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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 December 29, 2025 has been entered.
Withdrawn Rejections
Any rejections and or objections, made in the previous Office Action, and not repeated below, are hereby withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendments and/or arguments in the response dated December 29, 2025. However, new rejections may have been made using the same prior art if still applicable to the newly presented amendments and/or arguments.
Drawings
Figure 8 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Fleming et al. (USPGPub 2007/0039271 A1).
Fleming et al. disclose a release liner (Abstract; Claims 24 – 27; Figure 1b, #22) comprising: a surface at which concave portions are formed, wherein the concave portion narrows toward a deepest part (Figure 1b, Paragraph 0038), the deepest part having a shape that curves with a tilt continuously changing (Figure 1b, Paragraph 0038), a portion between the concave portions has a convex sectional shape in a thickness direction of the release liner (Figure 1b, Paragraph 0038), the convex sectional shape narrows at a continuous tilt from the deepest part to an apex of the convex sectional shape (Figure 1b, Paragraph 0038), and in the convex sectional shape, a width w at a height of 1/2h, which is half of a height h, and the height h have a relation of w >h (Figure 1b, Paragraph 0038), wherein the concave portions are formed as dotted at the surface (Figure 6; Paragraph 0042) as in claim 5. With respect to claim 7, the portion between the concave portions protrudes in the thickness direction and forms a ridge portion linearly extending in a plane direction and reaching an edge of the release liner (Figures; Paragraph 0044). Regarding claim 8, an adhesive layer disposed on the surface of the release liner, and a substrate layer in this order in a laminating direction (Paragraphs 0035 - 0037).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 29, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument that “Applicant further submits that the present application is characterized by the feature that "the concave portions are formed as dotted at the surface," as recited in claim 5. Applicant respectfully submits that the distinction over at least US 2007/0166501 and US 2007/0039271, since neither reference discloses or suggests concave portions formed as discrete, dotted features at the surface, but instead teaches continuous concave structures.”, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with regard to US 2007/0039271 (Fleming). Fleming clearly discloses concave portions are formed as dotted at the surface (Paragraph 0034; 0053 – 0054; Figure 4, which would be the reverse of the a release liner since it is showing the adhesive surface), wherein having grooves in the release formed as a grid forms a dotted surface on the surface of the release liner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patricia L Nordmeyer whose telephone number is (571)272-1496. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6:30pm EST, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alicia Chevalier can be reached at 571-272-1490. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Patricia L. Nordmeyer/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 February 11, 2026
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