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 claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 01/28/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected nonwoven and method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/28/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected for the recitation of “…a capillary that open at a face…” in line 3. For clarity this should read “…a capillary that opens at a face…”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-4 and 7-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. (PG Pub. 2014/0103556).
Regarding claim 1, Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. teaches (paragraphs[0008], [0086], [0093], [0094], [0097], [0107], [0108]; figures 1-8) a spinneret for melt spinning polymeric fibers is provided which includes a spinneret body having an overall length to hydraulic diameter ratio and defining orifices extending through the spinneret body, wherein the orifices comprise capillaries that opens at a face of the spinneret body for polymer filament extrusion therefrom, wherein the capillaries are arranged in a plurality of different rows at the face of the spinneret body, and wherein the plurality of different rows are arranged into a plurality of
different zones at the face of the spinneret body, wherein each of the plurality of different
zones has a capillary density; and each of the capillaries in each of the plurality of zones has a particular capillary length, cross-sectional shape, hydraulic diameter and a length to hydraulic diameter ratio.
Paragraph [0039] discloses a first zone located centrally at the face of the spinneret
body (311 or a combination of 311 with 331 and/or 332), comprising a plurality of first rows, each of said first rows comprising a plurality of first capillaries, wherein the first capillaries are arranged in a first capillary density, and the first capillaries individually having a first cross-sectional shape, a first hydraulic diameter, a first length, and a first length to hydraulic diameter ratio, a second zone located adjacent to the first zone at the face of the spinneret body (can be considered any of zones 321, 322, 331, 332, 341 and/or 342), comprising a plurality of second rows, each of said second rows comprising a plurality of second capillaries, wherein the second capillaries are arranged in a second capillary density, and the second capillaries individually having a second cross-sectional shape, a second hydraulic diameter, a second length, and a second length to hydraulic diameter ratio. The first L/DH ratio is larger than the second L/DH ratio [0013].
Regarding claims 2-3, Paragraph [0139] discloses a multi-zone spinneret, and makes reference to FIGS. 3-5, a 3.5 meter wide spinneret has zones A, located at each end of the spinneret that comprise the capillaries that have a hydraulic diameter of 0.6 mm and a length of 2.7 mm for a having a length of 2.2 mm and an exit hydraulic diameter of 0.55 mm to give a length to hydraulic diameter ratio of 4. The zone C capillaries have a length of 1.73 mm and an exit hydraulic diameter of 0.5 mm for a length to hydraulic diameter ratio of 3.46 and zone D capillaries have a 1.4 mm length and hydraulic diameter of 0.45 mm for a length to hydraulic diameter ratio of 3.12. Therefore, the first and second L/DH is in the claimed range and the zoned ratio between first L/DH and second L/DH is in the claimed range.
Regarding claim 4, Figures 1, 2L, 3 for example, show spinnerets wherein the plurality of orifices comprises from about 50 to about 95% by number of a first group of orifices and comprises from about 5 to about 50% by number of a second group of orifices.
Regarding claims 7-8, De Leon de Izquierdo et al. teaches the first capillaries of the first group of orifices have a first round cross section at the face of the spinneret body and the second capillaries of the second group of orifices have a second round cross section at the face of the spinneret body and they are both taught as round, but differing [0015] and therefore, it is clear the aspect ratio of the first and second capillaries is in the claimed range. In the alternative, it would have been obvious to arrive at the claimed aspect ratio given circular cross sections are taught which would have an aspect ratio of 1:1.
Regarding claims 9-11, Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. shows in Figures 1,2L, 3, and 6 for example, spinnerets wherein the at least one second zone comprises first group of one or more rows including a first outermost row extending along the width direction of the spinneret body, and wherein the at least one second zone comprises a second group of one or more rows including a second outermost row extending along a width direction of the spinneret body. The figures also show the at least first zone comprises a third group of one of more rows extending along a width direction of the spinneret body and being located directly or indirectly between the first group of one or more rows and the second group of one or more rows.
Regarding claim 12, Figure 3 of Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. shows a spinneret wherein the at least one first zone comprises a plurality or first zones, and the at least one second zone comprises a plurality of second zones, wherein the plurality of first zones and the plurality of second zones are located in an alternating pattern along (a) a length direction, (b) a width direction, or (c) both (a) and (b).
Regarding claim 13, Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. teaches (a) the at least one first zone comprises a continuous sea of the plurality of orifices, and the at least one second zone comprises a plurality of second zones comprising islands of the plurality of orifices dispersed throughout the continuous sea of the plurality of orifices, or (b) the at least one second zone comprises a continuous sea of the plurality of orifices, and the at least one first zone comprises a plurality of first zones comprising islands of the plurality of orifices dispersed throughout the continuous sea of the plurality of orifices. The continuous sea of plurality of orifices can be construed as zones 321, 322, 341, 342 (331, and 332 could be construed as part of the sea or the island) are the continuous sea of plurality of orifices and zone 311 (331, and 332 could be construed as part of the sea or the island) are islands of the plurality of orifices [Fig. 3].
Regarding claims 14-15, Diaz de Leon Izquierdo teaches a system (800) comprising a die with the die comprising a spinneret as set forth above and a polymer distribution pathway (can be construed as filter layer and braker plate) operatively connecting a first inlet to each of the plurality of orifices of the spinneret and a polymer source comprising a polymeric composition wherein the polymers source is operatively connected to the first inlet of the dies [Figure 8 and 0074].
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 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. (PG Pub. 2014/0103556).
Regarding claims 7-8, De Leon de Izquierdo et al. teaches the first capillaries of the first group of orifices have a first round cross section at the face of the spinneret body and the second capillaries of the second group of orifices have a second round cross section at the face of the spinneret body and they are both taught as round, but differing [0015] and therefore it would have been obvious to arrive at the claimed aspect ratio given circular cross sections are taught which would have an aspect ratio of 1:1.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. (PG Pub. 2014/0103556) in view of Dwiggins et al. (PG Pub. 2013/0041335).
Regarding claims 5-6, Diaz de Leon Izquierdo et al. teaches first capillaries of the first group of first orifices have a first ribbon cross-section at the face of the spinneret body and the second capillaries of the second group of second orifices have a second ribbon cross-section at the face of the spinneret body, but is silent regarding the claimed aspect ratio. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to arrive at the claimed aspect ratio in order to yield ribbon shaped fibers and arrive at the claimed invention. In the alternative, Dwiggins et al. teach using a aspect ratio for capillaries of first and second orifices having a ribbon cross-section at the face of the spinneret body in the claimed range in order to improve properties including permeability and liquid barrier performance [0013, 0057-0058, 0123 and Examples]
Art Not in Rejection but Relevant
KR 960001202 teaches a spinneret for melt spinning polymeric fibers in which three or more slit-shaped spinnerets having a shape deformation ratio of 2 to 100 are mixed in the same spinneret.
Conclusion
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/Shawn Mckinnon/Examiner, Art Unit 1789