DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-4 in the reply filed on 5/14/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 5 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/14/2026.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasaki et al. (US 20170081490).
Sasaki discloses a biaxially oriented polyester film that is treated to impart heat sealability. Concerning claims 1-3, Sasaki discloses the biaxially oriented polyester film is treated in a heat seal region with a laser in the infrared wavelength, wherein the type, irradiation energy, irradiation spot diameter, scanning trace, and scanning speed are controlled to enable development of the heat sealability of PET, wherein the irradiation energy is from 0.1 to 1 Joule or the pulse speed is from 1000 to 500000 pulses/sec, irradiation density is 2 to 15 J/cm2, a scanning speed of over 4000 mm/sec and scanning interval of 0.05 to 0.2 mm (para. 0024-0060). Controlling the above parameters results in a desired seal strength and microstructure (para. 0025-0027 and 0060). The above parameters include and encompass the disclosed ranges in the instant specification, resulting in surface portions that are irradiated and changed in quality due to the transient melting with the laser beam energy (para. 0025-0026). Given that the resulting heat seal strength is within the disclosed range and the processing parameters overlap and include the claimed ranges, the degree of birefringence and structure and thickness of the heat seal region would also overlap and include the claimed ranges. With respect to claim 4, as shown in Figures 6-12, the film is laminated with other films wherein the treated area is exposed.
Conclusion
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PRASHANT J. KHATRI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1783
/PRASHANT J KHATRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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