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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: the word ‘of’ appears to be missing between ‘face’ and ‘the’ in line 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2023/0001600).
Regarding claims 1 and 2 Chen teaches a reinforced folding mat comprising a mat with a main body (item 10) with a first face and a second face (items 11) with a cut line in a ‘middle’ of the mat (item 20) (Chen fig 13) where the cut line has a depth less than the thickness of the mat and may be on either the first or second face (Chen item 20, fig 6; para 26). Chen further teaches that the main body may be polypropylene (PP) (Chen para 29). Further, as this is the same material as used and claimed by Applicant, it may be considered to “have a property of toughness.”
Regarding claim 3, Chen teaches a mat as above for claim 1. Chen further illustrates that a fold line (the back/alternate side to the cut lines, per Applicant’s specification at, for example as-filed Specification, page 5, lines 3-5) would be present by virtue of the fact that the cut line allows for folding (Chen figs 6, 8, 9, 11, 13).
Regarding claims 4-8, Chen teaches a mat as above for claim 1. Chen further teaches the first face has a first surface layer and the second face has a second surface layer (Chen para 25, items 11) where both are cut-resistant materials, and may thus be considered to have ‘cut resistance’ and ‘toughness’ as claimed. Given that the first surface has a folding line opposite the presence of the cut line on the second surface, it therefore follows that the first surface layer would also possess a ‘folding’ line in the same place, and thus in the middle (Chen fig 13).
Regarding claim 9, Chen teaches a mat as above for claim 1. Further Chen teaches that the cut lines are straight (Chen fig 1-3, 6, 8, 9, 11-13).
Conclusion
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/LAURA B FIGG/Examiner, Art Unit 1781 1/4/26
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