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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I invention (claim 1-6 and 9) in the reply filed on 06/08/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7 and 8 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/08/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. In this case, claim 1 first recites “polymerizing a monomer using a polymerization initiator in an inorganic nanosheet dispersion liquid containing an inorganic nanosheet and water to generate a degradable gel from the monomer” and then recites “ a modification step of adding a modifier to the degradable gel and modifying the inorganic nanosheet with the modifier”, one of ordinary skill in the art does not understand what the function of inorganic nanosheet dispersion liquid playing during the polymerizing a monomer, nor one of ordinary skill in the art understand how can add a modifier into a degradable gel (obtained via polymerizing a monomer) modify an inorganic nanosheet with the modifier because the degradable gel does not even contain any inorganic nanosheet or having any structural relationship with inorganic nanosheet either. Furthermore, claim 1 FIRST recites “the method is for producing a modification inorganic nanosheet”, and then recites “a gel removal step of removing the degradable gel”, one of ordinary skill in the art is uncertain how such gel removal step has anything to do with the instantly claimed method of producing a modification inorganic nanosheet”. Therefore, all such limitations render claim indefiniteness for one of ordinary skill in the art. All claim 1’s depending claims are rejected for similar reasons.
Claim 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. In this case, claim 2 recites “substantially completely peeled”, such term is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially completely peeled” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. All claim 2’s depending claims are rejected for similar reasons.
Conclusion
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/JUN LI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1732
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