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 .
This communication is responsive to the claims filed on 06/15/2026. Claims 1-7, 12, 15-16, 20, 22-25 and 30-35 are pending. The non-elected claims 20, 22-25 are withdrawn.
The 35 USC 112b rejections dated 03/19/2026 are WITHDRAWN due to Applicant’s amendments.
Claims 30-31 and 34-35 are rejected for the reasons set forth below.
The 35 USC 102 rejections on claims 1-7, 12 and 15-16 dated 03/19/2026 are WITHDRAWN due to Applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Ma et al. (US5,519,085).
Ma teaches an inkjet ink composition comprising water, at least one organic component; pigment and an ABC triblock copolymer (ab.). Attention is drawn to Example 3 (13:38-50), wherein the pigment dispersion contains carbon black and triblock copolymer MAA/BzMA/ /ETEGMA (poly(methacrylic acid-b-benzyl methacrylate-ethoxytriethylene glycol methacrylate ). Ma further teaches that the hydrophobic center block polymer (B block polymer) binding to pigment (claim 1), the hydrophilic block polymer (A block polymer) facilitates dispersion of the pigment in water (4: 20-31); and the C block polymer provides solubility and compatibility with organic components of the ink composition (5:25-35). Therefore, one ordinary skilled artisan would reasonably infer that the triblock copolymer MAA/ /BzMA/ /ETEGMA has MAA to stabilize the pigment dispersion in water, BzMA to bind with pigments and ETEGMA providing solubility and compatibility with organic components. Organic components contribute to flocculation of aqueous pigment dispersions (5:29-31), thus, BzMA and ETEGMA function to anchor pigments.
Additionally, ETEGMA has the structure of an ether bond coupled to a terminal ethyl group. ETEGMA is less hydrophobic than BzMA due to the ether bonds. Therefore, the MAA/ /BzMA/ /ETEGMA block copolymer has a block polymer stabilizing pigments and two other repeating units and one of the repeating units (ETEGMA) reads on the claimed repeating unit Rl. Thus, the MAA/ /BzMA/ /ETEGMA block copolymer is substantially identical to the claimed dispersant D, as such the claimed segments are presumed to be inherent (see MPEP 2112.011).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. (US5,519,085), as applied to Claim 30 above.
The disclosure of Ma on Claim 30 is incorporated herein by reference. The example 3 dispersion has a weight ratio of pigment and copolymer of 2, however, Ma further teaches the ink composition comprising preferably 0 .1 to 8 wt.% of pigments and 0 .1 to 8 wt.% of the triblock copolymer (7:40-50), therefore, the weight ratio between pigment and copolymer is 0.0125 to 80, overlapping the claimed 0.1 to 1.0. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists (See MPEP 2144.05 I). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have selected the overlapping portion of the range taught by Ma.
While Ma does not exemplify the weight ratio between the pigment and the block copolymer dispersant being between 0.1 and 1.0, this does not negate a finding of obviousness under 35 USC 103 since a preferred embodiment such as an example is not controlling. Rather, all disclosures "including unpreferred embodiments" must be considered (see MPEP 2123 I).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 12, 15-16, and 32-35 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The claims are allowable over the closest prior art reference Ma et al. (US5,519,085). AS discussed above at para.6, Ma teaches an aqueous inkjet ink composition comprising pigment and a copolymer wherein the copolymer containing a hydrophilic monomer unit, a hydrophobic monomer unit and a monomer unit having the claimed ether bond. However, Ma expressly teaches that the copolymer is a triblock copolymer. Ma does not teach or fairly suggest a diblock copolymer which has a repeating unit R1 and a more hydrophobic repeating unit R2.
Examples of other notable references include:
References disclose the pigment dispersant comprising a copolymer of a hydrophilic monomerunit-R1 structure unit – hydrophobic unit, however, the references do not teach or fairly suggest the copolymer is a diblock copolymer, see JP2014214192A, JP2010095591A, JP2009298989A, WO2006046759 A1, WO2001072721 A1.
References disclose that the pigment dispersant can be an AB block copolymer comprising hydrophilic monomers and hydrophobic monomers wherein the hydrophobic monomers bond with pigments and the hydrophilic monomers stabilize the pigment dispersion. Therefore, the refences teaches the copolymer comprising an anchoring segment and a matrix segment. However, the references disclose that the instant claimed R1 repeating units contained in the block having hydrophilic monomers. The references do not teach or fairly suggest the R1 repeating units in the same block with hydrophobic monomer units. Therefore, the references do not teach or fairly suggest the R1 repeating unit in the anchoring segment of a diblock copolymer. Examples of such references see WO2010059939 A1, WO2004104119 A1, CN1232062 A, US8871859 B2.
Tomoya (JP2005325240 A) is a notable reference for Claim 34. Tomoya teaches an aqueous ink comprising a water-insoluble colorant and a polymer dispersant (claim 1) wherein examples of the water-insoluble colorant include pigments (lns366-376); and wherein the polymer dispersant is a block copolymer comprising at least one hydrophobic block and at least one hydrophilic block, and each block of the polymer dispersant comprises a vinyl ether monomer (claim 8). Tomoya exemplifies that the hydrophobic block contains 1-isobutoxyethyl acetate units and isobutyl vinyl ether units and ethyl acetate (Example 2). Isobutyl vinyl ether is more hydrophobic than 1-isobutoxyethyl acetate and ethyl acetate. Therefore, Tomoya does not teach or fairly suggest that the hydrophobic block (anchoring segment) contains the claimed repeating unit R1 which is less hydrophobic than another repeating unit of the block.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the rejection has been WITHDRAWN.
Applicant’s argument on Claim 30 is not persuasive because the present Claim 30 does not claim the block dispersant D is a diblock copolymer.
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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/HUIHONG QIAO/ Examiner, Art Unit 1763
/CATHERINE S BRANCH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1763
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