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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/21/2026 has been entered.
Objections
The amended drawings filed 8/21/2026 are objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132 (a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132 (a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure is as follows:
Figs. 3B, 3C, 3D, and 4-7 are objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132 (a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure.
Regarding Fig. 3B, reproduced below, annotated, the hollow particles in the coating film 4 have a higher quantity of particles in the inclined portion of the coating film 4 as compared to the level portion of the coating film 4. Furthermore, the hollow particles in Fig. 3B have different shapes, for example, some hollow particles are depicted as having a spherical shape, while other hollow particles are depicted as having a partial spherical shape and a partial flat shape. This was not disclosed in Applicant’s specification as originally filed. Figs. 3C, 3D, and 4-7 illustrate similar characteristics.
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Additional examples of new matter that are introduced by the Figures include Fig. 3C, the ratio of hollow particles in the level portion of the coating film 4 has a 2-1 ratio between the upper film and the lower film, whereas the ratio is 1-1 for the inclined portion of the coating film 4. This was not disclosed in the specification as originally filed. Figs. 3D and 4-7 illustrate similar characteristics.
Furthermore, Fig. 3C, 3D, 4 and 6-7 shows that the level portion of the lower coating film 4 has a single layer of particles, whereas the level portion of the upper coating film 4 has multiple layers of particles. Figs. 6-7 shows the hollow particles in the upper film and lower film are aligned in a plane that is perpendicular to the lower surface of the lower film, whereas the balloon particles are similarly aligned throughout the inclined portion of the upper and lower films, but the balloon particles are not aligned throughout the level portion of the upper and lower films. Figs. 6-7 also shows that the hollow particles and the balloon particles are alternately disposed in a direction parallel to the lower surface of the lower film. Figs. 6-7 also shows that the balloon particles are disposed towards the lower portions of the inclined portion of the lower and upper films, and the hollow particles are disposed towards the upper portions of the lower and upper films of the inclined portion. None of these attributes are disclosed in the specification as originally filed.
For the reasons discussed above, Figs. 3B, 3C, 3D, and 4-7 are objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132 (a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure.
Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office action.
Conclusion
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/STANLEY TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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