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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al (CN 113860795, already of record, and English translation provided by Examiner) in view of Friedrich et al (CN 112041146, English translation provided).
For claim 1, Zhao et al teach a method for preparing a decorative material, comprising the following steps of: S1: using a main base material for material distribution to form a main base material layer (pg 2 paragraph 2 step S2), wherein the main base material is a thermoplastic material (pg 2 paragraph 4).
Zhao et al do not teach distributing a grain base material on an upper surface of the main base material layer to form a grain pattern, so as to obtain a blank; S2: performing hot-press molding on the blank to obtain a semi-finished product embedded with the grain base material on a surface; and S3: removing the grain base material on the surface of the semi-finished product to obtain the decorative material.
However, Zhao et al do teach forming a grain pattern (pg 2 paragraph 4) and in the same field of endeavor pertaining to manufacturing a component including a surface provided with a surface structure, Friedrich et al teach distributing a grain base material on an upper surface of the main base material layer to form a pattern, so as to obtain a blank (pg 2 last paragraph); S2: performing hot-press molding on the blank to obtain a semi-finished product embedded with the grain base material on a surface (pg 3 paragraph 1); and S3: removing the grain base material on the surface of the semi-finished product to obtain the decorative material (pg 3 paragraph 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Friedrich et al with those of Zhao et al by distributing a grain base material on an upper surface of the main base material layer to form a grain pattern, so as to obtain a blank; S2: performing hot-press molding on the blank to obtain a semi-finished product embedded with the grain base material on a surface; and S3: removing the grain base material on the surface of the semi-finished product to obtain the decorative material as an alternative, easier way to produce the desired rich wood texture effects suggested by Zhao et al (pg 1 fourth line from bottom, pg 2 paragraph 4) without having to scrape away the material.
For claims 2-5 and 7-10, Zhao et al teach the decorative material is a sheet material or a rollable material (pg 2 last paragraph); preparation materials of the main base material comprise a thermoplastic polymer and a filler; preparation materials of the main base material further comprise a toner; the main base material is one or more of granule, powder, flake or viscous substance (pg 2 paragraph 4); a lower surface of the main base material layer is provided with a base layer (pg3 last line); the step S3 further comprises performing surface treatment on the surface of the semi-finished product from which the grain base material is removed; the surface treatment comprises waxing (pg 3 paragraph 1) and the decorative material is a floor decorative material (pg 2 paragraph 1).
For claim 6, the grain base material and the main base material would be incompatible in characters since the particulate structure (the grain base material) can be removed by solvent and/or by application of thermal energy (see citation above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-7007. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 11-7.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached on 571-270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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