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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the claims of Group I, Species A, claims 1-4 in the reply filed on 12/29/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 5-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species and Groups of invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/29/2025.
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 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoshino (US 2017/0090313).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Hoshino discloses an image forming apparatus 2 (fig. 1) and method for manufacturing a press-bonded sheet in which two sheet portions are press-bonded in a peelable state (par. 0005-0006), comprising: a step of forming a composite layer by laminating an adhesive layer formed using a powder adhesive (i.e. bonding developer 50, par. 0045) as a surface layer on a toner image formed using a printing toner on a sheet (par. 0045); a fixing step of heating the composite layer formed on the sheet to fix it to the sheet (60, par. 0073-0075); a step of superimposing by opposing an area of the sheet where the composite layer is fixed and an area of the same sheet or a different sheet where another composite layer is fixed (par. 0114); and a press-bonding step of press-bonding the superimposed portion of the composite layer and the other composite layer by pressing under heat (par. 0115), wherein a difference in solubility parameter (SP value) between the printing toner (∂1) and the powder adhesive (∂2) is 1.0 (cal/cm3)exp (1/2) or more (see equation 5.8
≤
∂
1
-
∂
2
≤
7.5
, par. 0116).
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.
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoshino in view of Nakayama (US 2003/0170413).
Regarding claims 2 and 4, Hoshino does not specifically disclose wherein the powder adhesive contains low-density polyethylene.
Nakayama an adhesive layer (par. 0067) formed using a powder adhesive containing a low-density polyethylene (par. 0069).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the polyethylene material for the powder adhesive since the use of polyethylene material for the adhesive is well known in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hoang Ngo whose telephone number is (571)272-2138. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG X NGO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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