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, claims 1-3, in the reply filed on 12/3/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 12/3/2025.
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.
Claims 1-3 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 surface glossiness" in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the surface roughness" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 is also rejected as being dependent on claim 1 and including the indefinite aspects thereof.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baert et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0363759) [hereinafter Baert].
With regard to claim 1, Baert discloses a floor slab unit with chamfers (Figs. 1 and 5, chamfers 103 or 503), comprising at least a substrate layer (101 or 501) and a finish paint layer (104 or 504) which are disposed sequentially, and the floor slab unit comprising a body area (flat upper surface area) and a chamfered area (103 or 503) formed on at least one edge, and the difference between the surface glossiness of the chamfered area and the surface glossiness of the body area is no more than 1, since the surface glossiness of the chamfered area and the surface glossiness of the body area are substantially equal (claim 16; paragraph [0026]).
However, Baert fails to specifically teach the finish paint layer thickness of the chamfered area being equal to that of the body area.
Baert teaches in one embodiment (Fig. 3) that the finish paint layer at the surface of the chamfer area has a different thickness than that at the body area which may result in a different gloss level (paragraph [0049]). Thus, it seems the thickness affects the gloss level. In a beneficial embodiment, Baert teaches the gloss level at the chamfer area and at the body area are substantially equal which would imply the thickness of the finish paint layer at the chamfer area and the body area could be equal (claim 16; paragraph [0026]). Baert teaches it is desirable to have consistent gloss level on the upper surface of the decorative top layer (coat layer) and the surface of the chamfer (paragraph [0010]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the thickness of the finish paint layer at the surface of the chamfer area and at the surface of the body area in Baert to be equal in order to achieve a gloss level that is substantially equal at the chamfer area and at the body area which is desired.
Regarding claim 2, Baert discloses the surface roughness of the chamfered area is basically the same as that of the body area (Figs. 1 and 5; paragraph [0034]).
Regarding claim 3, Baert discloses the chamfered area is of a planar or arc-shaped structure (Figs. 1 and 5; chamfers 103 and 503; paragraph [0027]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CATHERINE A SIMONE whose telephone number is (571)272-1501. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Frank Vineis can be reached at 571-270-1547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CATHERINE A. SIMONE
Examiner
Art Unit 1781
/Catherine A. Simone/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1781