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 Statements (IDS’s) submitted on 04 November 2025 and 24 February 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statements have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-4 & 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TAKESHITA et al. (US 2022/0348779 A1) in view of MIYATA (US 2020/0183272 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, TAKESHITA et al. teaches an ink jet recording ink comprising: a polymerizable monomer (A) [i.e. PEA, IBOA, & NVC]; a polymerization initiator (B) (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 26 and Page 2, Paragraphs 38 & 46-54); a siloxane compound (C) which includes a main chain including a structural unit having an Si-O bond and a side chain including at least one of an ethyleneoxy unit or a propyleneoxy unit and a polymerizable group, in which a proportion of a total number of moles of the ethyleneoxy unit and the propyleneoxy unit with respect to a total number of moles of the structural unit having an Si-O bond, the ethyleneoxy unit, and the propyleneoxy unit is 30% by mole or more (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 9, Paragraphs 221-222; Page 15, Paragraphs 397; and Table 1); and a near-infrared absorbing coloring agent (D) wherein the near-infrared absorbing coloring agent (D) includes a squarylium coloring agent represented by Formula 1,
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in Formula 1, a ring A and a ring B each independently represent an aromatic ring or a heteroaromatic ring, XA and XB each independently represent a monovalent substituent, GA and GB each independently represent a monovalent substituent, kA represents an integer of 0 to nA, kB represents an integer of 0 to nB, nA represents an integer which is a maximum number of GA’s substitutable for the ring A, nB represents an integer which is a maximum number of GB’s substitutable for the ring B, XA and GA may be bonded to each other to form a ring, XB and GB may be bonded to each other to form a ring, in a case of a plurality of GA’s, GA’s may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure, and in a case of a plurality of GB’s, GB’s may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 14, Paragraph 382 – Page 16, Paragraph 416; Tables 1, 2, & 3 – Specifically Examples 12, 13, & 16). While TAKESHITA et al. teaches the general formulation and some specific examples, MIYATA teaches an ink jet recording ink comprising a polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator, and specifically teaches a squarylium coloring agent having the exact Formula 1 as claimed (MIYATA – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-8; Page 2, Paragraph 28; Page 10, Paragraph 89 – Page 11, Paragraph 99; Page 15, Paragraphs 115-117; and Page 22, Paragraphs 190-192). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to specify the components of the ink jet recording ink of TAKESHITA et al. with the amounts and formulas of the coloring agent as taught by MIYATA in an effort to provide an ink jet recording ink which provides a cured composition film having excellent near infrared blocking properties and visible transparency (MIYATA – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-7).
As related to dependent claim 2, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach an SP value of the polymerizable monomer (A) is 18.0 MPa1/2 or less (MIYATA – Page 15, Paragraph 121-123 and Tables 1-1 & 1-2).
As related to dependent claim 3, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach a content of the siloxane compound (C) is 0.5% by mass to 3.0% by mass with respect to a total amount of the ink jet recording ink [i.e. TEGORAD 2010] (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 9, Paragraphs 221-222; Page 15, Paragraph 397; and Table 1, Example 13).
As related to dependent claim 4, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach a mass ratio of a content of the polymerizable monomer (A) [i.e. Example 13, PEA: 30 + IBOA: 35 + NVC: 20 = 85 : TEGORAD 2010: 1] to a content of the siloxane compound (C) is 26.0 to 300 [i.e. 85] (TAKESHITA et al. – Table 2).
As related to dependent claim 6, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach the compound (C) includes a siloxane compound (CA) represented by Formula CA,
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in Formula CA, Rp represents a polymerizable group, L1 represents a divalent linking group, x represents an integer of 1 or more, y represents an integer of 0 or more, m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 or more, and a sum of m and n is an integer of 1 or more, where, in Formula CA, a value A calculated by a mathematical expression “((m+n)/(x+y+m+n)) x 100” is 30 or more, in Formula CA, a sequence of a structural unit with a subscript x and a structural unit with a subscript y may be a sequence of block copolymerization or a sequence of random copolymerization, and in Formula CA, a sequence of a structural unit with a subscript m and a structural unit with a subscript n may be a sequence of block copolymerization or a sequence of random copolymerization (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 9, Paragraphs 221-222; Page 15, Paragraphs 397; & Table 1 and MIYATA – Page 30, Paragraphs 242-244).
As related to dependent claim 7, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach the ink further comprising: a pigment derivative (MIYATA – Page 27, Paragraphs 224-231).
As related to dependent claim 8, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach the ink further comprising: an acrylic resin (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 24 & Page 7, Paragraph 169 and MIYATA – Page 17, Paragraph 148 & Page 18, Paragraph 158).
As related to dependent claim 9, the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above and continues to teach an ink jet recording method using the ink jet recording ink, the ink jet recording method comprising: a step of jetting the ink jet recording ink onto a substrate by an ink jet recording system (MIYATA – Page 34, Paragraph 290); and a step of irradiating the ink jet recording ink jetted onto the substrate with an active energy ray (TAKESHITA et al. – Page 11, Paragraph 287-304 and MIYATA – Page 2, Paragraph 49 & Page 34, Paragraph 295).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of TAKESHITA et al. (US 2022/0348779 A1) and MIYATA (US 2020/0183272 A1) and further in view of Madhusoodhanan et al. (US 2008/0090930 A1).
The combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA remains as applied above but does not specifically teach a proportion of a monofunctional polymerizable monomer. However, Madhusoodhanan et al. teaches an ink jet recording ink that is radiation curable and includes a polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator, and a siloxane surfactant (Madhusoodhanan et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 4; Page 7 & Paragraph 62) and specifically teaches a proportion of a monofunctional polymerizable monomer in the polymerizable monomer (A) is 50% by mass or less (Madhusoodhanan et al. – Page 3, Paragraph 22). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to specify the components of the ink jet recording ink of the combination of TAKESHITA et al. and MIYATA with the amounts and proportions of the monofunctional polymerizable monomer as taught by Madhusoodhanan et al. in an effort to provide an ink jet recording ink which provides a recorded image having excellent near infrared blocking properties and visible transparency have good jet performance and excellent adhesion on multiple substrates (MIYATA – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-7 and Madhusoodhanan et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 8-9).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. ANZAI et al. (US 2021/0023868 A1) teaches an active energy ray curable ink which includes polymerizable compounds including monomers with SP values in the 9-10s.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
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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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853