DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendments
The amendment filed on 7/29/2026 has been entered.
Claims 14-15, 23-27, 31, 33-34, and 36-37 remain pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate ¶graphs 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, 23-27, 31, 33-34 and 36-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by USPGP# 20190084710 of Wolf et al. (henceforth Wolf).
Regarding claim 14, Wolf teaches
A method comprising:
placing first (326, 332) and second seal bars (320) on opposite sides of panels (174) of a resealable enclosure (combined 40, 174) having an opening (gap between 174 before closing) with a closure strip (300, 308) having profile bodies (304, 307) and opposing elongated flanges (308, fig. 8a) between the panels, the first seal bar having a recessed groove (450 in fig. 8b) extending into a surface (330) of the first seal bar that also engages at least one of the panels (left panel 174 in fig. 3), the second seal bar not including the recessed groove or any other recessed groove in which any of the panels is received during sealing (see surface 324 of second seal bar 320 in fig. 3); and
applying heat (inherent heat generated by sonotrode 320 to perform sealing of the panels as described in ¶ 0066) and pressure (¶ 0062) to the panels and the closure strip using the first and second seal bars to seal the closure strip to the panels (¶ 0066),
wherein, during application of the heat and the pressure, the profile bodies (304, 307) are received into the recessed groove in the first seal bar (326,332) so that the flanges (308) outside of the profile bodies (304,307) are pressed against each other and the panels (174) between the first (326, 332) and second seal bars (320), and the recessed groove (450) prevents the profile bodies (304,307) from being crushed or flattened while forming a seal between the flanges (308) and the panels (174) around the profile bodies (304, 307, ¶0060)
wherein the closure strip configured to repeatedly couple with and decouple from itself to close and open an opening in the resealable enclosure (¶ 0044-0045).
Regarding claim 15, as shown in claim 14, Wolf teaches
wherein the first and second seal bars are placed such that the profile bodies are received into the recessed groove in the first seal bar during application of the heat and the pressure (¶ 0060).
Regarding claim 23, as shown in claim 14, Wolf teaches
wherein the first and second seal bars melt or bond the panels with the flanges around the profile bodies (¶ 0060, 0066).
Regarding claim 24, as shown in claim 14, Wolf teaches
wherein the second seal bar has a flat surface (324, see fig. 3) that faces the recessed groove with the profile bodies located between the recessed groove and the flat surface (¶ 0060, fig. 2c).
Regarding claim 25, as shown in claim 14, Wolf 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 (¶ 0060, 0066).
Regarding claim 26, Wolf teaches
A seal bar assembly (320, 326, 332) comprising:
a first seal bar (326, 332) having a first flat surface (the flat surface 330 (fig. 8b) or 332 (fig. 3)) with a recessed groove (450) extending into the first flat surface (fig. 8b); and
a second seal bar (320) having a second flat surface (324) that does not include the recessed groove or any other recessed groove facing the recessed groove of the first seal bar (see fig. 3), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to receive a closure strip (300, 308) and panels (174) of a resealable enclosure (combined 40, 174) between the recessed groove of the first seal bar and the second flat surface of the second seal bar (¶ 0060), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to receive the closure strip with elongated profile bodies (304, 307) and flanges (308) of the closure strip between the recessed groove of the first seal bar and the second flat surface of the second seal bar (¶ 0060), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to apply heat (inherent heat generated by sonotrode 320 to perform sealing of the panels as described in ¶ 0066) and pressure (¶ 0062) to the panels and the closure strip to seal the closure strip to the panels (¶ 0066).
wherein the recessed groove (450) in the first seal bar (326,332) is positioned to receive the profile bodies (304,307) so that the flanges (308) outside of the profile bodies (304,307) are pressed against each other and the panels (174) so that the flanges (308) outside of the profile bodies (304,307) are pressed against each other and the panels (174) between the recessed groove (450) of the first seal bar (326,332) and the second flat surface (324) of the second seal bar during application of the heat and the pressure, the recessed groove (450) preventing the profile bodies (304,307) from being crushed or flattened while forming a seal between the flanges (308) and the panels (174) around the profile bodies (304,307, ¶0060).
