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 .
Withdrawn Rejections
Any rejections and/or objections, made in the previous Office Action, and not repeated below, are hereby withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendments and/or arguments in the response dated August 26, 2026. However, new rejections may have been made using the same prior art if still applicable to the newly presented amendments and/or arguments.
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.
Claims 13, 5, 6, and 11 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Boom et al. (USPN 9,058,753) in view of Vigunas et al. (USPN 8,445,104) and Vigunas et al. (USPN 12,211,400).
Van Boom et al. disclose a roll of linerless labels (Column 2, lines 11 – 15), comprising: a substrate (Column 15, lines 39 – 41); and an adhesive patch disposed on a backside of the substrate, wherein the adhesive patch disposed in a pattern of an adhesive on the backside, wherein the pattern repeats along the backside (Column 15, lines 48 – 51; Column 5, line 19 to Column 6, line 60), and wherein the adhesive is a microsphere adhesive with a particle size of between 10-250 or 20-350 microns (Column 16, lines 10 – 14) having a solids of at least 25% (Column 7, lines 24 – 27), wherein the pattern enables a consistent and continuous contact with a platen roller of a printer as the platen roller advances the label media through the printer to ensure consistent pull and energy exerted by the printer as the label media proceeds through a printer web path (Column 5, lines 29 to Column 7, line 24); wherein the pattern minimizes adhesive buildup on components of the printer when the roll of labels is fed through the printer without decreasing adhesive bonding characteristics of labels dispensed from the printer (Column 7, line 49 to Column 8, line 30; Column 2, lines 19 – 31); wherein each label within the roll is repositionable based on the microsphere adhesive on a corresponding backside of a corresponding label (Column 5, lines 19 – 27); wherein the adhesive patch enables a cutting mechanism of the printer to cut through the label substrate cleanly while minimizing adhesive debris on the cutting mechanism (Column 5, lines 56 – 67), the pattern may be applied in various shapes including diamond shaped adhesive areas (Column 5, lines 29 – 36) as in claim 1. Regarding claim 3, the roll further comprising, a release coating applied atop a thermal print coating on a front side of the substrate, wherein the release coating comprises a water-based release coating (Column 15, lines 39 – 61; Column 4, lines 53 – 67). For claim 5, the substrate comprises a stock weight of greater than or equal to 50 gsm (grams per square meter) (Column 4, lines 50 – 52). In claim 6, a coverage area of the microsphere adhesive within the pattern is between 30% and 70% of a total surface area of the backside that corresponds to any given label defined within the roll (Column 6, lines 24 – 35). As in claim 12, a thermally activated print coating on a front side of the substrate; and a release coating disposed atop the thermally activated print coating (Column 15, lines 39 – 61; Column 4, lines 53 – 67). Van Boom et al. further disclose a linerless label (Column 2, lines 11 – 15) comprising: a substrate (Column 15, lines 39 – 41); and at least one adhesive patch disposed on a backside in a pattern (Column 15, lines 48 – 51; Column 5, line 19 to Column 6, line 60), wherein the adhesive patch comprises microspheres with a solids ranges of at least 25% and a microsphere particle size of between 10-250 or 20-350 microns (Column 16, lines 10 – 14); a thermally activated print coating disposed on a front side of the substrate; a release coating disposed atop or over the thermally activated print coating Column 15, lines 39 – 61; Column 4, lines 53 – 67); wherein the pattern minimizes a coverage area of the adhesive along the backside of the substrate associated with the at least one adhesive patch and minimizes adhesive contact with components of a printer when the linerless label is fed through the printer (Column 5, lines 29 – 60); wherein the adhesive patch enables a cutting mechanism of the printer to cut through the label substrate cleanly while minimizing adhesive debris on the cutting mechanism (Column 5, lines 56 – 67); wherein the pattern and adhesive formulation provide characteristics for sufficient high tack and aggressive adhesives while mitigating printer adhesive buildup, jams, and other printer malfunctions caused by adhesive buildup on printer components (Column 7, line 49 to Column 8, line 30; Column 2, lines 19 – 31); wherein the adhesive formulation is repositionable and semi-permanent, which enhances recyclability and enhances functionality of the linerless label by enabling the linerless label to be removed and reapplied to support multiple applications of the linerless label to objects, packages, and surfaces (Column 5, lines 19 – 28); wherein the pattern enables a consistent and continuous contact with a platen roller of a printer as the platen roller advances the label media through the printer to ensure consistent pull and energy exerted by the printer as the label media proceeds through a printer web path (Column 5, lines 29 to Column 7, line 24), the pattern may be applied in various shapes including diamond shaped adhesive areas (Column 5, lines 29 – 36) as in claim 13. With respect to claim 14, the coverage area is between 30% and 70% of a total surface area of the backside of the linerless label (Column 6, lines 24 – 35). Regarding claim 15, the substrate comprises a stock weight of greater than 50 gsm (grams per square meter) (Column 4, lines 50 – 52). However, Van Boom et al. fail to disclose the microsphere adhesive is an acrylic emulsion, the pattern comprises first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas, elongated diamond-shaped void areas devoid of the microsphere adhesive, and second elongated diamond- shaped adhesive areas, a void area is continuous along a periphery of the backside, each first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area outlines and surrounds a corresponding elongated diamond-shaped void area, each corresponding elongated diamond-shaped void area outlines and surrounds a corresponding second elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area, each first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area intersects two to four other first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas, and the first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas do not intersect the second elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas.
Vigunas et al. (‘104) teach a roll of linerless labels (Abstract; Figures), comprising: a substrate (Column 3, lines 29 - 35); and an adhesive patch disposed on a backside of the substrate, wherein the adhesive patch disposed in a pattern of an adhesive on the backside, wherein the pattern repeats along the backside (Column 4, line 63 to Column 5, line 3), wherein the adhesive is a microsphere adhesive (Column 5, lines 4 – 19) with a particle size of between 10-250 or 20-350 microns (Column 5, lines 19 – 21), and the microsphere adhesive is an acrylic emulsion comprising microspheres (Column 5, lines 4 – 20) and the adhesive patch comprises two adhesive patches vertically striped down the backside of the substrate, wherein a first adhesive patch is vertically striped adjacent to a first side of the backside of the substrate and a second adhesive patch is vertically striped adjacent to a second side of the backside of the substrate (Figure 3, #22) for the purpose of forming a repositionable adhesive label roll (Column 1, lines 66 and 67).
Vigunas et al. (‘400) teach a label (Figures 1 – 5) or a roll of labels (Figure 6) having an adhesive on the back side of the labels (Figures) the pattern comprises first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas, elongated diamond-shaped void areas devoid of the microsphere adhesive, and second elongated diamond- shaped adhesive areas, a void area is continuous along a periphery of the backside, each first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area outlines and surrounds a corresponding elongated diamond-shaped void area, each corresponding elongated diamond-shaped void area outlines and surrounds a corresponding second elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area, each first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive area intersects two to four other first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas, and the first elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas do not intersect the second elongated diamond-shaped adhesive areas (Figure 1) for the purpose of increasing the peel value of the labels while reducing the amount of adhesive needed (Column 2, lines 38 – 61).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have an acrylic microsphere adhesive is an acrylic emulsion in a desired pattern in Van Boom et al. in order to form a repositionable adhesive label roll as taught by Vigunas et al. (‘104) and to increase the peel value of the labels while reducing the amount of adhesive needed as taught by Vigunas et al. (‘400).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 26, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Please see the newly presented rejection above in view of Vigunas et al. (‘400).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/Patricia L. Nordmeyer/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 September 3, 2026
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