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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/31/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Examiner acknowledges the remarks and amendments filed on 10/02/25. Claims 5, 8, 10, 15, and 16 have been canceled. Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 1-4, 6, 7, 9, 11-14, 17-21 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Currently amended Claim 1 reads as follows:
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The Examiner was unable to find adequate support in the Specification for what seems to be the use of two different polyesters in the formation of polyester layer (A). The red arrow is pointing towards a polyester that is a component of the “master batch”. The yellow arrow is pointing to what seems like is a second polyester that is free of the halogen-free blue dye and pigment. As such, the claim is suggesting that the polyester layer (A) is formed by the use of two different polyesters. However, the Examiner was unable to find support for this in the Specification or original claims. Additionally, lines 4-5 of Claim 1 states that just the halogen-free blue dye and pigment were melted and blended with each other, but then lines 8-10 state that the melting and mixing were actually done with a polyester too. The Examiner is uncertain if this is a secondary step or if it’s referring to the same melting and mixing stated in lines 4-5. The Examiner suggests amending the claims to clear up the ambiguity to the amount of steps of melting and mixing that are being claimed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed10/31/2005, with respect to the rejection(s) of all claim(s) under Masuda have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of 35 USC 112.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAHSEEN KHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1140. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays-Saturdays 08:00AM-10:00PM.
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/TAHSEEN KHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1781 January 23, 2026