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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 9-11, 14-17 & 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ellis (# US 2007/0067928).
Ellis discloses:
9. A fabric printing method (see Abstract; [0029]-[0030]) comprising:
performing one of a coloring ink applying or a clear ink applying, performing the other applying after the one applying ([0093]-[0111]), and
performing the other of the coloring ink applying or the clear ink applying again after the other of the color ink applying or the clear ink applying so as to alternately overlap a coloring ink and a clear ink ([0093]-[0111]; see Examples),
wherein, in the coloring ink applying, the coloring ink containing a coloring agent (pigment; [0053]-[0055]) is applied to a fabric, and
in the clear ink applying, the clear ink containing a resin is applied to the fabric (latex polymer; [0033]).
10. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein the application of the coloring ink and the application of the clear ink are performed wet-on-wet ([0081]).
11. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein the application of the coloring ink and the application of the clear ink are performed by an inkjet method ([0093]-[0099]).
14. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein a content of the resin in the clear ink is within a range of 1 to 20% by mass (latex polymer; [0033]).
15. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, further comprising applying a pretreatment liquid containing an aggregation agent (multivalent metal salt; [0017]-[0022]).
16. The fabric printing method according to claim 15, wherein the aggregation agent is a water-soluble cationic resin (polyvalent metal salt; [0017]-[0028]).
17. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein the clear ink contains a water-soluble cationic resin ([0017]-[0028]).
19. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein the clear ink and the coloring ink has a viscosity in a range of 3 to 12 mPa.Math.s at 25° C (lower than 30 cP; [0078]).
20. The fabric printing method according to claim 9, wherein the coloring ink contains the resin (polymer; [0072]).
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 MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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