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 in the reply filed on 08/10/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12 and 27-29 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected groups, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/10/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 and 13-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oota et al. (US 2017/0274631).
Regarding claims 1-11, 13-15, 20-21, Oota discloses interlayer film for laminated glass (abstract) having one end and the other end (abstract), the interlayer film having a wedge angle of 0.01 or more in a length (0070, fig. 1), the interlayer film including a heat shielding layer (abstract) containing two or more heat shielding compound such as phthalocyanine compound and naphthalocyanine in an amount of 0.001 to 0.2 wt% based on 100% by weight of the interlayer film (0105, 0108, 0109, 0113), a distance between the one end and the other end of the interlayer film is defined as X, a thickness of the interlayer film within a region of 0.1X from the one end toward the other end (0042-0043), wherein the interlayer film is sandwiched between two polycarbonate glass panes, i.e. two sheets of clear glass, (0162-0164).
Regarding a thickness of the interlayer film at a position 2, it is noted that Oota does not specifically disclose the thickness of 25 microns or more. However, Oota discloses that when a relationship between the thickness is satisfied, a low yellow index value, low excitation purity and high heat shielding properties can be improved with good balance (0044-0045). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the thickness to obtain improved properties such as low yellow index value, low excitation purity and high heat shielding.
Given that the interlayer film structure and the glass panes of Oota is the same as presently claimed structure as well as the composition as disclosed in the present specification, it is clear that the interlayer film for the laminated glass of Oota would inherently have the same properties as claimed in present claim.
Regarding claims 16-17, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1, wherein the interlayer film includes two or more layers (0113). Oota does not specifically disclose glass transition point. Oota discloses that when number of carbon atoms of the acetal group in PVA is 3 or more, the glass transition temperature of the interlayer is sufficiently lowered (0084). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use certain number of carbon atoms of acetal group in PVA in the interlayer films to obtain desired glass transition temperature.
Regarding claim 18, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1, wherein the interlayer film contains heat shielding substance (0105).
Regarding claim 19, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1, wherein a content of the heat shielding substance in 100% by weight of the layer is 0.005% by weight or more (0113).
Regarding claim 22, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1 wherein the interlayer film contains two or more, i.e. three, heat shielding compound (0108, 0115).
Regarding claim 23, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1 wherein the heat shielding substance in the heat shielding layer is 0.001% by weight to 0.2% by weight (0113).
Regarding claim 24, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1, wherein the heat shielding substance is ITO particles (0118).
Regarding claim 25, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1, wherein the interlayer film as a whole has a wedge angle 0.01 to 2 mrad (0070).
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oota et al. (US 2017/0274631) in view of Nishino et al. (US 2018/0272661).
Regarding claim 26, Oota discloses the interlayer film for laminated glass of claim 1 wherein given that the composition of interlayer film of Oota is the same as the composition disclosed in the present specification, it is clear that the interlayer film of Oota would inherently have the same properties as claimed in present claim. However, Oota does not disclose roughness.
Nishino discloses interlayer for laminated glass wherein the interlayer film has embossing roll surface treatment (0040, 0047-0048) and ten-point average roughness, i.e. uneven, is 25 microns to 45 microns (0045) to obtain air bubble free film (0045).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the roughness of Nishino in the interlayer film of Oota to obtain air bubble free film.
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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