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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to for the following informalities:
In claim 2, line 1, “wherein the primer comprising” should be “wherein the primer comprises”; Appropriate correction is suggested. See MPEP 608.01(m).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
The following terms are indefinite as lacking antecedent basis: in independent claims 1, 7, and 14, line 2:, “the outward facing surface”; See MPEP § 2173.05(e). Appropriate correction is required, e.g., “an outward facing surface”. The remaining claims are rejected as dependent upon a rejected base claim.
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 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)(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shi (US 2023/0150747 A1).
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As to independent claims 1, 7, and 14, and dependent claims 8-9, 14-15, and 17-19, Shi teaches an individually packaged absorbent article (at least primary packaging as part of a packaging system accommodating at least one absorbent article [0012],ll.1-3; [0038]), comprising: an absorbent article (diaper types, menstrual pads, incontinence pads, liners, tampons, etc. [0038]; e.g., feminine hygiene pad 400 Fig.4; [0102]) comprising a liquid permeable topsheet 420 (Fig.4; [0102],ll.3), a liquid impermeable backsheet 450 (Fig.4; [0102],ll.3), and an absorbent layer 440 (absorbent core 440; Fig.4; [0102],ll.3) disposed between the topsheet 420 and the backsheet 450 (Fig.4; [0102],ll.3-4), wherein [[the]] an outward-facing surface of the backsheet 450 has an adhesive disposed thereon (Fig.4; [0102],ll.17-19); and
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a wrapper (primary package 100 Fig.2B; [0071],ll.23-24) positioned adjacent to the outward-facing surface of the backsheet (Fig.2B, where backsheet of absorbent pad 400 Fig.4 can be inserted and oriented into package/wrapper 100 to have backsheet outer surface adjacent the wrapper/package 100 Fig.2B; Fig.4), wherein the wrapper 100 comprises a sheet material having a basis weight of about 30 gsm to about 85 gsm (50 to 90 gsm [0066],ll.18-19), wherein the sheet material comprises about 70% to about 100% natural fibers (70 to 99.9% natural fibers [0066],ll.11) and [claims 1 and 8: has a folding angle of about 45° to about 90°] (where folds 12,13 Fig.2B can fold the wrapper/package at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees [0071],ll.1-6), wherein the wrapper comprises an inner surface (internal surface of wrapper/package 100 Fig.2B) and an outer surface (outer surface of wrapper/package 100 Fig.2B), wherein [claim 1: at least one of] the inner surface [claim 1: and the outer surface] [claims 1,7,18: comprises a primer (clay [0057],ll.12-14, as claimed below in claim 2)] and [claims 1,14: at least one of] a sealing aid (any suitable type of closing [0071],ll.15-23) and a release agent (as acrylic copolymers [0057],ll.10, as claimed below in claim 3) [claims 1,9,17,19: disposed on at least a portion of the primer (clay ([0057],ll.12-14, as claimed below in claim 2), [claims 1,7,15: the outer surface comprises a primer (clay ([0057],ll.12-14, as claimed below in claim 2)] and [claims 1,7, 14: a sealing aid]
wherein the absorbent article and the wrapper are folded together about at least one fold line (where fold lines 12,13 Fig.2B can fold the wrapper/package at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees [0071],ll.1-6).
As to claim 2, Shi Teaches wherein the primer comprises [ing] clay ([0057],ll.12-14).
As to claim 3, Shi Teaches wherein the release agent comprises a hydrophobic acrylic polymer, a vinyl acrylic copolymer (acrylic copolymers [0057],ll.10).
As to claim 4, Shi Teaches wherein the release agent is substantially free of silicone acrylates, cationic curable silicones, polydimethylsiloxanes, fluoropolymers, or mixtures thereof (where Shi does not teach using any of these compounds).
As to claim 5, Shi Teaches wherein the release agent is substantially free of synthetic polymers (where Shi does not teach using any of these compounds).
As to claim 6, Shi Teaches wherein the wrapper/package is recyclable ([0013],ll.5).
As to claims 10-13 and 16, Shi Teaches wherein the primer (clay [0057],ll.12-14) is disposed: between the inner surface of the wrapper and at least one of the release agent and the sealing aid; on the entire inner surface of the wrapper; on the entire outer surface of the wrapper; between the outer surface of the wrapper and the sealing aid; and/or on at least one of the front section and the rear section (where primer/clay [0057],ll.12-14 as additive to polyolefin materials forming plastic film forming sheet of wrapper/package which would necessarily be provided anywhere on wrapper/package [0057]).
As to claim 20, Shi Teaches wherein at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the wrapper comprises an ink (where decorative or labeling aspects of the claims are not considered for patentability).
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 Form 892 are considered relevant to Applicants’ disclosure and are cited to show further the general state of the art, including, e.g. US 5295988 A (claim 22); US 2004/0232024 A1 (whole document); and US 2023/0036459 Al (whole document).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to: GUY K. TOWNSEND whose telephone number is (571) 270-3689. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri., 11 am to 6 pm Eastern Time. The direct fax number is (571) 270-4689.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, REBECCA EISENBERG, can be reached on 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 an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GUY K TOWNSEND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781
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