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 without traverse of Group I, claims 1-4, in the reply filed on 8/13/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 5 stands withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/13/2026.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oshima et al. (JP2004058339A) [hereinafter Oshima].
Regarding claim 1, Oshima discloses an assembly comprising a plurality of shaped products (substrates; page 11, lines 635-637; claim 9) having a thermoplastic resin as a material (claim 6; page 14, lines 842-850), and a joining layer (coating layer) joining the shaped products (substrates)to one another (page 11, lines 635-637, claim 9), wherein the joining layer (coating layer) contains at least one type of cycloolefin polymer and a solvent component having a boiling point of not lower than 70oC and not higher than 150oC (page 11, lines 641-646; claims 1-3), and the assembly contains not less than 100 mass ppm and not more than 800 mass ppm of the solvent component having a boiling point of not lower than 70oC and not higher than 150oC relative to total mass of the assembly (page 13, lines 774-775).
Regarding claim 2, Oshima discloses the joining layer having a thickness of not less than 0.1 µm and not more than 5 µm (page 14, lines 928-930).
Regarding claim 3, Oshima discloses the thermoplastic resin is a resin that contains a cycloolefin polymer (page 14, lines 842-844).
Regarding claim 4, Oshima discloses the solvent component including at least one among cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, xylene and toluene (page 11, lines 855-858).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CATHERINE A SIMONE whose telephone number is (571)272-1501. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-4pm.
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CATHERINE A. SIMONE
Examiner
Art Unit 1781
/Catherine A. Simone/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1781
