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
Claims 7-15 and 18-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 3/6/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6 and 16-17 in the reply filed on 3/6/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bursy et al. [US2019/0291403] in view of Michaud et al. [US2020/0407601].
Bursy discloses a method for connecting sheet metal parts to form lamination stacks comprising: detaching sheet metal parts (2) from an electrical strip (5), which has a thermally activatable hot-melt adhesive varnish layer (8) on at least one flat side (Figure 1; paragraphs 0030); stacking the detached sheet metal parts (2) and using thermal activation of the hot-melt adhesive varnish layer to integrally join the detached sheet metal parts to one another to form a plurality of lamination stacks (Figure 1; paragraph 0030), wherein when the detached sheet metal parts are stacked, at least one dividing element (20) is added to the plurality of lamination stacks between two of the detached sheet metal parts in order to make it easier to divide the stacked sheet metal parts from one another to form the plurality of lamination stacks (Figure 1; paragraph 0034), wherein the at least one dividing element has a flat support (paragraph 0034-0038). Bursy discloses the separating agent (20) can adhere to a laminated core (3) and remain there to protect the laminated core (paragraph 0040), but does not disclose an adhesive coating that consists of a UV cross-linked acrylic-based hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Michaud discloses pressure sensitive adhesives which are suitable for high temperature ambient tack, rapid holding and suitable for high industrial production rates (paragraph 0009). Michaud discloses an adhesive coating on a self-adhesive support with a UV-cross-linked acrylic-based hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive would enable instantaneous tack (paragraph 0013, 0266).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the method of Bursy by including an adhesive layer of a UV-cross-linked acrylic-based hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive as taught by Michaud in order to allow for rapid holding of the separation layer to the stack and to ensure high industrial production rates which improve the efficiency of the process.
With respect to claim 2, Michaud discloses the adhesive coating on the flat support has a weight per unit area in a range from 2 to 1000 g/m2 which overlaps the claimed range (paragraph 0279).
With respect to claim 3, Bursy discloses the flat support is a film (paragraph 0038).
With respect to claim 4, Bursy discloses a silicone-coated baking parchment, and it would have been within the ability of one of ordinary skill though routine experimentation to determine a thickness of the support in order to ensure the support is thick enough so the adjacent stacks can be separated, but not so thick that excess material is between the stacks adding to expense and handling difficulties.
With respect to claim 5, Bursy discloses the at least one dividing element has a nonstick coating on a second flat side of the flat support (paragraph 0038).
With respect to claim 6, Bursy discloses a cross-linked silicone coating (paragraph 0038).
With respect to claim 16, Bursy discloses the non-stick coating is a silicone-based nonstick coating (paragraph 0038).
With respect to claim 17, Bursy discloses a silicone coating and does not disclose the coating as including any solvents, therefore it’s implied it is solvent free (paragraph 0038).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MCNALLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2685. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at 571-270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL MCNALLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
DPM
April 1, 2026