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 with traverse of group I in the reply filed on 07/17/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the claimed invention provides significant improvements in sealing performance over other LLDPEs with the same density. This is not found persuasive in view as Dasgupta as explained in the restriction requirement mailed 04/23/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 14-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected groups, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 07/17/2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-13 and 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “ASTM F2029, ASTM F88”. It should be “ASTM F2029 and ASTM F88”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dasgupta (EP 1961558).
Regarding claims 1-4 and 10, Dasgupta discloses a laminated film (title) comprising a multilayer polyethylene film (abstract) comprising an outer layer, core layer and inner layer in this order (0055) wherein the inner layer is made of composition comprising at least 70 wt% or more of multimodal LLDPE having a density of less than 940 kg/m3 (0044, 0093, claim 1) and a melt flow rate of from 0.05 to 20 g/10 min determined according to ISO 1133 (claim 1), and a substrate film laminated to the multilayer film (abstract), wherein the substrate comprises PET (0073). Given that the laminated film of Dasgupta comprises the same inner layer composition with density and melt flow rate as claimed in present claim, it is clear that the laminated film of Dasgupta would inherently have the same properties as presently claimed.
Regarding claim 5, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein the LLDPE is a bimodal terpolymer comprising an LMW ethylene polymer, i.e. component A, and HMW ethylene polymer, i.e. component B, wherein the ethylene polymer component A has a higher melt flow rate than the ethylene polymer component B and the ethylene polymer component A is a copolymer of ethylene and 1-butene and the ethylene polymer component B is a copolymer of ethylene and 1-hexane (0099-0103).
Regarding claim 6, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein the inner layer composition further comprises LDPE having a density of 905 to 940 kg/m3 (0127). Given that at least 70 wt% of LLDPE is used in the inner layer of Dasgupta, it is noted that the LDPE is present in amount of 30 wt% or less.
Regarding claim 7, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein polyethylene sealant film comprises at least 70 wt% or more of multimodal LLDPE having a density of less than 940 kg/m3 (0044, 0093, claim 1) and 30 wt% or less of LDPE (calculated) (0044, 0093, 0127, claim 1).
Regarding claim 8, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein the outer layer comprises 0 to 100 wt% of LLDPE having a density of less than 940 kg/m3 (0044, 0050, 0093, claim 1) and a melt flow rate of from 0.05 to 20 g/10 min determined according to ISO 1133 (claim 1).
Regarding claim 9, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene sealant film has a thickness of 25 to 100 microns (0141).
Regarding claim 11, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein given that Dasgupta discloses an adhesive is an optional between the laminated film and the substrate (0020, 0067), it is clear that Dasgupta meets the claimed limitation of the laminated film consists the polyethylene sealant film and the substrate.
Regarding claim 12, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 1, wherein the laminated film has a haze value of less than 20% according to ASTM D1003 (0030).
Regarding claim 13, Dasgupta discloses an article comprising the laminated film of claim 1 (0036).
Regarding claim 17, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 3, wherein the multimodal LLDPE is a terpolymer of ethylene with two comonomers selected from C3 to C12 carbon atoms (0099).
Regarding claim 18, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 17, wherein the two copolymers are 1-butene and 1-hexene (0099).
Regarding claim 19, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 5, wherein the comonomer content in the component is from 1.5 to 10 mol% (0099).
Regarding claim 20, Dasgupta discloses the laminated film of claim 8, wherein the LLDPE polymer comprises multimodal LLDPE (0042, 0050).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMIR SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-1143. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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/SAMIR SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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