DETAILED ACTION
Note: The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
1. Claims 1-7 are pending and currently under consideration for patentability.
Priority
2. Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 24, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
4. Claims 3, 4 and 7 are objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim should refer to other claims in the alternative only, and cannot depend from any other multiple dependent claim. See MPEP § 608.01(n).
Accordingly, claims 3, 4 and 7 have not been further treated on the merits.
5. Claims 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1-5 end with a semi-colon rather than a period.
Claim 3 misspells ---patterns--- as “paterns” in line 4.
Claims 1-6 make reference to figures within the claim; reference to figures must be avoided within the claims.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
5. Claims 1-7 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the absorbent part" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-4 recite the limitation "Product according to claim…" in the preamble. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Applicant is suggested to utilize the following preamble language ---The absorbent underpad according to claim…---.
Claims 3 and 4 recite the limitation "the drawings" in lines 3 and 4, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitations "the glue applicator", “the surface” and “the nonwoven topsheet” in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitations "the pockets", “the forming wheel” and “the mesh or grid” in lines 7-9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the absorbent raw material" in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected due to their dependency on rejected claim 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
6. Claim(s) 1, 2, 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Armstrong-Ostle et al. (US PGPUB 2015/0223990 A1).
7. With regard to claims 1 and 2, Armstrong discloses an absorbent underpad (abstract; Figs. 1-4), with design or pattern transposed of cut-out molds (25) for the absorbent part of the underpad ([0043]; [0089]), characterized by defining the designs or patterns transposed; without engraving on the underpad backsheet ([0059-0060]; [0088-0090]).
8. With regard to claims 5 and 6, Armstrong discloses a process of production of absorbent underpad with design or pattern transposed from cut-out molds (25) to absorbent section of the absorbent underpad (abstract; Figs. 1-4; [0043]; [0089]), understanding: - application of glue by the glue applicator on the surface of the nonwoven topsheet ([0013]; [0017]; [0046-0047]);- placing of cut-out molds (25) with pre-defined designs or patterns, in the pockets of the forming wheel (30) on the mesh or grid (31; [0043]; [0050]);- passage of the nonwoven topsheet, with the glue pre- applied by the glue applicator, over cut-out molds (25) with the predefined drawings or patterns, in the pockets of the forming wheel (30; [0013]; [0017]; [0046-0047]);- deposition of the absorbent raw material on the surface of the nonwoven topsheet, with the glue pre-applied by the glue applicator ([0005-0006]; [0010-0018]; [0033-0034]; [0043]);- subjection of the nonwoven topsheet with the glue pre- applied by the glue applicator and subsequent deposition of the absorbent raw material the suction exerted by the vacuum system (vacuum chambers, 38; [0058-0059]; [0083]); - transposition of the designs or patterns in the cut molds to the absorbent section of the absorbent underpad by suction of the deposited raw material through the cuted designs or patterns in the cut-out molds ([0018]; [0055]);- gluing on the nonwoven topsheet of the absorbent raw material occupying only the spaces cut-out in the molds obtaining a design or pattern filled with absorbent raw material ([0018]; [0090-0096]) ;- application of the backsheet on the nonwoven topsheet with applied raw material, only after the stage following the procedure for executing the drawings or patterns on the absorbent underpad ([0047]; [0093]); wherein the dimension of the absorbent underpad (Figs. 1-4) produced is conditioned to the size and quantity of cut-out molds existing in the pockets (9, 10) of the Forming Wheel (30 and print roll, 156; [0059-0060]; [0088-0090]).
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ecket et al. (US PGPUB 2015/0080824 A1) discloses a feminine hygiene article with printed patterns.
Oetjen (US PGPUB 2011/0094669 A1) discloses a method of producing a composite multi-layered printed absorbent article.
Ochi (US PGPUB 2002/0056516 A1) discloses a production method of an absorbent body.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW J MENSH whose telephone number is (571)270-1594. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sarah Al-Hashimi can be reached at (571)272-7159. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW J MENSH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781