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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/18/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. As mentioned below, although the claimed angles are not taught, it is inherent that the claimed angles would have been customized to match the claimed criteria. For example, angles α is 1, β is 32, and γ is 148. However, if it is not inherent, it would have been obvious for the claimed angles to be customized, and would have been motivated to do so to initiate separation (column 1, lines 51-62).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 2 and 4-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103, as being unpatentable over Van Allen et al. (US 5,520,776) in view of Hovercam (US 5,846,363).
With respect to claims 2, 4-8, 10, and 11, Van Allen et al. teach a continuous process for separating a first layer from a remainder of a multilayer interlayer sheet, the process comprising:
a. heating the multilayer sheet to a temperature; and
b. thereafter separating the first layer from the remainder of the multilayer interlayer sheet by pulling the first layer and the remainder of the multilayer interlayer sheet (column 3, lines 43-57; column 4, lines 13-24; Figure 8).
Although the claimed angles are not taught, it is inherent that the claimed angles would have been customized. However, if it is not inherent, it would have been obvious for the claimed angles to be customized, and would have been motivated to do so to initiate peeling (column 1, lines 51-62).
With respect to claims 7 and 9, although not explicitly taught by Van Allen et al., it would have been obvious to use poly(vinyl butyral) polymer in a multilayer sheet to be used as glass (abstract).
With respect to claim 12, although not explicitly taught by Van Allen et al., it would have been obvious where the multilayer sheet comprises a core layer, with a skin layer on each side to be used as glass.
With respect] to claims 13-16, “Claim analysis is highly fact-dependent. A claim is only limited by positively recited elements. Thus, “[i]inclusion of the material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims.” In re Otto, 312 F.2d 937, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963); see also In re Young, 75 F.2d 996, 25 USPQ 69 (CCPA 1935).”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SONYA M SENGUPTA whose telephone number is (571)272-6019. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:30am-5:00pm.
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/SONYA M SENGUPTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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