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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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:
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-6, 8-12, 15-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kidnie (United States Patent Publication No. US 2014/0315129 A1), hereinafter Kidnie, in view of Kotani et al. (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 2008-299213 A), hereinafter Kotani.
4. Regarding Claims 1-6, 8-12, 15-17, and 20, Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0046-0051]) a carrier sheet, therein a polymeric carrier sheet. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0052-0069]) a barrier layer. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0070-0086]) a heat-sensitive image forming layer, therein a non-silver halide thermally sensitive imageable layer. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0052-0069]) the barrier layer contains a first infrared absorbing dye, therein a first infrared radiation absorbing compound. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0070-0086]) the heat-sensitive image forming layer contains an ultraviolet absorber, therein a second ultraviolet radiation absorbing compound, and a second infrared absorbing dye, therein a second infrared radiation absorbing compound. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0070-0086]) both of the barrier layer and the heat-sensitive image forming layer contain a third infrared absorbing dye having an absorption at a wavelength of 830 nm. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0046-0051]) in the barrier layer, a content of a compound, therein a first ultraviolet radiation absorbing compound, having substantially no absorption in a wavelength range of 900 to 1200 nm and having an absorption in a wavelength range of 300 to 400 nm is 0% by mass or more and less than 0.1% by mass with respect to a mass of the barrier layer. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0104-0164]) a mask forming step of forming an image on the heat-sensitive image forming layer included in the laminate for forming an image to form a mask. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0104-0164]) a lamination step of, after the mask forming step, laminating the mask on a photosensitive resin layer, therein a relief-forming material, of a flexographic printing plate precursor including a support and the photosensitive resin layer. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0104-0164]) an exposure step of, after the lamination step, imagewise exposing the photosensitive resin layer through the mask. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0104-0164]) a peeling step of, after the exposure step, peeling off the mask from the photosensitive resin layer. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0104-0164]) a development step of, after the peeling step, performing development using a developer to form a non-image area and an image area. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0090-0103 and 0223]) wherein the photosensitive resin layer contains a monomer, a polymerization initiator, a base polymer, and water-dispersible particles. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0090-0103 and 0223]) the water-dispersible particles have a carbon-carbon double bond. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0090-0103 and 0223]) a carbon-carbon double bond amount on a surface of the water-dispersible particles is 21 or less. Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0094 and 0142]) wherein the developer contains 50% by mass or more of water.
5. Furthermore, Kidnie teaches (Paragraphs [0052-0086]) both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound having an absorption at a wavelength of 1070 nm. However, Kidnie fails to explicitly teach both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound having a mass absorption coefficient at the wavelength of 1070 nm of 50 L/(g·cm) or more. Furthermore, Kidnie fails to explicitly teach wherein both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound represented by Formula (1) of the present application.
6. Kotani teaches (Paragraphs [0038-0052]) both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound having an absorption at a wavelength of 1070 nm. Kotani teaches (Paragraphs [0038-0052]) an infrared absorbing dye being a compound having a mass absorption coefficient at the wavelength of 1070 nm of 50 L/(g·cm) or more. Kotani teaches (Paragraphs [0038-0052]) an infrared absorbing dye being a compound represented by Formula (1) of the present application. Kotani teaches (Paragraphs [0017 and 0038-0052]) the infrared absorbing dye compound therein creates an image excellent in fineness, suppresses deterioration under high temperature, and has broad absorption in the infrared region but not in the visible region.
7. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kidnie to incorporate the teachings of Kotani such that both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound having an absorption at a wavelength of 1070 nm; both of the first infrared absorbing dye and the second infrared absorbing dye are a compound having a mass absorption coefficient at the wavelength of 1070 nm of 50 L/(g·cm) or more; and an infrared absorbing dye being a compound represented by Formula (1) of the present application. Doing so would result in an image excellent in fineness, suppresses deterioration under high temperature, and has broad absorption in the infrared region but not in the visible region, as recognized by Kotani.
8. Claims 7, 13-14, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kidnie (United States Patent Publication No. US 2014/0315129 A1), hereinafter Kidnie, in view of Kotani et al. (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 2008-299213 A), hereinafter Kotani, and further in view of Namba et al. (World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Publication No. WO 2020/209143 A1; utilizing United States Patent Publication No. US 2022/0026808 A1), hereinafter Namba.
8. Regarding Claims 7, 13-14, and 18-19, Kidnie in view of Kotani teaches all limitations of Claims 4-6, 9, and 16 above. However, Kidnie in view of Kotani fails to explicitly teach the developer containing a surfactant represented by Formula (2) of the present application.
9. Namba teaches (Paragraphs [0041-0081]) the developer containing a surfactant represented by Formula (2) of the present application. Namba teaches (Paragraphs [0010-0011]) said surfactant maintains good developability while suppressing aggregation of the dispersion in the developer.
10. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kidnie in view of Kotani to incorporate the teachings of Namba wherein the developer containing a surfactant represented by Formula (2) of the present application. Doing so would maintain good developability while suppressing aggregation of the dispersion in the developer, as recognized by Namba.
Conclusion
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to RICHARD D CHAMPION at telephone number (571) 272-0750. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mon-Fri EST.
12. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MARK F HUFF can be reached at (571) 272-1385. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/R.D.C./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/MARK F. HUFF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1737