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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-10 are pending. Claim 4 has been amended. The objection to claim 3 is withdrawn in view of the amendment. The rejection of claim 4 under 35 USC 112b is withdrawn in view of the amendment. The prior art rejection is maintained with revisions in view of the amendment.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Larsson (US 2021/0245407).
Regarding claim 1, Larsson discloses a method for forming a fibrous molded article ([0016]), comprising: providing a slurry that contains at least an amount of water and a plurality of fibers (cellulose with additives and wet forming entails water, [0062]); providing the slurry into a dehydration chamber (dry forming unit 11, [0054], Fig. 1), the dehydration chamber having a screen capable of permitting water to flow therethrough but to substantially prevent the fibers from the slurry from passing therethrough (forming wire 14, residual water passes to vacuum box 24, [0054] [0071], Fig. 1); dehydrating the slurry by permitting at least some of the amount of water to flow through the screen until substantially flat or contoured fibrous material is achieved (fibers 12 drawn by vacuum onto the forming wire 14 which is a mesh structure, [0054], Fig. 1); removing the fibrous intermediate form from the dehydration chamber (fibers 12 depart on endless belt of forming wire 14, [0054], Fig. 1); placing the fibrous intermediate form in a press having a first mold portion and a second mold portion wherein at least one of the first or second mold portions includes a contour (forming wire 14 feeds fibers 12 to compacting unit 15 and fibers continue to feeding unit 17 to forming mold 3 with top and bottom mold portions shown in Fig. 1 and Figs. 6a-b, mould part 2a (see contour in Figs. 6a-b) and mould part 2b, [0054-57] [0066] [0102], Figs. 1, 3, 6a-b); applying at least one of heat and pressure to the press such that at least fiber to fiber bonding or chemical cross-linking of fibers occurs (heating and pressure to shape and bond fibers, [0058]); and removing the intermediate part from the press (ejected, [0085]), the intermediate part comprising of three-dimensional solid fibrous materials (cellulose product exists in three dimensions, see example in 4d, also what is seen in Fig. 6b).
Regarding claim 2, Larsson discloses wherein the slurry is in the form of a mixture (mixture of sizing agent, additive, fibers, [0065]).
Regarding claim 3, Larsson discloses wherein the slurry includes natural fibers (cellulose is a natural fiber, [0054]).
Regarding claim 4, Larsson discloses wherein the slurry includes at least two types of fibers and each of the two types of fibers is a natural fiber, semi synthetic fiber or synthetic fiber (cellulose from any suitable source including wood pulp and fluff pulp, or cellulose fibres from cotton, linen, hemp, sugar cane and grain, [0053]; starch additives, [0062]; accordingly, natural fibers and the starch additives are a semi synthetic fiber as the term is understood).
Regarding claim 5, Larsson discloses wherein the slurry includes biobased molecules or polymers (cellulose from any suitable source including wood pulp and fluff pulp, or cellulose fibres from cotton, linen, hemp, sugar cane and grain, [0053]).
Regarding claim 6, Larsson discloses wherein the biobased molecules or polymers is one of chitosan, starches, ionic starches, cellulosic materials such as, but not limited to, carboxymethylcellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocellulose; natural rubber latex, collagen, gelatine, alginate, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and/or polyhydroxyalkanoates (cellulose from any suitable source including wood pulp and fluff pulp, or cellulose fibres from cotton, linen, hemp, sugar cane and grain, [0053]; also starch additives, [0062]).
Regarding claim 7, Larsson discloses wherein at least one of the first mold portion and the second mold portion includes at least one of a contour, a texture, a pattern that is imparted onto the three- dimensional solid fibrous molded part (contour shown in Figs. 6a, b).
Regarding claim 8, Larsson discloses wherein heat and pressure is applied to the press (heating and pressure to shape and bond fibers, [0058]).
Regarding claim 9, Larsson discloses wherein three-dimensional solid fibrous molded part includes one or more final parts and excess materials (unwanted residual compressed or uncompressed fibers, [0077]).
Regarding claim 10, Larsson discloses wherein the excess material is removed from the one or more final parts (finished product is cut free from unwanted residual compressed or uncompressed fibers, [0077]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 10, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Larsson does not disclose “dispersing the fibers within water to create a slurry.” This argument is not persuasive because it is not a recited limitation. Claim 1 merely recites, “providing a slurry that contains at least an amount of water and a plurality of fibers.” This is taught as noted above. To the extent Applicant is arguing that the disclosed method uses more water than Larsson, this is not recited in the claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC whose telephone number is (571)272-6131. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC/Examiner, Art Unit 1744
/XIAO S ZHAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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