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
Applicant's election with traverse of Group III, Claims 11-14 in the reply filed on 02/12/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Group III depends on Group I, and Group IV depends on Group III. This is not found persuasive because the claims as originally filed do not include a shared special technical feature, as shown in the Requirement for Restriction filed 01/29/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 1-10 and 15-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 02/12/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 11-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okada et al. (US 2017/0141423 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Okada discloses a laminated film comprising a polymer film laminated as a release layer on at least one side of a substrate layer (para 0055). The polymer film comprises a polymer composition containing a chlorine-containing polymer (B) (para 0023), such as a chlorinated polypropylene (para 0042), and which may also contain another polymer such as a polypropylene (para 0050).
Okada further discloses an ion exchange layer containing an ion exchange polymer adhered on the release layer of the laminated film (para 0066).
Regarding Claim 12, Okada discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 11 above. Okada further discloses the ion exchange layer is an electrolyte membrane or electrode membrane (para 0066), and the ion exchange polymer is preferably a fluoropolymer containing a side chain having a sulfonic acid group (para 0069).
Regarding Claim 14, Okada discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 11 above. Okada further discloses the peel strength between the release layer of the release film and the ion exchange layer is about 0.1 to 100 mN/mm (para 0096). Therefore the release force is about 0.004 to 4 mN/25 mm (0.1/25 to 100/25).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada as applied to claim 11 above.
Regarding Claim 13, Okada discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 11 above. Okada further discloses the ion exchange polymer may have an ion exchange capacity of not less than 0.1 meq/g, preferably about 0.5 to 1.5 meq/g (para 0070). Therefore the ion exchange polymer may have an equivalent weight of 10,000 g/eq or less (1000/0.1), preferably about 667 to 2000 g/eq (1000/1.5 to 1000/0.5).
In light of the overlap between the claimed equivalent weight and that disclosed by Okada, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use an ion exchange polymer having equivalent weight that is both disclosed by Okada and is encompassed within the scope of the present claims, and thereby arrive at the claimed invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETHANY M MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-2109. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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/BETHANY M MILLER/Examiner, Art Unit 1787
/CALLIE E SHOSHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1787