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. 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 & 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Mishima (US 20070239132 A1) . Regarding Claim 1, Mishima discloses a nonwoven or composite comprising: at least two layers with each layer being made of at least one of nonwoven or tissue and having a lower side and an upper side ("plurality of the flexible sheet strips 4 formed from fibrous nonwoven fabrics each having a predetermined width" [0065]; FIG. 2), wherein the lower side of a first layer of the at least two layers is attached to the upper side of an adjacent second layer of the at least two layers with a pattern of continuous attachment lines extending in a machine direction across a cross direction width of the nonwoven or composite ("a first plurality of bonding spots 5 arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction Y to each other, bonding a second pair of flexible sheet strips 4 one of which is adjacent to the first pair of flexible sheet strips 4 in the transverse direction X and extending in the longitudinal direction Y to each other" [0066]; FIG. 2). Regarding Claim 6, Mishima discloses an absorbent product ("absorbent wearing article" [0053]) comprising: a nonwoven or composite comprising: at least two layers with each layer being made of at least one of nonwoven or tissue and having a lower side and an upper side ("plurality of the flexible sheet strips 4 formed from fibrous nonwoven fabrics each having a predetermined width" [0065]; FIG. 2), wherein the lower side of a first layer of the at least two layers is attached to the upper side of an adjacent second layer of the at least two layers with a pattern of continuous attachment lines extending in a machine direction across a cross direction width of the nonwoven or composite ("a first plurality of bonding spots 5 arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction Y to each other, bonding a second pair of flexible sheet strips 4 one of which is adjacent to the first pair of flexible sheet strips 4 in the transverse direction X and extending in the longitudinal direction Y to each other" [0066]; FIG. 2). 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. Claim(s) 2-4 & 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mishima in view of Grenier et al. (US 20220031528 A1) . Regarding Claims 2-4 & 7-9 , Mishima fails to specify the attachment lines are from 1 to 3 mm wide and are spaced from 10 to 30 mm apart along the cross direction ; from 10 to 80% superabsorbent polymer particles by weight of the nonwoven or composite ; a basis weight of the nonwoven or composite ranges from 15 g/ m 2 to 400 g/ m 2 . However, Grenier teaches absorbent articles comprising partially bonded nonwoven layers ( Abstract & [0003]) wherein the attachment lines are from 1 to 3 mm wide ("stripes having a width of 1 mm (or more)" [0097]; FIG. 13) and are spaced from 10 to 30 mm apart along the cross direction ("separated by a gap distance d not exceeding 20 mm (d<=20 mm)" [0097]) ; from 10 to 80% superabsorbent polymer particles by weight of the nonwoven or composite ("percentage of SAP ranging from 40% to 75% by weight of the absorbent material" [0052]) ; a basis weight of the nonwoven or composite ranges from 15 g/ m2 to 400 g/ m2 ("basis weight of from 20 gsm to 100 gsm " [0045]) . Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Mishima to incorporate the teachings of Grenier to suitably “ reduce the transversal stiffness of the articles ” ([0009]). Claim(s) 5 & 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mishima in view of Grenier et al. , further in view of Moriya et al. (US 20170135872 A1) . Regarding Claims 5 & 10, Mishima discloses a dry thickness of the nonwoven or composite ranges from 1 mm to 5 mm ("thickness dimension of the flexible sheet strip 4 preferably is about 5 mm or smaller" [0070]) but fails to specify the thickness of the nonwoven or composite when wet ranges from 10 mm to 125 mm . However, Moriya teaches an absorbent article comprising nonwoven fabric (see Abstract) wherein the thickness of the nonwoven or composite when wet ranges from 10 mm to 125 mm ("wet thickness of the nonwoven fabric used as the top sheet 120 is 85% and preferably at least 90% of the dry thickness of the nonwoven fabric" [0086]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the device of Mishima / Grenier to incorporate the teachings of Moriya to suitably incorporate “ excellent absorption property for urine containing solid components and resistance to leakage of urine containing solid components ” ([0022]). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. The references provided on the attached PTO - 892 form are considered relevant to applicant’s disclosure and are cited to further show the general state of the art. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT Cheng Fong "Ted" Yang whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-8846 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT 10am - 6pm (EST) M-F . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Rebecca E. Eisenberg can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 270-5879 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center ( EBC ) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Adam Marcetich/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781 FILLIN "Examiner Stamp" \* MERGEFORMAT Cheng Fong "Ted" Yang Examiner Art Unit 3781