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 .
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, 8 - 11, 13, and 16 – 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka et al. (USPGPub 2008/0261039 A1) in view of JP H10292159 A.
A machine-generated translation of JP H10292159 A accompanies this action. In reciting this rejection, the examiner will cite this translation.
Tanaka et al. disclose a film comprising a long release film (Abstract; Figures 1 and 2, #10); a plurality of adhesive film pieces provided on the release film (Figures 1 and 2, #12); and a groove formed on a surface of the release film on the side of the plurality of adhesive film pieces, extending along an outer edge of each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Figures 1 and 2, D) as in claim 1. With respect to claim 2, the groove is located outside the outer edge of each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Figures 1 and 2, #12 and D). Regarding to claim 3, the depth of the groove is 10% or more of the thickness of the release film (Paragraphs 0107, 0111). For claim 4, the depth of the groove is 85% or less of the thickness of the release film (Paragraphs 0107, 0111). In claim 5, the depth of the groove is 20% or more of the thickness of the adhesive film piece surrounded by the groove among the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Paragraphs 0107, 0111, 0147). With regard to claim 6, the depth of the groove is 100% or less of the thickness of the adhesive film piece surrounded by the groove among the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Paragraphs 0107, 0111, 0147). With respect to claim 8, a curing degree in differential scanning calorimetry of an adhesive forming each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces is 80% or more at 150°C for 10 seconds (The recitation is a process recitation in a product. Product claims including process recitations are not limited by the manipulation of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps. MPEP See 2113. In the present instance, the process steps imply that the adhesive is cured. The reference discloses such a product. See Paragraphs 0134, 0135, 0144). Regarding claim 9, the plurality of adhesive film pieces are separated from each other (Figure 1, #12). For claim 10, the plurality of adhesive film pieces are separated from an edge of the release film in a width direction of the release film (Figure 1, #12). In claim 11, the plurality of adhesive film pieces are arranged in one row in a longitudinal direction of the release film (Figure 1, #12). As in claim 13, the plurality of adhesive film pieces have the same shape (Figure 1, #12). Tanaka et al. also disclose a wound body comprising the film according to claim 1; and a core on which the film is wound (Figure 11) as in claim 16. Tanaka et al. further disclose a connection structure comprising a first member that has a first attachment surface; a second member that has a second attachment surface; and the adhesive film piece according to claim 1 connecting the first attachment surface and the second attachment surface (Figures 12 and 13) as in claim 17. Tanaka et al. disclose a method for manufacturing a connection structure comprising a preparation step of preparing the film according to claim 1; and a connection step of connecting a first attachment surface of a first member and a second attachment surface of a second member through the adhesive film piece of the film (Figures 2, 12 and 13) as in claim 18. However, Tanaka et al. fail to disclose the groove has a width of 15 µm or more.
JP H10292159 A teach a film comprising a long release film (Figure 1, #4); a layer of provided on the release film (Figures 1, #3); and a groove formed on a surface of the release film on the side of the plurality of adhesive (Figure 4A, #10), wherein the groove has a width of 15 µm or more (Page 3, lines 25 – 37, wherein the projections on the roll are pushed into the release liner, forming a groove) for the purpose of lessening the slippage of the release liner (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a groove has a width of 15 µm or more in Tanaka et al. in JP H10292159 A in order to lessen the slippage of the release liner as taught by JP H10292159 A.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka et al. (USPGPub 2008/0261039 A1) in view of JP H10292159 A as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tandy et al. (USPGPub 2006/0079011 A1).
Tanaka et al., as modified with JP H10292159 A, disclose the claimed invention except for an adhesive forming each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces has a multi-layer structure.
Tandy et al. teach an adhesive film for use with semiconductors (Abstract) having an adhesive forming each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces has a multi-layer structure (Paragraph 0049) for the purpose of having adhesive layers with desired properties (Paragraph 0049).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a multi-layer structure adhesive in the modified Tanaka et al. in order to have adhesive layers with desired properties as taught by Tandy et al.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka et al. (USPGPub 2008/0261039 A1) in view of JP H10292159 A as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakayama et al. (USPN 8,323,761).
Tanaka et al., as modified with JP H10292159 A, disclose the claimed invention except for at least one of the plurality of adhesive film pieces has a hole.
Nakayama et al. teach a film comprising a long release film (Abstract; Figures 1 and 2, #2A); a plurality of adhesive film pieces provided on the release film (Figure 5, #3A); and a groove formed on a surface of the release film on the side of the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Figure 5, #6A), wherein at least one of the plurality of adhesive film pieces has a hole (Figure 1, #54A) for the purpose of matching the shape of the article to which it is adhered (Column 6, lines 27 – 32).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a hole in the adhesive film pieces in the modified Tanaka et al. in order to match the shape of the article to which it is adhered as taught by Nakayama et al.
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka et al. (USPGPub 2008/0261039 A1) in view of JP H10292159 A as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takamoto et al. (USPN 8,986,486).
Tanaka et al., as modified with JP H10292159 A, disclose the claimed invention except for the adhesive film piece is conductive, and the adhesive film piece contains conductive particles.
Takamoto et al. teaches a film comprising a long release film (Abstract; Figures 1A and 1B, #42); a plurality of adhesive film pieces provided on the release film (Figure 1B, #2); and a groove formed on a surface of the release film on the side of the plurality of adhesive film pieces, extending along an outer edge of each of the plurality of adhesive film pieces (Figure 1B and 2, #42), wherein the adhesive film piece is conductive and the adhesive film piece contains conductive particles (Column 11, lines 46 – 67) for the purpose of reducing the electrostatic energy at the time of adhesion (Column 19, line 61 to Column 20, line 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a conductive adhesive film piece in the modified Tanaka et al. in order to reduce the electrostatic energy at the time of adhesion as taught by Takamoto et al.
Conclusion
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/Patricia L. Nordmeyer/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 February 2, 2026