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 .
Applicant’s amendment and accompanying remarks filed April 28, 2026 are acknowledged.
Examiner acknowledges amended claim 1.
Examiner acknowledges cancelled claims 2-4, and 7.
The rejection of claims 1-10 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jinsong et al., GB2483886 in view of Kleen et al., DE19945487 is overcome by Applicant’s amendment.
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.
Claims 1, 5-6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin et al., U.S. pre Grant Publication 2003/0154555 in view of Jinsong et al., GB2483886.
Regarding claim 1, Griffin discloses a method of treating fibrous textile good with an enzyme such as transglutaminase [abstract and 0001]. Paragraph 0089 discloses a pre-treatment with a reducing agent such as sodium sulfite [sulfite salt]. Example 5 of Griffin discloses an enzymatic treatment comprising transglutaminase with casein [a protein].
Griffin is silent to the reduction treatment under a neutral or weakly alkaline condition of a pH of 7 to 9 and performed at a temperature of 70 º to 95 ºC for 10 to 120 minutes. Jinsong discloses the treatment of wool [animal hair] [page 1, paragraph 0001 and 0004]. Paragraph 0001 of page 4 of Jinsong discloses wool fiber treated with reducing agent sodium sulphite [sulphite salt] in a buffer solution that is adjusted to pH 8 [weakly alkaline] at 80-85 °C for 10 minutes. Additionally, Jinsong discloses an enzymatic treatment [page 4, paragraph 0001]. Page 1, first paragraph of Jinsong discloses treatment of wool to impart shrink resistance. Griffin and Jinsong are analogous art in that both references are directed to the treatment of animal hair such as wool with a reducing agent and an enzymatic process. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize the reduction treatment process of Jinsong for the benefit of enhanced shrink resistance.
Regarding claim 5, paragraphs 0044-0045 of Griffin discloses that the transglutaminase incorporates active agents such as casein and collagen [water soluble protein].
Regarding claims 6 and 9-10, paragraph 0001 of Griffin discloses wool or animal hair.
Regarding claim 8, Example 5 discloses that the enzymatic treatment is performed with transglutaminase and casein at 37 ºC for 2.0 hours [120 minutes].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the present claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant amended the claims to a combination that has not been previously presented. 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMIE S THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1530. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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/CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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