DETAILED ACTION
This office action follows a reply filed on June 26, 2026. Claims 1 and 4 have been amended. Claims 1-5 and 8 are currently pending and under examination.
All previous rejections are withdrawn, as applicants have amended to limit the pressure sensitive adhesive to containing 50-99 phr of an alkoxy-groups containing (meth)acrylate with a contact angle with water of 60° or less and does not contain a silane coupling agent.
However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is proposed below.
The texts of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code are not included in this section and can be found in a prior Office action.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Malik (US 9,441,142).
Malik exemplifies an acrylic copolymer comprising 50 wt% methoxyethyl acrylate, 18.5 wt% methyl acrylate (Tg= 10°C), 18.5 wt% ethyl acrylate (Tg= -24°C), 10 wt% butyl acrylate (Tg= -54°C), and 3 wt% HEA (hydroxyethylacrylate) (Tg= -10°C), and a surfactant, and does not contain a silane coupling agent. The coating was spread onto a polymer film, and the solvent is allowed to evaporate to produce a hydrophilic pressure sensitive coating.
This coating contains an alkoxy group-containing (meth)acrylate monomer in an amount of 50 phr, and an amount of monomer having a homopolymer Tg>0°C of 18.5 phr.
In Example 2, the surfactant is Tergitol 15-S-7, ethoxylated secondary alcohol, which is nonionic and provides a contact angle of 9°.
Example 2 of Malik anticipates instant claim 1-5.
In Example 5, the surfactant is Brij O5-LQ-(MH), which is nonionic and provides a contact angle of 23°.
Example 5 of Malik anticipates instant claim 1-5 and 8.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicants’ 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIEANN R JOHNSTON whose telephone number is (571)270-7344. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST.
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/Brieann R Johnston/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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