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
2. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1 & 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lien (US 2018/0345705).
Lien discloses the following claimed limitations:
* Re clm 1, a method for producing a printed product, the method (Abst., figs 1-8),
* a step of supplying an intermediate transfer medium/transfer ribbon 124, 128 in which, on one of surfaces/ of a base/136/, a transfer layer/132/ including a receiving layer/carrier layer 134/ is disposed (para 0024-00026, figs 2 & 3);
* a step of heating a thermal transfer sheet/print ribbon 106/ in which a colorant layer/colored dye panels 148/ and a particle layer/background panel B/ are disposed, to transfer, onto the receiving layer/carrier layer 134/, a colorant/Y, M, C, K/ of the colorant layer/colored dye panels 148/ to form an image (paras 0020, 0027-0029, figs 2, 4-5);
* a step of heating/printhead 104/ the thermal transfer sheet to transfer/106/, onto the receiving layer/134/ having the image formed, the particle layer/background panel B/ (paras 0019-0020, 0024-0027, 0029-0036, figs 2-9);
* a step of placing the intermediate transfer medium/124/ and a transfer-receiving body/110/ on top of each other such that the transfer-receiving body/110/ faces the particle layer/B, 150/ on the receiving layer/134/, and heating/transfer device 140/ the intermediate transfer medium to transfer the transfer layer/132/ onto the transfer-receiving body/110/ such that the particle layer/B, 150/ is placed in at least a portion of a peripheral area of the transfer-receiving body/110/, to produce a printed product (paras 0024-0030, figs 2-9).
* Re clm 3, further comprising a step of, after transfer of the particle layer/B,150/, before production of the printed product, removing the transfer layer/132/ in a predetermined removal region from the intermediate transfer medium/124/ by use of a peel-off layer/removed/ disposed in the thermal transfer sheet/print ribbon 106/ (paras 0030-0031, 0036-0040, figs 6-8C).
* Re clm 4, further comprising a step of, after formation of the image, before transfer of the particle layer/B, 150/, removing the transfer layer/132/ in a predetermined removal region from the intermediate transfer medium/124/ by use of a peel-off layer disposed in the thermal transfer sheet/print ribbon 106/ (paras 0036-0040, figs 6-8C).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claim 2 is allowed.
The primary reason for allowance of claim 2 is the inclusion of a method steps of a printed product that includes a step of placing the transfer foil and a transfer-receiving body on top of each/ other such that the transfer-receiving body faces the particle layer on the transfer layer, and heating the transfer foil to transfer the transfer layer onto the transfer-receiving body such that the particle layer is placed in at least a portion of a peripheral area of the transfer-receiving body, to produce a printed product. It is this step found in the claim, as it is claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following prior art also, fails to explicitly teach all limitations and/or not combinable to meet the claimed invention. Fujimoto et al. (US 2003/0025780) disclose a printing apparatus which can perform switching between a direct transfer system and an indirect transfer system. Tsuruta et al. (US 2004/0101342) discloses a method that involves transporting a recording medium and an intermediate transfer medium to an image forming portion. An image is formed on the intermediate transfer medium and the recording medium at an image forming position. Paulson et al. (2022/0194094) discloses a printing mechanism of a plastic card retransfer printer includes a platen roller with a homing mechanism attached thereto that automatically returns the platen roller to the same home position at the end of each printing pass.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTAL FEGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2254. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 930-530pm.
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, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRISTAL FEGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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