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
In response to the election/restriction requirement mailed on 12/23/2025, applicants elect the claims of group I, Claims 1-4, 8-16, 18-20 and 26 without traverse.
Allowable Subject Matter
1.Claims 3, 10, 14, 19 and 26 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2.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.
3.Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lei et al. (CN 112399289) in view of Yang et al. (CN108395758).
Regarding claim 1, Lei discloses an antistatic sound-absorbing material (Paragraphs: 0016 and 0073: Lei discusses how the sound-absorbing material or particles can be granulated, i.e. an antistatic sound-absorbing material), comprising molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0050-0051: Lei discusses molecular sieve particles), an adhesive (Paragraphs: 0024, 0027 and 0030: Lei discusses organic and inorganic adhesive) and an additive (Paragraphs: 0063-0065 and 0035-0036: Lei discusses a conductive additive), wherein the additive is 0.5-10%, based on 100% of the total weight of the molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0063-0065: Lei discusses how conductive additive is more preferably 0.5%-10% of the mass of the molecular sieve particles).
Lei discloses the invention set forth above but does not specifically mentioning “an antistatic additive”
Yang however discloses an antistatic additive (Paragraphs: 0024, 0033 and 0037: Yang discusses an antistatic additive).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Lei, and modify a system wherein an additive is an antistatic additive, as taught by Yang, thus allowing to develop an antistatic additive for floor coatings that is effective, long-lasting, and easy to use, as discussed by Yang.
Regarding claim 11, Lei discloses a method for preparing an antistatic sound-absorbing material (Paragraphs: 0016 and 0073: Lei discusses how the sound-absorbing material or particles can be granulated, i.e. an antistatic sound-absorbing material), comprising mixing raw materials with a solvent (Paragraphs: 0242-0243 and 0269-0270: Lei discusses how additive are mixed in a certain amount of deionized water (i.e. a solvent) and stirred; Lei also discusses how an expandable polymer, mixed using an internal mixer, and then extruded into expandable polymer beads; and how the expandable polymer beads are prepared into suspended expandable polymer beads using a solvent), followed by molding to prepare the antistatic sound-absorbing material (Paragraphs: 0035 and 0037: Lei discusses sound-absorbing blocks using a mold); wherein the raw materials comprise molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0050-0051: Lei discusses molecular sieve particles), an adhesive (Paragraphs: 0024, 0027 and 0030: Lei discusses organic and inorganic adhesive) and an additive (Paragraphs: 0063-0065 and 0035-0036: Lei discusses a conductive additive); and the amount of the additive is 0.5-10%, based on 100% of the total weight of the molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0063-0065: Lei discusses how conductive additive is more preferably 0.5%-10% of the mass of the molecular sieve particles).
Lei discloses the invention set forth above but does not specifically mentioning “an antistatic additive”
Yang however discloses an antistatic additive (Paragraphs: 0024, 0033 and 0037: Yang discusses an antistatic additive).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Lei, and modify a system wherein an additive is an antistatic additive, as taught by Yang, thus allowing to develop an antistatic additive for floor coatings that is effective, long-lasting, and easy to use, as discussed by Yang.
Considering claims 2 and 12, Lei fail to discloses claims 2 and 12. Yang however discloses claims 2 and 12, wherein the antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claims 1 and 11, wherein the antistatic additive comprises one or more of graphene, carbon nanotubes and graphite (Paragraphs: 0013 and 0029: Lei discusses carbon nanotubes, spherical conductive graphite and graphene).
Considering claim 4, Lei discloses the antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 1, wherein the content of the adhesive, in terms of the solid component of the adhesive, is 4-15%, based on 100% of the total weight of the molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0085 and 0094: additive is 0.5%-20% based on the total weight of the solution (100%), i.e. obvious to adjust the value between 4-15%).
Considering claim 8, Lei discloses the antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve particles comprise one or more of MFL, MEL, FER, CHA, IHW, IWV, ITE, UTL, VET, and MTW molecular sieves (Paragraphs: 0026 and 0053).
Considering claim 9, Lei discloses the antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the antistatic sound-absorbing material includes a granular, blocky or flaky shape (Paragraphs: 0073 and 0141: the sound-absorbing particles can be granulated).
Considering claims 13 and 18, Lei discloses the method for preparing an antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 11, wherein the antistatic additive is in the form of a powder or a slurry (Paragraphs: 0063 and 0240: additive powder).
Considering claim 15, Lei discloses the method for preparing an antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 13, wherein when the antistatic additive is in the form of a slurry, the solid content thereof is 3-10% (Paragraphs:0038, 0085 and 0094: additive is 1%-10% based on the total weight of the solution (100%), more preferably 2%-7%, i.e. obvious to adjust the value).
Considering claim 16, Lei discloses the method for preparing an antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 13, wherein when the antistatic additive is in the form of a slurry, the raw materials further comprise a dispersant, and the amount of the dispersant is 0.5-2%, based on 100% of the total weight of the molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0046-0047 and 0068: Lei discloses discusses dispersing agent added is 0.5%-3% of the weight of the molecular sieve particles, i.e. obvious to adjust the dispersing agent added to be 0.5%-2%).
Considering claim 20, Lei discloses the method for preparing an antistatic sound-absorbing material according to claim 11, wherein the raw materials further comprise an auxiliary agent, and the amount of the auxiliary agent is 0.5-1.5%, based on 100% of the total weight of the molecular sieve particles (Paragraphs: 0046 and 0068: agent added is 0.5%-3% of the weight of the molecular sieve particles, i.e. obvious to adjust the value to is 0.5-1.5%,).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5149. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6:30 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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YOSEF K. LAEKEMARIAM
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2651
/YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691