RESPONSE TO AMENDMENT
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 .
WITHDRAWN REJECTIONS
The objections to the drawings made of record in the office action mailed on 03/02/2026 have been withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment in the response filed 06/25/2026.
The 35 U.S.C. §102 and §103 rejections of the claims made of record in the office action mailed on 03/02/2026 have been withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment in the response filed 06/25/2026.
REJECTIONS
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 1-10 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato et al. (JP 2021-091859) (cited in the IDS filed on 10/02/2024) in view of Kodaira et al. (U.S. App. Pub. No. 2017/0015860).
Citations to Sato et al. below refer to the machine translation document filed with the IDS submitted on 10/02/2024.
Regarding claim 1, Sato et al. discloses an anti-fogging agent including a coating hydrophilic polymer and a silicon-based compound. (Abstract). The silicon-based compound includes silane coupling agents such as 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride (par. [0019]) which is a silane coupling agent having an acid anhydride group. Furthermore, the coating includes a binder compound (par. [0042]) and metal oxide fine particles including silica. (par. [0045]). Sato et al. further discloses a binder composition made from a reaction of ethylene adduct of dodecyl alcohol and 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (Synthesis Example 2) which is further mixed with a hydrolysate of 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride (Example 4) (i.e. a silane coupling agent).
Sato et al. does not disclose that the hydrophilic polymer is a binder compound that is a polyfunctional epoxy compound having at least two epoxy groups.
Kodaira et al. teaches an anti-fogging agent composition including a first resin having a water-soluble rate of 90% or more, a second resin having a water-soluble rate of 50% or less, an alkoxy silane and a curing agent. (Abstract). Kodaira et al. teaches that the water-soluble resin (i.e. hydrophilic polymers) can preferably include an epoxy resin having one ore more epoxy groups in one molecule which results in a composition which has high water-solubility and high water-absorbing properties which results in an improved antifogging property. (par. [0016]-[0018]). In particular, polyfunctional aliphatic epoxy resins having two to eight functional groups results in particularly improved antifogging layer compositions. (par. [0019]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a polyfunctional epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups as the hydrophilic polymer in Sato et al. based on the teachings of Kodaira et al.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to use a polyfunctional epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups due to the improved water-absorbing properties of the resin material which would result in improved antifogging property, as taught in Kodaira et al.
Regarding claim 3, 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride meets the limitations of General formula 1.
Regarding claim 4, Example 4 discloses the reaction product of 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride with a binder material of Synthesis Example 2.
Regarding claim 5, Sato et al. further discloses a binder composition made from a reaction of ethylene adduct of dodecyl alcohol and 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (Synthesis Example 2) which is further mixed with a hydrolysate of 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride (Example 4) (i.e. a silane coupling agent). Therefore, the binder contains an epoxy compound and the silane coupling agent includes the formula of claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Sato et al. discloses in Example 4 producing a hydrolyzed condensate of 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride using water and alcohol. The hydrolyzed condensate would have the structure shown in Formula 5 where R54 and R55 are H.
Regarding claim 7, the content of the metal oxide particles is disclosed to be in the range of 1-500% by weight with respect to the water-soluble polymer (par. [0064]). The content of the silane agents in the inventive example can range from 1-200% by weight of the water-soluble polymer (par. [0063]). Therefore, the relative amount of metal oxide particles to the synthetic product produced by the reaction of the silane materials 1:500 x100 (0.2 parts by mass) to 200:1 x 100 (20000 parts by mass), overlapping with the presently claimed range. As set forth in MPEP 2144.05, in the case where the claimed range “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art”, a prima facie case of obviousness exists, In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Regarding claim 8, Sato et al. discloses a silane material containing a polyether group produced by the reaction of ethylene oxide adduct of dodecyl alcohol and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. (par. [0077]).
Regarding claims 9-10, Sato et al. discloses curing catalysts including aluminum acetotacetate, aluminum perchlorite and aluminum acetate derivatives. (par. [0072]).
Regarding claims 13-14, Kodaira et al. teaches examples of polyfunctional epoxy compounds having two or more epoxy groups and improved antifogging property including ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, diethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether and polypropylene glycol diglycidyl ether. (par. [0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to select the polyfunctional epoxy compounds as the hydrophilic polymer material in Sato et al. in view of the disclosure in Kodaira et al. that the polyfunctional epoxy compounds are specifically preferred and have improved antifogging properties.
ANSWERS TO APPLICANT’S ARGUMENTS
Applicant’s arguments in the response filed 06/25/2026 regarding the prior art rejections made of record in the previous office action have been considered but are moot due to the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
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 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDRE F FERRE whose telephone number is (571)270-5763. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 am to 4 pm ET.
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/ALEXANDRE F FERRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 07/19/2026
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