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
Claims 14-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Groups, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/16/25.
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 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2013/0269134).
As to claim 1, Lin (The embodiment of Fig. 5-8) includes a printing system cleaning fabric (1, which is able to clean a part of a printing system) comprising: a first layer (11), a second layer (13), and an intermediate layer (12) interposed between the first and second layers, the first layer having a first cleaning surface (its top surface), the second layer having a second cleaning surface (its bottom surface) facing away from said first cleaning surface, the intermediate layer being impermeable to residue which is to be absorbed into the cleaning fabric from a surface to be cleaned (12 is made of thermoplastic elastomer and is liquid nonabsorbable, therefore, residue [small particles] absorbed into the first and second layers won’t go into 12);
wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the intermediate layer extend parallel to
each other (Fig. 5 and 7).
As to claim 2, wherein said first and second layers are made of any one of nonwoven and woven materials, or a combination thereof (11 is a woven material and 13 is a microfiber material [a woven material] or non-woven material. Therefore, 11 and 13 are woven materials or a combination thereof).
As to claim 4, wherein, when in use, the first and second cleaning surfaces of the cleaning fabric are configured to engage with a surface of an object to be cleaned and remove residues from said surface (para 13).
As to claim 5, wherein the first and second layers of the cleaning fabric have at least one of a different fiber composition, fiber density and thickness (11 and 13 have a different fiber composition and density in that 11 is a woven material and 13 is a microfiber material; para 27 and 29).
As to claim 10, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polymeric material (12 is a thermoplastic elastomer, a polymer; para 27).
As to claim 19, wherein the polymeric material is a plastic film (para 27).
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.
Claim 3 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2013/0269134) in view of Atake (US 2021/0016327).
As to claim 3, Lin does not include wherein the first and second layers of the cleaning fabric are impregnated with a cleaning composition.
Atake includes a printing system cleaning fabric (320) [The fabric cleans a liquid discharging head 4; para 41 and Fig. 3] impregnated with a cleaning composition (A cleaning liquid; 56) comprising three layers (para 62).
It would have been obvious to modify the first and second layers (not the intermediate layer which is liquid nonabsorbable) to impregnated with a cleaning composition, as taught by Atake, in order to enhance the cleaning capability of the cleaning fabric.
As to claim 11, Lin does not include wherein the cleaning fabric is an elongated, flexible web of material configured to be wrapped around a core to form a roll.
Atake includes a printing system cleaning fabric (320) [The fabric cleans a liquid discharging head 4; para 41 and Fig. 3] wherein the cleaning fabric is an elongated (great in length), flexible web of material (320 is woven; para 63) configured to be wrapped around a core (410) to form a roll (para 55).
It would have been obvious to modify the cleaning fabric to be elongated (and therefore, configured to be wrapped around a core to form a roll), as taught by Atake, in order to allow it to be used on a conveyor roller without the need for the user to clean by hand.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2013/0269134).
As to claim 17, Lin does not include wherein the cleaning fabric has a thickness in the range of 0.20 mm to 0.80 mm. It would have been a matter of routine optimization to modify the thickness of the cleaning fabric to include the disclosed thickness, in order to provide only the thickness required for the cleaning fabric to last for the needed length of time.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2013/0269134) in view of Schwarz (US 2006/0188317).
As to claim 18, Lin does not include wherein the cleaning fabric comprises a layer comprising a cleaning liquid encapsulated in micro capsules.
Schwarz includes a cleaning fabric (28) comprising a layer comprising a cleaning liquid encapsulated in micro capsules (para 85).
It would have been obvious to modify the cleaning fabric of Lin to have a layer comprising a cleaning liquid encapsulated in micro capsules, as taught by Schwarz, in order to permit the user to apply cleaning fluid only when desired when the fabric and rotating cylinder are pressured against each other, in order to allow only the needed degree of cleaning ability for the fabric.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The best reference combination is Lin (US 2013/0269134) in view of Atake (US 2021/0016327), and it does not include the positions of the cleaning fabric roll and the collecting roller being interchangeable, as included in claim 12, last 8 lines. Also, using a combination that involves: using the cleaning fabric on a new cleaning machine, using both sides and two separate layers of the fabric to clean a rotating cylinder, and switching the positions of both rollers while one of ordinary skill is knowing how to use the combo in the claimed manner would not have been obvious in any way.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723