DETAILED ACTION
CLEANING ARTICLE HAVING COATED TOW FIBERS
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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Policicchio (US20190104909A1) cited in IDS in view of Tsuchiya (US20060048325A1).
Regarding claim 1,
Policicchio teaches a carrier sheet (12, figure 1a); and
a tow fiber bundle (29; para 0033-0042) joined to said carrier sheet, wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises tow fibers (14, figure 1-1a) at least partially coated with a primary coat mix (abstract).
Policicchio fails to teach castor oil ethoxylate, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, and fatty acid ester, wherein said castor oil ethoxylate and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said castor oil ethoxylate to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate from about 2:1 to about 1:1, and wherein said fatty acid ester and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said fatty acid ester to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate from about 5:1 to about 3:1.
However, Policicchio does disclose the coating may compromise a blend of oil, surfactant and that the concentration of a component within the coating can be adjusted to improve performance (para 0007-0008,0047, 0060,0064-0065, 0071-0075,0085).
Tsuchiya teaches a cleaning tool (abstract) that has a coating (para 0040,0055) that comprises castor oil ethoxylate fatty alcohol ethoxylate, and fatty acid ester (para 0040), wherein said castor oil ethoxylate and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said castor oil ethoxylate to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate (para 0040)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Policicchio to include a coating that comprises castor oil ethoxylate, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, and fatty acid ester, wherein said castor oil ethoxylate and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said castor oil ethoxylate to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate based on the teachings of Tsuchiya. This modification helps reduce antigenicity of allergy inducing matter collection (see Tsuchiya para 0008-0019).
Additionally, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date to use the teachings of Policicchio to have any desired ratio in an attempt to optimize the weight ratio of the primary coat mix in an attempt to have a desired cleaning performance, as a person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp, and where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges.
Further, Examiner notes Applicant has not assigned any criticality to the specific value of the weight ratios of the primary coat mix, describing only generally “castor oil ethoxylate and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said castor oil ethoxylate to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate from about 2:1 to about 1:1, and wherein said fatty acid ester and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said fatty acid ester to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate from about 5:1 to about 3:1”, without explaining any criticality of the claimed ranges. Per MPEP 2144.05 II B, only result-effective variables can be optimized. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to select a value of the weight ratios of primary coat mix based on the particular application and operational parameters, including a percentage in the claimed ratio.
Regarding claim 2, modified Policicchio teaches from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of said tow fibers of said primary coat mix (Policicchio discloses that moisture and coating weight percentage are correlated therefore if weight percentage of moisture is low primary coat mix can be between 0.1% to 2% see abstract, para 0088-0091)
Regarding claim 3, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises a plurality of individual tufts (see Policicchio 29T, figure 1).
Regarding claim 4, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figure 2) are positioned between two said carrier sheets (see Policicchio 12, figure 1a,3a,6) and a bond (see Policicchio 38, figure3a,5d) extends along a longitudinal axis (see Policicchio LA, figures 3a;5a-5c) of said cleaning article, wherein said tow fiber bundle extends from said bond.
Regarding claim 5, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle has less than about 4 weight percent moisture (see Policicchio para 0085-0090).
Regarding claim 6, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said primary coat mix is free of wax (see Policicchio para 0070).
Regarding claim 7, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle has less than about 4 weight percent moisture (see Policicchio para 0085-0090).
Regarding claim 8, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said primary coat mix is free of wax. (see Policicchio para 0070).
Regarding claim 9, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers are at least partially coated with a secondary coating comprising mineral oil (see Policicchio para 0097,0152 and Tsuchiya para 0019-0021).
Regarding claim 10, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said primary coat mix is between said secondary coating (see Policicchio para 0060,0097,0152 and Tsuchiya para 0019-0021) and said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figures 1-6).
Regarding claim 11, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises from about 1% to about 18% by weight of said tow fibers said secondary coating (see Policicchio para 0074).
Regarding claim 12, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figure 2) are positioned between (see Policicchio figure 6) two said carrier sheets (see Policicchio 12, figure 1a, 3a, 6) and a bond (see Policicchio 38, figure 3a, 5d) extends along a longitudinal axis (see Policicchio LA, figures 3a;5a-5c) of said cleaning article, wherein said tow fiber bundle extends from said bond.
Regarding claim 13, Policicchio as modified in claim 1 teaches wherein said castor oil ethoxylate and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said castor oil ethoxylate to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate of about 1.5:1 and wherein said fatty acid ester and said fatty alcohol ethoxylate are present at a weight ratio of said fatty acid ester to said fatty alcohol ethoxylate of about 3.75:1 .( A person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp, and where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges.)
Regarding claim 14, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of said tow fibers of said primary coat mix (Policicchio discloses that moisture and coating weight percentage are correlated therefore if weight percentage of moisture is low primary coat mix can be between 0.1% to 2% see abstract, para 0088-0091).
Regarding claim 15, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figure 2) are positioned between two said carrier sheets(see Policicchio 12, figure 1a,3a,6 and a bond (see Policicchio 38, figure3a,5d) extends along a longitudinal axis (see Policicchio LA, figures 3a;5a-5c) of said cleaning article,wherein said tow fiber bundle extends from said bond.
Regarding claim 16, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises a plurality of individual tufts (see Policicchio 29T, figure 1).
Regarding claim 17, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers are at least partially coated with a secondary coating comprising mineral oil (see Policicchio para 0097,0152 and Tsuchiya para 0019-0021.
Regarding claim 18, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said primary coat mix is between said secondary coating (see Policicchio para 0060,0097,0152 and Tsuchiya para 0019-0021 and said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figures 1-6).
Regarding claim 19, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fiber bundle comprises from about 1% to about 18% by weight of said tow fibers said secondary coating (see Policicchio para 0074).
Regarding claim 20, modified Policicchio teaches wherein said tow fibers (see Policicchio 14, figure 2) are positioned between (see Policicchio figure 6) two said carrier sheets (see Policicchio 12, figure 1a, 3a, 6) and a bond (see Policicchio 38, figure 3a, 5d) extends along a longitudinal axis (see Policicchio LA, figures 3a;5a-5c) of said cleaning article,wherein said tow fiber bundle extends from said bond.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Brown (US 6777064 B1) discloses a cleaning sheet coated with fatty acids and fatty alcohols, William (US20020042962A1) discloses a cleaning sheet that is coated with additive to enhance pick-up.
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/SARAH AKYAA FORDJOUR/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723