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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kadono et al, US 6,017,875.
Kadono et al teach a higher secondary alcohol alkoxylate composition (see title). An example is a secondary tetradecanol ethoxylate formed by reacting tetradecanol with ethylene oxide (col. 11, example 3). As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Inaoka et al, US 6,278,007.
Inaoka et al teach a secondary tetradecanol polyethoxylate formed by reacting tetradecanol with ethylene oxide (col. 24, referential examples 8 and 9. As this reference meets all material limitations of the claims at hand, the reference is anticipatory.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Secondary alcohol ethoxylates are well-known in the art and it is obvious to form them at any chain length.
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.
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/CHARLES I BOYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761