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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Teed, US 3857657.
Regarding claim 1, Teed discloses: A method for producing flat box blanks (Fig. 1, the entirety of the device), comprising:
forming an array of unbound loose fibers shapes (Fig. 1, fiber pads “P”),
wetting said unbound loose fibers shapes (Col. 3, line 35, “A stationary housing 10 forms a generally enclosed chamber and includes an open bottom 11 and a slot 12 in an upper portion thereof to receive the sheet S of wet-pressed wood pulp fibers.”), and
compressing said unbound loose fibers shapes (Fig. 1, driven roll 60) and forming an array of flat box blanks (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 2, Teed further discloses: said unbound loose fibers shapes are formed by projecting unbound loose fibers by pressurized air jets onto a surface of a movable support (Col. 5, line 40, “This creates a flow of turbulent air (as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2) through the pad forming area in the lower portion of the chamber defined by the housing 10 in a longitudinal direction opposite to the direction of movement of the belt 30 to cause the fiberized fibers F to settle on the moving belt 30 substantially only over the groups of perforations 35 and to pick up and remove fiberized fibers F settling in spaces between the groups of perforations 35 on the belt 30 and re-circulate these fibers through the conduit 50 by pulling these loose fibers F into the end 52 of the conduit 50, through the conduit 50 and out of the end 51 back into the pad forming area in the lower portion of the chamber defined by the housing 10. This flow of turbulent air provides an even distribution of the fiberized fibers F onto the groups of perforations 35 in the moving belt 30 so as to form evenly distributed and evenly dimensioned pads P over the groups of perforations 35 and prevents any of the fibers F from positioning themselves in the spaces between the thus formed pads P.”) fluidly connected to a suction source (Figs. 1-5, vacuum source 40).
Regarding claim 3, Teed further discloses: said unbound loose fibers shapes (34) are formed by arranging loose fibers in a forming chamber (Figs. 1-5, housing 10) facing a forming wheel (Figs. 1-5, belt drive roll 32) provided with recesses (Figs. 1-5, perforations 35) on one of its outer surfaces, and depositing unbound loose fibers into said recesses (Col. 5, line 40).
Regarding claim 8, Teed further discloses: applying a continuous flexible web (Figs. 1-10, moisture absorbent sheets 33, 34 and 35) on at least one of the surface of the unbound loose fibers shapes (34).
Regarding claim 9, Teed further discloses: sandwiching the unbound loose fibers shapes between two continuous flexible webs (see Fig. 6)(Col. 3, line 28, “a fiber batt 36 disposed centrally between sheets 34 and 35”).
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 and 4-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Teed, US 3857657
Alternative Rejection for Claim 1, as it is not explicitly stated that Teed performs the “wetting” operation.
Regarding claim 1, Teed discloses: A method for producing flat box blanks (Fig. 1, the entirety of the device), comprising:
forming an array of unbound loose fibers shapes (Fig. 1, fiber pads “P”), and
compressing said unbound loose fibers shapes (Fig. 1, driven roll 60) and forming an array of flat box blanks (see Figs. 1-5).
Teed does not explicitly disclose: wetting said unbound loose fibers shapes.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before filing to use the wetting process on the loose fiber shapes, as this process is a known and common technique in the art. The Examiner notes that the Teed reference does in fact utilize wet fiber shapes, but the specific act of wetting the fibers is not discussed in the disclosure.
Regarding claim 4, Teed discloses: at an outlet of a fiber deposition apparatus (Col. 5, line 61, “For cooperating with the belt 30 for conveying the thus formed pads P out of the pad forming area in the lower portion of the chamber defined by the housing 10…”).
Teed does not explicitly disclose: said unbound loose fibers shapes have a basis weight comprised between 500 and 900 gsm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of filing to utilize the optimum fiber basis weight for the material at hand, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. Please note that in the instant application, the applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations, merely that this is the weight that was chosen.
Regarding claim 5, Teed discloses: wettinq said unbound loose fibers shapes includes a quantity of liquid comprised between 50 and 200 ml/m2 is dispensed onto said unbound loose fibers shapes.
Teed does not explicitly disclose: wettinq said unbound loose fibers shapes includes a quantity of liquid comprised between 50 and 200 ml/m2 is dispensed onto said unbound loose fibers shapes.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of filing to utilize the optimum amount of liquid wetting agent, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. Please note that in the instant application, the applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations, merely that this is the weight that was chosen.
Regarding claim 6, Teed discloses: said unbound loose fiber shapes are compressed between a pair of pressure rollers at a pressure comprised between 3 and 30 bar.
Teed does not explicitly disclose: said unbound loose fiber shapes are compressed between a pair of pressure rollers at a pressure comprised between 3 and 30 bar.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of filing to utilize the optimum roller pressure for the material at hand, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. Please note that in the instant application, the applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations, merely that this is the weight that was chosen.
Regarding claim 7, Teed discloses: said pressure rollers are heated to a temperature comprised between 20C and 200C.
Teed does not explicitly disclose: said pressure rollers are heated to a temperature comprised between 20C and 200C.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to utilize the optimum roller temperature for the material at hand, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. Please note that in the instant application, the applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations, merely that this is the weight that was chosen.
Regarding claim 10, Teed anticipates the device of claims 1-9. Therefore, under MPEP 2112.02, Process Claims [R-07.2015], the method of claim 10 are also anticipated, and therefore rejected. “Under the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 231 USPQ 136 (Fed. Cir. 1986)”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Frederickson, US 20100190020 utilizes a similar manufacturing process, but utilizes a dry laod process as opposed to the cited wet laying process.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2095. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs, 0730-1730.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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