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 group II in the reply filed on 07/15/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-4 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/17/25.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 5-12, 16-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teglia et al (US 2020/0231805A1) in view CN 108724837 A, WO 2004101640 A1, Huddy et al (US 7,921,800 B2), and CN 108179234A.
As to claim 5, Teglia et al teaches (see para [0002], [0025-0026], [0106], [0124], [0162], [0180], [0228-0229]) a system for creating a bio-based sheet textile material comprising a cellulose backing material and a roller coater system (see para [0162]), wherein a coating technique applying a layered collagen material using roll/gravure coating) for applying layered collagen material in manufacturing a synthetic leather, wherein the layered material comprising a substrate layer including cellulose or wood, para [0124], and the blended collagen and bio-based polymer solution coated/deposited over the substrate layer, para [0106] &[0227], wherein the substrate layer including a textile layer ,para [0025-0026], and the coating material comprised a slurry (solid/liquid content of blended solution of collagens, para [0109], [0190], [0225], [0227], and [0233]). Teglia et al further teaches a tunnel dryer for drying deposition of a blended solution (see para [0228-0229]), but lacks teaching the use of an embossing machine for flattening a surface of the substrate with the first coating, the specifics directed to the roller applying first to third coating of a slurry, and the substrate having a regenerative cellulosic material. However, in manufacturing a synthetic leather, a coating system for creating a bio-based sheet textile material, comprising: a regenerative cellulose backing material comprising regenerative cellulosic material is known in the art; for instance - as taught by CN’837 (see English Translation) and WO’640 (see English translation for substrate including cellulose fibers or regenerated cellulose fibers). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a regenerative cellulose substrate comprising regenerative cellulosic material in Teglia et al to protect the environment as taught by CN’837 (see English Translation under Specific implementation methods).
With respect to a roller coater system applying a slurry of first-third coating, it is well known in the art to use a roller coater system applying layers of first, second and third coatings comprising a slurry; for instance- a system for coating a substrate wherein a the second/third coating is applied on top of the first coating is taught by Huddy et al teaches (see Figs 2-5 for rollers 1, 2, 16, 17, 222 and 223). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include rollers as claimed in Teglia et al in order to deliver different coating materials to a substrate as desired. Teglia et al teaches the layered materials having one of the properties of natural leather including embossability, although an embossing machine is not taught in Teglia et al. However, CN’234 teaches a synthetic leather preparation wherein embossing machine presses hole after coating the leather surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include an embossing machine in Teglia et al as modified to create rough hole-pressing shaping on the surface of the leather in obtaining the finished product (see body of English translation, claims and Abstract).
As to claims 6-7, in Teglia et al the first coating comprises the slurry, the slurry comprising bio-based materials (bio-polyurethane/bio-based polymer solution coated/deposited over the substrate layer, see para [0019], [0106], [0227]; and a slurry (solid/liquid content of blended solution of collagens, para [0109], [0190], [0225], [0227] and [0233]).
As to claims 8-9, Teglia et al teaches (see claims 1, 15, 15, 25 and 26) the bio-based polyurethanes comprise at least 60% of the bio-based materials/ bio polymers, the bio polymers comprising 100% plant-based proteins (see para [0097] for plant-based collagen).
As to claim 10, in Teglia et al the slurry further comprises water-based polymers (see para [0020] and claim 16).
Regarding claim 11, Teglia et al teaches the slurry further comprises pigments or dyes (see para [0131], [0157], [0174], [0176] and [0206]).
As to claim 12, Teglia et al teaches the bio-based sheet textile material comprises a tear strength of up to 60 N and a tensile strength of up to 90 N/cm2 (see para [0198] for 60/90N/cm2 =600/900 Kpa).
As to claim 16, Teglia et al the roller coater system comprises a coating application roller (see para [0162]).
Regarding claim 17, Teglia et al teaches a blade to spread the coating (see para [0188]).
As to claim 19, in Teglia et al the drying mechanism is a tunnel oven (see para [0180], [0228-0229]).
As to claim 20, in Teglia et al the tunnel oven is set to a temperature within a range of 85° C to 140°C (see para [0181] temperature within the claimed range).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teglia et al (US 2020/0231805A1) in view CN 108724837 A, WO 2004101640 A1, Huddy et al (US 7,921,800 B2), and CN 108179234A as applied to claim 5 and further in view of Prior et al (US 4,315,967).
Teglia et al as modified lacks teaching the roller coater comprising a container and a nozzle. However, Huddy et al teaches a container (reservoir see Fig 7) for applying the first coating, the second coating, and the third coating. Prior et al also teaches the roller coater system comprises: a container (70) for holding the slurry; and a nozzle or valve (71,72,73) included on the container, wherein the nozzle or valve allows a controlled amount of slurry to flow from the container. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a container and a nozzle in Teglia et al to deliver the liquid at a predetermined rate and attain the desired layer thickness as taught by Prior at al (see column 10, lines 30-35).
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teglia et al (US 2020/0231805A1) in view CN 108724837 A, WO 2004101640 A1, Huddy et al (US 7,921,800 B2), CN 108179234A, and Prior et al (US 4,315,967) as applied to claim 13 and further in view of Yoshida et al (US 4,949,667).
Teglia et al teaches a mixer (see para [0168]), but lacks teaching a controllable pump. Huddy et al teaches a coater receiving a supply of slurry from a mixing station, and the slurry is delivered from the mixing station to a slurry holding tank from where it is pumped to individual tanks at each coating station (see column 14, lines 32-43). Yoshida et al also teaches a roll coating apparatus having a nozzle 36 connected to a controllable pump 126 allowing a user to adjust the controlled amount of the slurry to flow from the container 76. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a controllable pump in Teglia et al as modified to move the coating liquid from the coating liquid tank to the supply nozzle.
Claim 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teglia et al (US 2020/0231805A1) in view CN 108724837 A, WO 2004101640 A1, Huddy et al (US 7,921,800 B2), and CN 108179234A as applied to claim 5 or 16 and further in view of Prior et al (US 4,315,967) and Haas, Sr. et al (US 4,454,834).
Regarding claim 17, Teglia et al teaches a blade to spread the coating (see para [0188]). Haas, Sr. et al teaches (see Figs 1 and 3) a roller coater system comprises one or more scraper blades (58) to remove excess coating from the coating application roller (54). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include one or more scraper blades in Teglia et al as modified to spread the coating to a desired thickness.
As to claim 18, Teglia et al lacks teaching a conveyer driven by one or more conveyer driver rollers. Huddy et al teaches (see Figs 2 and 5) in-feed table for moving the substrate, although a conveyor driven by driver rollers is not shown. Prior et al discloses (see Fig 10) a conveyer driven by one or more conveyer driver rollers (56, 57). Haas, Sr. et al also teaches (see Figs 1 and 3) the roller coater system comprises a conveyer driven by one or more conveyer driver rollers, the conveyer moving the substrate under the coating application roller. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a conveyer driven by one or more conveyer driver rollers in Teglia et al as modified to guide the substrate as desired.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/