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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kuriyama et al. (US 20130245157 A1; herein referred to as “Kuriyama”).
With respect to Claim 1, Kuriyama teaches a binder for aqueous inkjet inks (¶0021) comprising:
an aqueous medium (B) (¶0022),
the composite resin (A) (i.e., “composite resin particles (C)”; ¶0022) forming core-shell-type particles (¶0023) having
a shell part containing a polyurethane (a1) (i.e., “urethane resin”; ¶0022-0023) having acid groups (i.e., in the production of the “urethane resin”, “hydrophilic group-containing polyol (a1-1) and other polyols may be used in combination”, such as “polyols having a carboxyl group” combined with “a polycarbonate polyol”; ¶0050; 0055-0056).
a core part containing an acrylic polymer (a2) (i.e., “vinyl polymer” that can be produced with “meth(acrylic) monomers”; emphasis added; ¶0022-0023; ¶0086).
With respect to Claim 2, Kuriyama teaches the binder for aqueous inkjet inks (¶0021) according to claim 1, wherein the polyurethane (a1) (i.e., “urethane resin”; ¶0022-0023 & ¶0042) has an acid value of 10 to 70 mgKOH/g (i.e., “acid value of 10 to 80”; ¶0042). The acid value range taught by Kuriyama anticipates the claimed range.
With respect to Claim 3, Kuriyama teaches the binder for aqueous inkjet inks (¶0021) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acrylic polymer (a2) (i.e., “vinyl polymer” that can be produced with “meth(acrylic) monomers”; emphasis added; ¶0022-0023; ¶0086) has a C4-10 alkyl (meth)acrylate as an essential raw material (i.e., “methyl(meth)acrylate” used as the monomer; ¶0085-0087).
With respect to Claim 4, Kuriyama teaches the binder for aqueous inkjet inks (¶0021) according to claim 1, wherein a mass ratio (a1/a2) of the polyurethane (a1) (i.e., “urethane resin (A)”; ¶0022-0023 & ¶0030) to the acrylic polymer (a2) (i.e., “vinyl polymer (B)” that can be produced with “meth(acrylic) monomers”; emphasis added; ¶0022-0023, ¶0086, & ¶0030) is 95/5 to 50/50 (i.e., a mass ratio of “1/99 to 99/1”; ¶0030). The mass ratio range taught by Kuriyama anticipates the claimed range.
With respect to Claim 5, Kuriyama teaches an aqueous inkjet ink (i.e., “ink-jet printing ink…includes…an aqueous medium”; ¶0021) comprising the binder for aqueous inkjet inks (¶0021) according to claim 1.
With respect to Claim 6, Kuriyama teaches a printed layer formed by the aqueous inkjet ink (i.e., printed matter on a substrate, formed by an ink-jet printer using the ink taught in Kuriyama; ¶0145) according to claim 5.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Chen et al. (US 20160319147A1; herein referred to as “Chen”) teaches a binder for aqueous inkjet inks with the limitations claimed (Chen: Abstract; ¶0047-0048, ¶0057-0058, ¶0067, ¶0069-0070), disclosing “a post-treatment fluid includes a fluid vehicle and an anionic polyurethane acrylic hybrid polymer binder dispersed in the fluid vehicle…The anionic polyurethane acrylic hybrid polymer binder includes an acrylic polymer or copolymer, and an anionic polyurethane polymer encapsulating the acrylic polymer or copolymer” (Chen: Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHLOMIT CHELST whose telephone number is (571)272-0832. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center to authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to the USPTO patent electronic filing system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/ Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/SHLOMIT CHELST/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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