DETAILED ACTION
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-4 and 6-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over JP-2014126814 ("JP'814")
Claim 1: JP'814 teaches a curable resin composition comprising inorganic particles (i.e. silica), a compound having at least one (meth)acryloyl group in the molecule, which is a polyfunctional (meth)acrylate compound having 2 or more functionalities, and two photoinitiators different structure from each other, one of which is a hydrogen-abstraction type, e.g. benzyl ketal-based photoinitiaor, and the other is an intramolecular cleavage type, e.g. hydroketone-based photoinitiator (JP'814, abstract and translation copy, page 2, 8th paragraph). The functionalities of the polyfunctional (meth)acrylate compounds include an (meth)acryloyl group (e.g. glycidyl methacrylate, oxydimethylene diacrylate, 2-acryloxyloxyether, (JP'814, page 4, and Synthesis Example A-1; and page 4, 7th paragraph). In the alternative, JP'814 teaches the polyfunctional (meth)acrylate compound having other functional groups besides (meth)acryloyl groups as equivalent, thus it would have been a matter of choice to select the compounds containing (meth)acryloyl groups.
Claim 2: JP-814 teaches the inorganic fine particles (i.e. silica) to have an average particle size of 1-100 nm (translation copy, page 3, 1st paragraph) which is within the claimed range of 1 to 150 nm.
Claim 3: JP'814 teaches the compound having a (meth)acryloyl group to further have a hydroxyl group in the molecule, and the compound (B) has a hydroxyl value within a range 30 to 300 mg KOH/g (translation copy, page 4. 4th paragraph under the headline " and page 6,1st paragraph) which meets the claimed range of 100-300 mg KOH/g.
Claim 4: JP'814 teaches blending amount of the second photopolymerization initiator relative to the blending amount of the first photopolymerization initiator (C-1) [(C-1)/(C-2)] is within a range of 50/20 to 80/20 (JP'814, page 8, 10th paragraph) or equivalently 3/1 to 4/1 which meets the claimed range of 3/1 to 99/1.
Claim 6: JP'814 teaches the photoinitiators comprising one being a hydrogen abstraction type and the other being an intramolecular cleavage type photopolymerization initiator, which includes benzophenone and methylbenzophenone (JP"814, translation copy, page 8, 4th paragraph).
Claim 7: The content of the polyfunctional compound (B) is within a range of 8 to 50 mass% per solid content (which includes the compound and the inorganic particles) (translation copy, page 8, 3ʳᵈ paragraph) and thus meets the claimed range of 10 to 50 mass% based on the total mass of the inorganic fine particles (A) and the compound (B).
Claim 8: JP-814 teaches the inorganic fine particles being silica (abstract) .
Claim 9: JP'814 teaches the polyfunctional compound having two or more (meth)acryloyl groups in one molecule. (translation copy, page 6, page 7, last three paragraphs, and page 8).
Claims 10-20: JP'814 teaches a cured product comprising the curable resin discussed above, a laminate comprising the resin on a substrate or a film, wherein the substrate being a linear or cyclic olefin-based substrate (JP'814, translation copy, pages 11-12).
Claim 21: JP’814 teaches two photoinitiators different structure from each other, one of which is a hydrogen-abstraction type, e.g. hydroketone-based photoinitiator, and the other is an intramolecular cleavage type, e.g. benzyl ketal-based photoinitiaor (JP'814, abstract and translation copy, page 2, 8th paragraph). The hydroketone based photoinitiator would have encompassed the claimed hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone.
Claim 22: JP’814 teaches functionalities of the polyfunctional (meth)acrylate compounds include an (meth)acryloyl group (e.g. glycidyl methacrylate, oxydimethylene diacrylate, 2-acryloxyloxyether, (JP'814, page 4, and Synthesis Example A-1; and page 4, 7th paragraph). In the alternative, JP'814 teaches the polyfunctional (meth)acrylate compound having other functional groups besides (meth)acryloyl groups as equivalent, thus it would have been a matter of choice to select the compounds containing (meth)acryloyl groups.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that JP’814 fails to teach a hydrogen abstraction type initiator. The Examiner disagrees. JP’814 teaches benzyl ketal-based initiator which is a hydrogen-abstraction type because the hydrogen atom in the hydroxy group in ketal would potentially be removed from the molecule.
Applicant's arguments filed June 12, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
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HOA (Holly) LE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/HOA (Holly) LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788