Regarding claim 27, as shown in claim 26, Wolf 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 (¶ 0060).
Regarding claim 31, as shown in claim 26, Wolf 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 (¶ 0060, 0066).
Regarding claim 33, as shown in claim , Wolf 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 (¶ 0060, 0066).
Regarding claim 34, Wolf teaches
A seal bar assembly (320, 326, 332) comprising:
a first seal bar (326, 332) having a first flat surface (the flat surface 330 (fig. 8b) or 332 (fig. 3)) with a first recessed groove (450) extending into the first flat surface (fig. 3 and fig. 8); and
a second seal bar (320) having a second flat surface (324) but not having the first recessed groove or any other recessed groove facing the first recessed groove (see fig. 3), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to receive a closure strip (300, 308) and panels (174) of a resealable enclosure (combined 40, 174) between the first recessed groove of the first seal bar and the second flat surface of the second seal bar with profile bodies (304, 307) of the closure strip between the first recessed groove and the second seal bar and flanges (308) of the closure strip between the first flat surface and the second flat surface (¶ 0060, fig. 3), the first seal bar and the second seal bar configured to apply heat (inherent heat generated by sonotrode 320 to perform sealing of the panels as described in ¶ 0066) and pressure (¶ 0062) to the panels and the closure strip to seal the flanges of the closure strip to the panels (¶ 0066).
wherein the first recessed groove (450) receives the profile bodies (304,307) during application of the heat and the pressure so that the flanges (308) outside of the profile bodies (304,307) are pressed against each other and the panels (174) between the first flat surface (330) and the second flat surface (320), and the first recessed groove (450) prevents the profile bodies (304,307) from being crushed or flattened while forming a seal between the flanges (308) and the panels (174) around the profile bodies (304,307 ¶0060).
Regarding claim 36, as shown in claim 34, Wolf 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 (¶ 0060, 0066).
Regarding claim 37, as shown in claim 34, Wolf 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 (¶ 0060, 0066).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 7/29/2026 have been fully considered:
Applicant’s arguments regarding claims 14, 26 and 34, have been fully considered but are not persuasive
Regarding claim14, 26 and 34, Applicant contends that Wolf does not teach flanges outside the profile bodies being pressed against each other and the panels between opposed seal bars to form a seal around the profile bodies. Instead, Wolf teaches sealing separate mounting flanges to respective film-tube edges.
Wolf teaches (in ¶0044) interlocking male and female fasteners (such as 304,307) which are equivalent to the claimed profile bodies, (in ¶0060) mounting flanges 308 and (in ¶0066) panels 174. Wolf states in ¶0066 “the horn 320 and first anvil 326 are configured to seal the reclosable fastener material 40, and in particular the mounting flanges 308, to inner portions of the edges 174 and film tube 12 as shown in FIG. 3” and in ¶0060 “the first anvil 326 may have a peripheral, or circumferential, groove/relief 450 (or stepped portion), which is aligned with the interlocking fastener elements 300, such that a force, or pressure, applied by the anvil is not applied or transmitted to the interlocking fastener elements, thereby inadvertently sealing the interlocking fastener elements 300. Such an anvil 326, with a circumferential sealing surface 330 on both sides of the groove/relief, may be used to seal a four-flange reclosable fastener as the surface 330 is aligned with the opposite pairs of mounting flanges 308”. As such Wolf does teach sealing mounting flanges 308 to the panels 174 while the profile bodies 304, 307 are provided/protected inside the groove 450. Examiner is interpreting the mounting flanges 308 which are part of the closure strip 300,308 and panels as edges 174 of tube 12. Therefore, the claims as recited are anticipated.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
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
US 5400568 of Kanemitsu teaches the seal bars (fig. 15 or fig. 16) as claimed
USPGP# 20060111226 of Anzini et al. fig. 9, which can be modified with USP# 20190084710 of Wolf et al. to arrive at the invention as claimed
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
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