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 action is in response to the amendments filed 07/10/2026.
Claims 1-5 and 10-24 are pending. Claims 1-5 are being examined. Claims 6-9 are canceled. Claims 10-24 are withdrawn from further consideration. Claim 1 is amended with no new subject matter being introduced.
New grounds of rejection are made in light of the amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koenemann et al. (US 2019/0023905 A1) in view of Iftime et al. (US 8222313 B2).
Considering claim 1, Koenemann teaches a UV curable ink composition suitable for use in security printing comprising a covert UV fluorescent dye; one or more acrylate monomers and one or more acrylate oligomers; and photoinitiators (Koenemann, [0022], [0701], [0703], [0708]-[0710], [0712]).
Koenemann teaches the covert UV fluorescent dye is dissolved in the acrylate monomers/oligomers (Koenemann, [0706]).
Koenemann does not explicitly teach the viscosity of the inkjet ink is from 5 cps to 20 cps.
However, Koenemann teaches printing ink for inkjet printing are usually formulated as liquid printing inks with comparatively low viscosity (Koenemann, [0701]). Iftime teaches a low viscous liquid UV curable ink that is jettable with a viscosity of from about 5 mPa-s to about 20 mPa-s (i.e., 5-20cps) (Iftime, paragraph bridging Col. 35 and 36).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for the viscosity of the ink to be 5-20 cps. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to do so in order to be able to use the ink composition for inkjet printing with a reasonable expectation of success.
Considering claim 2, Koenemann teaches the covert fluorescent dye may fluoresce in any one of a multiple of colors when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (Koenemann, [0022]).
Considering claim 3, Koenemann teaches the covert fluorescent dye is 0.01-5 wt.% of the ink composition (Koenemann, [0705]). A prima facie case of obviousness exists because the claimed range of 0.1-5 wt.% lies within the range taught by Koenemann (see MPEP §2144.05(I)).
Considering claim 4, Koenemann teaches the security inkjet ink further comprises a colored organic pigment dispersion (Koenemann, [0717]).
Considering claim 5, Koenemann teaches the colored organic pigment dispersion is 1-15 wt.% of the ink composition (Koenemann, [0716]). A prima facie case of obviousness exists because the claimed range of 1-10 wt.% lies within the range taught by Koenemann (see MPEP §2144.05(I)).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANITA NASSIRI-MOTLAGH whose telephone number is (571)270-7588. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Johnson can be reached at 571-272-1177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANITA NASSIRI-MOTLAGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734
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