DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are pending.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected.
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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 (AIA )
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over:
• JP 2020-100026 (OKUYAMA-JP ‘026,
in view of TOYAMA ET AL (US 2013/0280529),
and in view of TOYAMA ET AL (US 2009/0233093).
OKUYAMA-JP ‘026 discloses laminated films, wherein the laminated films comprise:
• a first protective film comprising:
• a first base layer (e.g., polyester films such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films; polyolefin films, etc.);
• a first pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer, wherein the first PSA layer contains additives (e.g., ultraviolet absorber, etc.);
• a heat-resistant polymer film (e.g., polyimide, etc.);
• a second protective film;
wherein the 90º peel strength between the heat-resistant film and the first protective film is 0.002-0.3 N/cm. Laminates incorporating the laminated films comprise:
• the first protective film;
• the heat-resistant polymer film;
• a silane coupling agent layer;
• an inorganic substrate;
wherein the laminate is formed by:
(A) applying a silane coupling agent layer to an inorganic substrate;
(B) providing the above laminated films;
(C) cutting the laminated film using an ultraviolet laser through the first protective film layer side;
(D) removing the second protective film from the heat-resistant polymer film;
(E) bonding the heat-resistant polymer film side of the laser-cut laminated film to the silane coupling agent layer on the inorganic substrate.
(entire document, paragraph 0010-0029, 0037, 0047-0050, 0056-0059, 0069-0070, 0074-0080, 0086, 0098-0104, etc.) However, the reference does not specifically discuss the size of gelled product in the first PSA layer or PSA layers containing a urethane-based resin.
TOYAMA ET AL ‘529 disclose that it is well known in the art to utilize acrylic-type pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) compositions containing isocyanate-type crosslinking agents for optical applications (e.g., protective films, etc.), wherein the PSA composition has no or little gelled material content (e.g., as characterized by a failure to pass a filtering through a 1 micron mesh screen) in order to reduce the appearance of contaminant-induced defects. The reference further discloses that it is well known in the art to filter PSA compositions in order to remove microgels and other undesirable contaminants. (paragraph 0008-0009, 0018, 0020, 0025, 0029-0030, 0056, 0072, 0132-0135, 0144-0149, 0253-0257, 0280-0285, 0287, 0291, etc.)
TOYAMA ET AL ‘093 discloses that it is well known in the art to utilize urethane prepolymers (corresponding to the recited “urethane-based resin”) as an isocyanate-type crosslinking agent for acrylic-based pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) compositions suitable for optical applications. (paragraph 0040, 0083, etc.)
Regarding claims 1-3, 6-8, 10-11, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize known isocyanate-type crosslinking agents such as urethane prepolymers (corresponding to the recited “urethane-based resin”) as suggested in TOYAMA ET AL ‘093 as the isocyanate-type crosslinking agent in the first PSA layer in the laminated films of OKUYAMA-JP ‘026 in order to improve the durability and cohesive strength of the first PSA layer.
Further regarding claims 1, 9-10, one of ordinary skill in the art would have used known PSA compositions with low or no gelled content (e.g., gelled material being characterized by a failure to pass a filtering through a 1 micron mesh screen) as disclosed in TOYAMA ET AL ‘529 in the first PSA layer in the laminated films of OKUYAMA-JP ‘026 in order to reduce or eliminate contaminant-induced defects caused by microgels which might negatively affect the optical properties and/or laser-cutting characteristics of the laminated films.
Further regarding claims 1, 9-10, since TOYAMA ET AL ‘529 characterizes gelled content as material which fails to pass filtering through a 1 micron mesh screen), the Examiner has reason to believe that PSA compositions in accordance with TOYAMA ET AL ‘529 which contain little or no gelled material (before or after filtering), would contain gelled material with diameters of 14 microns or less as recited in claims 1, 10, therefore the Examiner has basis for shifting the burden of proof to applicant as in In re Fitzgerald et al., 205 USPQ 594.
Regarding claim 4, one of ordinary skill in the art would have subjected the known PSA compositions (e.g., as disclosed in TOYAMA ET AL ‘529) to known contaminant-removing step (e.g., filters with a 1 micron mesh screen; etc.) in order to minimize the presence of foreign materials and contaminants in the first PSA layer and thereby reduce the amount of foreign materials transferred to the heat-resistant polymer film.
Regarding claim 5, one of ordinary skill in the art would have incorporated effective amounts of known crosslinking agents (e.g., urethane prepolymers, etc.) in the PSA compositions of TOYAMA ET AL ‘529 in order to optimize the hardness, durability, and/or chemical resistance of the first PSA layer for specific applications.
Regarding claim 9, one of ordinary skill in the art would have filtered the first PSA layer compositions in the laminated films of OKUYAMA-JP ‘026 using micron or submicron mesh screens (e.g., mesh screens of 1 micron or less as suggested in TOYAMA ET AL ‘529) to remove undesirable large gelled material (e.g., diameters of over 14 microns) in order to minimize contaminant-induced defects in the first PSA layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
TOYAMA ET AL (US 2013/0288048) and CHO ET AL (US 2019/0241773)
disclose pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions with low microgel content.
TOYAMA ET ALL (US 2012/0121824) and TOMITA (US 2009/0326155) and INAO ET AL (US 2013/0017392) and JO ET AL (US 2014/0037948) disclose pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions containing polyurethane.
YAMAMOTO ET AL (US 2022/0282129) and CHO ET AL (US 2015/0376468) disclose optical-grade pressure sensitive adhesives.
SHINODA ET AL (US 2014/0295646) disclose adhesive films cut using UV lasers.
TOMOGUCHI ET AL (US 2014/0044953) and BREDAHL ET AL (US 6,166,110) and ISHIGURO ET AL (US 2017/0058148) disclose filtering of pressure-sensitive adhesives.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Vivian Chen (Vivian.chen@uspto.gov) whose telephone number is (571) 272-1506. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM. The examiner can also be reached on alternate Fridays.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Callie Shosho, can be reached on (571) 272-1123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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September 27, 2025
/VIVIAN CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787