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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 10-12 recite the limitations "sulfonate, sulfate, and carboxylate anionic surfactants, but there is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
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.
Claims 1-10, and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hanson et al, US 11,026,422.
Hanson et al teach a wipe saturated with a composition having a pH of from 2 to 4 (claims 1, 5, and 8) comprising LAS, nonionic surfactant, and lactic acid (col. 31, table 10 A). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 1-10, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Dreilinger et al, US 2010/0240752.
Dreilinger et al teach a wipe saturated with a composition having a pH of approximately 3 comprising secondary alkane sulfonate, nonionic surfactants, lactic acid, and citric acid (¶122, examples E5 and E7). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 1-10, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Frank et al, US 2023/0111060.
Frank et al teach a disinfecting wipe with a pH of 5 (claim 1) saturated with a composition comprising secondary alkane sulfonate, and citric acid (¶106, table 2E). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6-9, and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Smith et al, US 2017/0202753.
Smith et al teach a personal cleansing wipe with a pH of less than 5 (¶91) saturated with a composition comprising sodium stearate, additional surfactant, and citric acid (¶149, example 10). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6-9, 11, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Carty et al, US 2023/0381068.
Carty et al teach a disposable wipe saturated with a personal cleansing composition (claim 24) comprising sodium lauryl ether sulfate, cocoamidopropyl betaine, lactic acid, and citric acid with a pH of 4.32 (¶253, example 7). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Joseph, US 2017/0304478.
Joseph teaches a disinfectant wipe dispenser comprising a container with two compartments. One compartment for wipes, and one compartment for a disinfectant composition (see abstract). The disinfectant composition is in tablet form and comprises 15% citric acid, lauryl sulfate, and dodecylbenzene sulfonate (¶144). The examiner maintains that due to the high amount of acid in the composition, the diluted use composition will have a pH within the range claimed. As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES I BOYER whose telephone number is (571)272-1311. The examiner can normally be reached M-S 10-430.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Brown-Pettigrew can be reached at 5712722817. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHARLES I BOYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
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