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 .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Shimizu (JP 2000211090).
Regarding claims 1, 4 and 10, Shimizu discloses (see paragraphs [0010]-[0013], [0028], [0049], [0050], [0060], [0066], [0067] and [0071], and Figs.1 and 4), in the method for manufacturing a decorative sheet having an embossed pattern on the surface and a picture pattern on the rear surface of a transparent substrate sheet, cited document 1 is deemed to describe the invention of a system for bonding films, wherein the surface of the adhesive A side ("the first surface") of the substrate sheet 1 ("the second film") is configured to orientate to the surface of the transfer layer 7 side ("the first surface") of the transfer sheet 5 ("the first film");
the surface on the opposite to the adhesive A side ("the second surface") of the
substrate sheet 1 includes an embossed pattern layer 13 (corresponding to "a plurality
of elements" having the "gap space") (Fig.4); comprising a transfer roller 31 on one
side ("a bonding roller") configured to contact the support sheet 6 side ("the second
surface") of transfer sheet 5; and a transfer roller 31 on the other side ("a deformable
roller") disposed adjacent to the transfer roller on one side (Fig.1),
wherein the transfer roller 31 is a rubber roller with an iron core coated with a silicone rubber and then heated (which is deemed that "the deformable roller has a deformable outer layer");
wherein the transfer roller 31 on one side is configured to indirectly contact to the transfer roller 31 on the other side via the transfer sheet 5 and the substrate sheet 1, and the transfer roller 31 on the other side is configured to indirectly contact the
transfer roller 31 on one side via the transfer sheet 5 and the substrate sheet 1.
It should be noted that cited document 1 is considered to describe an embodiment in which polyvinyl chloride is used for the support sheet 6 of the transfer
sheet 5 ("the first film") and polypropylene is used for the substrate sheet 1 ("the second film"), thereby the bending stiffness of the substrate sheet 1 is less than that of
the support sheet 6.
Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, and the silicone rubber layer of the transfer roller 31 on one side is deemed to produce deformation to fill at least a
part of gap space on the embossed pattern layer 13 consisting of polypropylene.
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(s) 2-3 and 5-6 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu (JP 2000211090) as described above in view of Tiruvannamalai et al (US Patent 11,271,212 – hereafter Tir).
Regarding claim 2, Shimizu does not disclose the battery component as claimed by the applicant. Regarding this difference the applicant is directed to the reference of Tir. Tir discloses a system for manufacturing anodes for electrochemical devices. As shown in Figs. 3A-B and 4, anode-active-material sheet is laminated by the roller press 424 to create the corresponding anode-active-material patch 336. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to employ battery materials, as taught by Tir, in the system of Shimizu in order to provide the predictable result of manufacturing materials with desired physical properties.
Regarding Claim 3, even though Shimizu does not clearly indicate the intervals between the recesses and projections of the embossed pattern layer 13, it is a matter of design choice to be made as appropriate by those skilled in the art to adjust an embossed pattern taking the design, etc. of a decorative sheet into consideration.
Regarding claim 5, it is the examiner’s position that it is within the purview of one having ordinary skill in the art to employ a silicone rubber with a hardness from 15 Shore A to 50 Shore A based on the physical requirements of the materials being manufactured.
Regarding claim 6, it is the examiner’s position that the thickness of the
silicone rubber layer of the transfer roller 31, it is a matter of design choice to be made
as appropriate by those skilled in the art to adjust the thickness of the elastic layer of a
roller taking the thickness of the sheet, embossed pattern, etc. into consideration.
Regarding claim 8, it is the examiner’s position that employing a porous, deformable material is well known and conventional in the art in order to provide the predictable result of enabling more uniform deflection during the pressing operation.
Regarding claim 9, it is the examiner’s position that in roll pairs, it is well known and conventional in the art to employ a deformable roller with lower hardness when materials are deflected around the roll and a harder roller for a roller when materials merely travel straight through the nip.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2, line 2 “related to” is indefinite and needs to be rephrased. In particular, it is unclear what connection between the elements and batteries is required for the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES D SELLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1237. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:30-5.
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JAMES D. SELLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1745
/JAMES D SELLS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745