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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/29/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
A new grounds of rejection has been set forth based on the amendments filed in the response submitted on 6/9/2026. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The Terminal Disclaimer filed on 6/9/2026 to obviate a double patenting rejection over a U.S. Patent Number 12577421 has been accepted.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hatada (CN 101368016).
Regarding claim 1, Hatada discloses: An inkjet ink comprising a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, and an organic compound excluding the pigment and the water-soluble organic solvent [0069], [0079], wherein the inkjet ink satisfies any one of conditions (1) to (3) below and has a surface tension of 27.0 to 43.1 mN/m or less at 25°C [0150]: (1) the water-soluble organic solvent has a logP value of more than -5.420 and less than 1.258,the organic compound has an interfacial tension against polyethylene terephthalate (PET) of 15.50 mN/m or less, wherein the interfacial tension at 25°C between a PET film and a mixture of 1 part by mass of the organic compound, 9 parts by mass of 1,4-butanediol, and 90 parts by mass of purified water, as determined by contacting the mixture with the PET film, is defined as the interfacial tension of the organic compound against PET, and a value of (B)/(A) is 0.005 to 1, where (A) is a total mass of the water-soluble organic solvent contained in the inkjet ink, and (B) is a total mass of the organic compound; (2) the organic compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, diethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, and diethylene glycol monophenyl ether [0140] (penetrating agent, diethylene glycol monphenyl ether); and (3) the organic compound is a C7-C9 1,2-alkanediol, and a value of (C)/(A) is less than 0.4, wherein (A) is the total mass of the water-soluble organic solvent contained in the inkjet ink, and (C) is a total mass of the 1,2-alkanediol, anda content of the organic compound is 0.05% to 1% by mass [0140].
Regarding claim 2, Hatada discloses: the organic compound has an interfacial tension against PET of 14.00 mN/m or less [0140].
Regarding claim 3, Hatada discloses: the organic compound has an interfacial tension against PET of 11.00 mN/m or less [0140].
Regarding claim 4, Hatada discloses: an ink set comprising the inkjet ink according to claim 1 (taught above) and an additional inkjet ink different from the inkjet ink [0152].
Regarding claim 5, Hatada discloses: the inkjet ink according to claim 1 (see above) and a printing medium [0130].
Regarding claim 6, Hatada discloses: a printed medium to which the inkjet ink has adhered [0130].
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 Laura Martin Sweeney whose telephone number is (571)272-2160. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 3:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Wellington can be reached at 571-272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAURA MARTIN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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