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
Applicant’s election without traverse of claim 1 in the reply filed on 6/5/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/5/2026.
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 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Tanaka (WO2022045053A1). Claim elements are presented in italics.
1. A laminate comprising: a first member made of silicone rubber; a second member made of polystyrene; and an adhesive layer bonding a first surface of the first member and a second surface of the second member to each other, wherein the adhesive layer includes: a first layer disposed on the first surface, the first layer being made of a silane coupling agent having epoxy groups; and a second layer disposed on the second surface, the second layer being made of a silane coupling agent having amino groups.
With respect to claim 1, the prior art of Tanaka teaches a laminate (Fig. 7) comprising: a first member (Fig. 7, upper item 11) can comprise a silicone rubber [2 8]; a second member (Fig. 7, lower item 11) can comprise polystyrene [4 12]; and an adhesive layer (Fig. 7, adhesive layer items 12 and intermediate layer 150) bonding a first surface of the first member and a second surface of the second member to each other [P. 6, ¶ 7], wherein the adhesive layer includes: a first layer (Fig. 7, upper item 12 contacting 11) on the first surface, the first layer can comprise a silane coupling agent having epoxy groups [P. 6, ¶ 7]; and a second layer (Fig. 7, lower item 12 contacting 11) on the second surface, the second layer can comprise a silane coupling agent having amino groups [P. 6, ¶ 7].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY C GROSSO whose telephone number is (571)270-1363. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8AM - 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abbas Rashid can be reached on 571-270-7457. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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GREGORY C. GROSSO
Examiner
Art Unit 1748
/GREGORY C. GROSSO/Examiner, Art Unit 1748
/Abbas Rashid/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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