically teach the PVA watersoluble film required by claims 1 and 10 and do not teach the liquid detergent is housed in an internal compartment as is required by claim 1.
However, Labeque et al. (EP2399979B1) teach a liquid [0008] fabric care [0001] composition in unit dose form (title, claim 1) comprising a water-soluble PVA [0013] film where the liquid laundry treatment composition [0008-0012] is packaged in a multicompartment pouch [0007]. Labeque et al. teach in [0018] that it is commonly known that "non-aqueous liquid composition" refers to any liquid composition comprising less than 20 %, preferably less than 15 %, more preferably less than 12 %, most preferably less than 8 % by weight of water. For instance, containing no additional water beyond what is entrained with other constituent ingredients. The term liquid also includes viscous forms such as gels and pastes analogous to those described in Guan et al. [0035-0037]and [0134]. Thus, Labeque et al. teach claim 1 limitation to wherein the water-soluble film comprises a polyvinyl alcohol is taught [0013] and is shaped to create an internal compartment, wherein the liquid laundry treatment composition is housed in said internal compartment; [0007].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Guan et al. with the claim 1 liquid detergent housed in an internal compartment of a PVA watersoluble film because Labeque et al. teach fabric care composition in unit dose form comprising less than 15% water in a water-soluble PVA film where the liquid laundry treatment composition ingredients are in multiple compartments in general and Guan et al. teach the claimed cationically modified poly alpha 1,6 glucan with greater than 75% glucose monomers as is commonly known by the term dextran is commonly used in unit dose liquid detergents. One of ordinary skill is motivated to combine the teachings of Guan et al. and Labeque et al. as both are in the same field of unit dose laundry detergents.
With respect to the claim 1 amendment to wherein at least 3% of the backbone glucose monomer units have branches via alpha 1,2 linkages, Guan et al. and Labeque et al. are relied upon as above, however, they do not teach claimed 3% of the backbone glucose monomer units having the claimed alpha 1,2 branches of claim 1.
In the analogous dextran art, Behabtu et al. teach a polysaccharide comprising 87-93% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages (see page 22,ln.12) thus, similar to the dextran disclosed by Guan et al. Behabtu et al. guide one of ordinary skill (see page 23, ln.16-23 copied herein) that upto 10% alpha 1,2 linkages in short chain dextran is well known:
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Guan et al. with the claim 1 limitation to at least 3% of the backbone glucose monomer units having the claimed alpha 1,2 as taught by Behabtu teaching the same dextran of Guan is commonly understood to have 87-93% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages with less than 10% alpha 1,2 linkages is commonly known. One of ordinary skill is motivated to combine the teachings of Guan et al., Labeque et al. and Behabtu et al. since all are in the analogous art of dextran glucan based detergents in gel, paste, liquid consistencies.
Regarding claim 2, Guan [0117] teaches the degree of substitution of 0.001 to about 3.0 . Guan further teaches degree of polymerization in table 15 is greater than 5 and molecular weights are within the claimed 100-500,00o range in Example 8.
With respect to the claim 3 dependent on claim 2 limitation to upto about 35% of the backbone glucose monomer units have branches via alpha 1,2 linkages and 1,3 linkages, Behabtu et al. In the analogous dextran art, Behabtu et al. teach a polysaccharide comprising dextran as disclosed by Guan et al. has 87-93% alpha 1,6, glycosidic linkages, (see page 22, lines 10-17) copied herein:
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Guan et al. with the claim 3 limitation to upto about 35% of the backbone glucose monomer units have branches via alpha 1,2 linkages and 1,3 linkages as taught by Behabtu teaching the same dextran of Guan is commonly understood to have 87-93% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages with less than 10% alpha 1,2 linkages is a commonly known dextran and can have upto 35% of the backbone glucose monomer units have branches via alpha 1,2 linkages and 1,3 linkages. One of ordinary skill is motivated to combine the teachings of Guan et al., Labeque et al. and Behabtu et al. since all are in the analogous art of dextran glucan based detergents in gel, paste, liquid consistencies.
Regarding claims 4-7, 16-17, Guan teaches substitution of at least one positively charged cationic organic group comprises a substituted ammonium group [119] and [0123] teaching wherein the substituted ammonium group comprises at least one C10 to C16 alkyl group and [0119] teaching the trimethylammonium and hydroxypropyl groups. Example 8, on page 34 Table 15 illustrates the dextran that was used had at least one of the properties in claim 2 i-iv, of the reactions with the dextran in example 8 as disclosed in Table 15 copied herein:
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Claim 8 limitation to wherein at least 90% of the glucose monomer units are linked via alpha-1,6-glycosidic linkages is met by Guan et al. using dextran backbone where that dextran is a water soluble alpha glucan comprising at least 90% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages. See [0119].
Guan et al. [0200] teach the concentration of dextran used in a reaction can be increased from about 0 05 - 2.5 g / L which disclosure guides one of ordinary skill to a range within the claimed 0.1-10% of the treatment composition required in claim 9.
[0240] copolymer (also encompassing claim 10) and wherein the liquid laundry composition [0069,0070] comprises a cationically modified poly alpha-1,6-glucan ether compound [0478] in an amount of about 0.25 wt% which also encompasses claim 9 range from 0.01% to 10% of the cationically modified poly alpha-1,6-glucan ether compound. [0480].
Guan et al. teach the non-soap [0137] anionic surfactant of claims 11-12 in [0143] and [0176].
Guan et al. teach the perfume raw material of claim 13 in [0168], [0158], [0137].
The process steps in claim 15 are met by [0046] guiding one of ordinary skill to soak their fabric in a dissolution of an effective amount of a poly alpha-1,3-1,6-glucan ether compound and excess water to contact with the fabric material broadly encompasses claim language to a factor of between 200- and 3000-fold to create a wash liquor and contacting fabrics to be washed with said wash liquor since the art also discloses the dissolution in an automatic washing machines which one of ordinary skill would reasonable expect to be in the broadly claimed range of 200-3000 fold in general.
Claim 19 limitation to wherein at least 80% of the glucose monomer units are linked via alpha-1,6-glycosidic linkages is met by Guan et al. using dextran backbone where that dextran is a water soluble alpha glucan comprising at least 90% alpha 1,6 glycosidic linkages [0119] and Labeque et al. teach fabric care composition in unit dose form comprising less than 15% water in a water-soluble PVA film where the liquid laundry treatment composition ingredients are in multiple compartments is commonly used as unit dose liquid detergents. One of ordinary skill is motivated to combine the teachings of Guan et al. and Labeque et al. as both are in the same field of unit dose laundry detergents.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/PREETI KUMAR/Examiner, Art Unit 1761
/ANGELA C BROWN-PETTIGREW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1761
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