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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 6/10/2026 has been entered.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 7-9, 24, 26, and 37-39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bahlmann (US 2024/0277457).
Bahlmann discloses a body care product with at least one application unit (3) and with at least one handle unit (1) connected with the application unit and comprises at least one material handle body wherein the material handle body is made to a large extend of a paper material (paragraph 5), the application unit (3) comprises at least one cleaning element carrier (3) formed by a wire (4) and several cleaning elements (5) which are twisted-in with the cleaning element carrier (paragraph 10), wherein for a connection to the handle unit the cleaning element carrier is connected to the material handle body in a connection section (2.1) facing away from the cleaning element (Fig. 1), and the at least one cleaning element carrier (3.1) of the application unit is realized so as to be bent in the connection section for an at least partially form-fit connection to the handle unit (paragraph 22), and the material handle body of the handle unit comprises a multi-layer structure of the paper material, the layers are connected to each other by glueing (paragraph 12; “an adhesive is applied to the fibrous material before and/or during rolling”; rolling creates a multi-layer structure).
Claim 3, the connection section (3.1) of the cleaning element carrier of the application unit projects into the material handle body and is enclosed by the material handle body (Fig. 2).
Claim 4, wherein the at least one cleaning element carrier (4) of the application unit is implemented so as to be rolled into at least one layer of the material handle body in a connection section that faces away from the cleaning elements (Fig. 2; paragraph 17).
Claim 5, wherein the connection section (3.1) of the cleaning element has an angled structure for an anchoring in the handle body (paragraph 22).
Claim 7, wherein the at least one cleaning element carrier (5) of the application unit is connected to the material handle body at least partially by substance-to-substance bond (paragraph 17; i.e. adhesive).
Claim 8, wherein the material handle body (2) comprises at least one layer of a paper material which is realized in a rolled-up fashion (paragraph 12).
Claim 9, wherein the at least one layer of the material handle body (2) is rolled up in a cylindrical shape (see Figures 1-4).
Claim 24, a plug connection unit (3.1) configured to a releasable plug connection of the application unit to the handle unit (paragraph 14)
Claim 26, wherein the at least one application unit comprises a head region (4) which forms a brush head (see Figures 1-4).
Claim 37, a method for producing a body care product (paragraph 17).
Claim 38, wherein the material handle body of the handle unit is rolled into at least one layer of paper material (paragraph 12).
Claim 39, wherein the application unit is in at least one connection section rolled into the material handle body (paragraph 12).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bahlmann (US 2024/0277457) in view of Amron (US 2015/0297326).
Bahlmann discloses the claimed invention except for the paper material comprising a water repellant coating. Amron discloses a rolled paper handle with sealant coating to protect them from getting wet (paragraph 33). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the paper handle of Bahlmann be made with a water repellant coating as taught by Amron to protect the handle from getting wet.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/10/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument that Bahlmann does not disclose a multi-layer structure of the paper material, is not persuasive. Bahlmann teaches “an adhesive is applied to the fibrous material before and /or during rolling.” Rolling the paper material creates a handle with a multi-layer structure of the paper material as claimed. Applicant does not set forth different or separate layers of material attached together, therefore, the rolled multi-layers meets the claim language “multi-layer structure”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL RUNNING STEITZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1917. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eric Rosen can be reached at 571-270-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RACHEL R STEITZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3772 7/1/2026
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