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
1. 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.64
2. Claims 1-4, 13-14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blatter (WO 2017/031488 A1) in view of Petratou (WO 2020016348 A1). Regarding claim 1, Blatter teaches a skin contact member 40 for use in a razor cartridge 20 comprising at least one blade 26 received in a longitudinal direction. The skin contact member 40 comprises a head portion 52 (defined by upper wall 52 having skin engagement surface 54 and support structure 70; Fig. 3A) extending in the longitudinal direction to form a skin-contacting upper surface 54. The skin contact member 40 further comprises a body portion 42, 44 extending downward from the head portion in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the body portion 42, 44 being configured to be inserted into a receiving space defined by the wall and shelf 30 of the frame 22 of the razor cartridge 20 (Fig. 1). Blatter further teaches at least one opening portion defined by recess 56 and openings 72 and formed in the head portion 52, 54 (Fig. 3A). As viewed in a direction parallel to the height direction from the head portion 52, 54, 72 toward the body portion 42, 44, the at least one opening portion comprises a first opening 72 formed at one side of the head portion in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the height direction, and a recess 56 formed in the head portion and configured to overlap with the body portion, at least overlapping section 44 of the body portion 42, 44 (Fig. 3A). Blatter further teaches that the first opening 72 has an open structure in both upward and downward directions along the height direction. In particular, because opening 72 is a through-hole, the opening 72 provides an opening structure in both the upward and downward directions. Blatter also teaches that the skin contact member 40 comprises a thermoplastic material, as portions 42, 44 of the box 40 are made from a thermoplastic material, such as that used for the frame. It should be noted that the claim does not requires that the entire skin contact member to be formed form a rigid material. It should also be noted that it could be argued that the thermoplastic material is relatively a rigid material. However, to the extent it is argued that Blatter does not expressly teach that the thermoplastic material of the skin contact member is rigid, Petratou teaches a contact engagement member 40 comprising a rigid thermoplastic material or metal. See Fig. 1E and paragraph [0057] of Petratou. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to select the material of portions 42, 44 of Blatter to be a rigid thermoplastic material, or another suitable rigid material such as metal, as taught by Petratou. Such a modification would have amounted to the selection of a known material based on its suitability for the intended use and would have been within the general skill of a worker in the art as a matter of obvious design choice. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding claim 2, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the at least one opening portion further comprises: a second opening (defined by one of the openings 72 positioned opposite the first opening 72 within the recess 56; Fig. 3A in Blatter) formed at the other side of the head portion in the width direction.
Regarding claim 3, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the in the width direction, a sum of a length of the first opening 72 and a length of the second opening 72 is equal or less than a length of the recess 56. See Figs. 3A in Blatter. The sum of the length of two openings 72 is less than the length of the recess 56.
Regarding claim 4, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the first opening 72, the second opening 72, and the recess 56 are in fluid communication with one another. See Fig. 3A in Blatter.
Regarding claim 13, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the skin contact member 40 comprises a plurality of opening portions (56, 72; Figs. 2A or 2B) spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 14, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the plurality of the opening portions (56, 72) are spaced apart from each other at equal interval. See Fig. 2A or 2B in Blatter.
Regarding claim 19, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that the first opening 72 extends completely through the head portion (54, 56, 70) in the height direction. See Fig. 3A in Blatter. It should be noted that the first opening 72 completely extends at least through the support 70 of the head portion (54, 56, 72).
Regarding claim 20, Blatter teaches everything noted above including that
recess 56 is configured to contain a shaving aid. Blatter also teaches that the first and second openings 72 are configured to discharge excess shaving aid during shaving and to discharge shaving aid and cut hair during cleaning of the razor cartridge. In particular, recess 56 contains a shaving aid (or lubricant), and the first and second openings 72 may facilitate discharge of shaving aid and cut hair during cleaning of the razor cartridge, particularly after the shaving-aid material has been consumed. Thus, the shaving aid and cut hair may be discharged through the first and second openings 72 into cavity 60, as illustrated in Fig. 3A of Blatter.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant’s disclosure.
Peterson et al. (2021/0016458 A1), Haines et al. (2017/0282388 A1), Liberatore (2017/0021513 A1), and Rudden, Jr. et al. (2005/0188539 A1) teaches a skin contact member for a razor cartridge.
5. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than
SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/GHASSEM ALIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
September 28, 2026
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