DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendments
The amendment filed on 10/6/2025 has been entered.
Claims 14-16 and 21-37 remain pending in the application.
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.
(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 14-15, 22-27 and 30-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1/a2) as anticipated by USPGP# 20060111226 of Anzini et al. (henceforth Anzini).
Regarding claim 14, Anzini teaches
A method comprising:
placing seal bars (116, 118) on opposite sides of panels (4a, 4b) of a resealable enclosure (“zipper”, para 0061) having an opening (gap between 4a, 4b, see fig. 9) with a closure strip (8a, 8b) having profile bodies (28, 34) and opposing elongated flanges (24, 26, 30, 32 see fig. 7) between the panels (fig. 9), at least one of the seal bars having a recessed groove (gap between 142, 144 as shown in annotated fig. 9) extending into a surface of the at least one of the seal bars (engaging surface of 142, 144) that also engages at least one of the panels (see fig. 9); and
applying heat and pressure to the panels and the closure strip to seal the closure strip to the panels (para 0064), the closure strip configured to repeatedly couple with and decouple from itself to close and open an opening in the resealable enclosure (para 0036).
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Regarding claim 15, as shown in claim 14, Anzini teaches
wherein the seal bars are placed such that the profile bodies are received into the recessed groove during application of the heat and the pressure (see fig. 9, para 0064).
Regarding claim 22, as shown in claim 14, Anzini teaches
wherein the recessed groove prevents crushing or flattening of the profile bodies during application of the heat and the pressure (see fig. 9, 8a, and 8b are in the groove (gap between the seal bars) and therefore at least the middle section of the profile bodies will not be crushed or flattened).
Regarding claim 23, as shown in claim 14, Anzini teaches
wherein the seal bars melt or bond the panels with the flanges around the profile bodies (para 0064, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 24, as shown in claim 14, Anzini teaches
wherein the seal bars include a first seal bar (116) and a second seal bar (118), the first seal bar having the recessed groove (see annotated fig. 9), the second seal bar not having the recessed groove (second seal bar 118 has its own separate/different recessed groove (i.e. the gap between 148, 150) but does not have the same recessed groove as defined by first seal bar (i.e. the gap between 142, 144)).
Regarding claim 25, as shown in claim 14, Anzini teaches
wherein the closure strip is sealed to the panels without removing any part of the profile bodies or the flanges from the closure strip (see fig. 9, there is no cutter for removing any part of the profile bodies).
Regarding claim 26, Anzini teaches
A seal bar assembly (116, 118) comprising:
a first seal bar (116) having a first flat surface (142, 144); and
a second seal bar (118) having a second flat surface (148, 150), at least one of the first flat surface of the first seal bar or the second flat surface of the second seal bar having a recessed groove (see annotated fig. 9) extending into the at least one of the first flat surface (8a, 8b) and panels (4a, 4b) of a resealable enclosure (“zipper”, para 0061) between the first seal bar and the second seal bar (see fig. 9), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to receive the closure strip with elongated profile bodies (28, 34) and flanges (24, 26, 30, 32 see fig. 7) of the closure strip between the first seal bar and the second seal bar (see fig. 9), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to apply heat and pressure to the panels and the closure strip to seal the closure strip to the panels (para 0064).
Regarding claim 27, as shown in claim 26, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar and the second seal bar are positioned such that the profile bodies are received into the recessed groove during application of the heat and the pressure (see fig. 9).
Regarding claim 30, as shown in claim 26, Anzini teaches
wherein the recessed groove prevents crushing or flattening of the profile bodies during application of the heat and the pressure (see fig. 9, 8a, and 8b are in the groove (gap between the seal bars) and therefore at least the middle section of the profile bodies will not be crushed or flattened).
Regarding claim 31, as shown in claim 26, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar and the second seal bar are configured to melt or bond the panels with the flanges around the profile bodies (para 0064 and see fig. 9).
Regarding claim 32, as shown in claim 26, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar includes the recessed groove (see annotated fig. 9), but the second seal bar does not include the recessed groove (the recessed groove is in the first seal bar and not the second seal bar. please note: the claims do not recite that the second seal bar does not have any recessed groove).
Regarding claim 33, as shown in claim 26, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar and the second seal bar are configured to seal the closure strip to the panels without removing any part of the profile bodies or the flanges from the closure strip (see fig. 9, there is no cutter for removing any part of the profile bodies).
Regarding claim 34, Anzini teaches
A seal bar assembly (116, 118) comprising:
a first seal bar (116) having a first flat surface (142, 144) with a first recessed groove (see annotated fig. 9) extending into the first flat surface; and
a second seal bar (118) having a second flat surface (148, 150), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to receive a closure strip (8a, 8b) and panels (4a, 4b) of a resealable enclosure (“zipper”, para 0061) between the first seal bar and the second seal bar with profile bodies (28, 34) of the closure strip between the first recessed groove and the second seal bar and flanges (24, 26, 30, 32, see fig. 7) of the closure strip between the first flat surface and the second flat surface (see fig. 9), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to apply heat and pressure to the panels and the closure strip to seal the flanges of the closure strip to the panels (para 0064).
Regarding claim 35, as shown in claim 34, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar with the first recessed groove prevents crushing or flattening of the profile bodies during application of the heat and the pressure (see fig. 9, 8a, and 8b are in the groove (gap between the seal bars) and therefore at least the middle section of the profile bodies will not be crushed or flattened).
Regarding claim 36, as shown in claim 34, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar and the second seal bar are configured to melt or bond the panels with the flanges around the profile bodies (para 0064, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 37, as shown in claim 34, Anzini teaches
wherein the first seal bar and the second seal bar are configured to seal the closure strip to the panels without removing any part of the profile bodies or the flanges from the closure strip (see fig. 9, there is no cutter for removing any part of the profile bodies or the flanges).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 10/6/2025 have been fully considered:
Applicant’s arguments regarding claims 14, 24, 26 and 34, have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 14, 26 and 34, Applicant contends that Anzini teaches a seal bar assembly 116 (i.e. it has multiple parts such as 142, 144, 146) none of which have a recessed groove.
As shown in annotated fig. 9, the recessed groove is defined as the gap between 142 and 144. Additionally, as described in para 0061, the assembly 116 moves and acts as a single unit.
Regarding claim 24, Applicant contends that Anzini teaches a recessed groove in both seal bar assemblies and therefore does not teach the second seal bar not having the recessed groove.
Claim 24, as currently recited, “the second seal bar not having the recessed groove” requires the recessed groove to be the same in both seal bars 116, 118. However, as shown in fig. 9, the seal bar assemblies 116, 118 have their own distinct recessed grooves.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 especially:
US 6131370 of Ausnit also teaches a method of using a seal bar assembly (56, 12) for
sealing panels (100) to a reclosure (104) having profile bodies and flanges (see fig. 9) as claimed.
US 20190084710 of Wolf teaches a method of using a seal bar assembly (320, 326) for sealing panels (12) to a reclosure (40) having profile bodies and flanges (see fig. 8a) as claimed.
USP 6588176 of Buchman teaches seal bars (380, 381) with recessed grooves for zipper (see fig. 5)
USP 3986914 of Howard teaches seal bars (104, 106) one of which has a recessed groove (120) for zipper
Applicant's 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOBEEN AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 272-0356. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (8:30 am to 5 pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached on 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.A./
Examiner, Art Unit 3731
/VERONICA MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731