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 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Corrigan et al. (WO 2021/130613 A1).
Corrigan et al. disclose an expandable sheet defining an expansion axis and a cross axis along a major surface (Figures; Abstract), the expandable sheet comprising a substrate of sheet material defining the major surface (Paragraphs 0131 – 0133); and a plurality of slits formed in the substrate in a slit pattern defining a width along the cross axis and a length along the expansion axis comprising at least a first region and a second region (Figure 16; Paragraphs 0056, 0126, and 0114), each region extending across the width (Figure 16; Paragraphs 0056, 0126, and 0114), each region comprising at least two staggered rows of the slits defining an arrangement of pattern features (Figure 16; Paragraphs 0056, 0126, and 0114), wherein the first region defines a first arrangement of pattern features and the second region defines a second arrangement of pattern features different than the first arrangement (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness), wherein the slits are configured to expand in response to a minimum tension applied to the substrate in the expansion axis to provide an expanded configuration (Figures) as in claim 1. With respect to claim 2, the second arrangement has one or more shifted pattern features compared to the first arrangement, wherein each shifted pattern feature corresponds to a shifted location or orientation of a slit or a slit feature compared to a corresponding slit or slit feature the first arrangement (Paragraphs 0126 and 0128, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). Regard to claim 3, each slit feature corresponds to a segment, a segment intersection, or an end point of a slit (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). For claim 4, each slit in at least one row of the second arrangement has at least one of the shifted pattern features (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). In claim 5, each slit of the second arrangement has at least one of the shifted pattern features (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). With regard to claim 6, at least one of the shifted pattern features corresponds to a phase shift in the location of a slit or slit feature compared to a corresponding slit or slit feature in the first arrangement (Paragraphs 0126 and 0128, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). As in claim 7, the phase shift is along the cross axis, and at least one slit in each region comprises a segment extending at least partially along the expansion axis (Paragraphs 0126 and 0128, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness while being on a different axis). With respect to claim 8, at least one of the shifted pattern features corresponds to an inversion in the orientation of a slit or slit feature compared to a corresponding slit or slit feature in the first arrangement (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). Regarding claim 9, at least one of the shifted pattern features corresponds to a shifted slit feature in one of the slits without shifting at least one other slit feature in the same slit (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). For claim 10, each of the slits has a same shape, except at least one of the shifted pattern features corresponds to a shifted slit feature compared to a corresponding slit feature in the first arrangement (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). In claim 11, each of the slits has a same shape, and at least one of the shifted pattern features corresponds to a shifted slit (Paragraph 0126, wherein the arrangements may have a different shape, different slit lengths, or slit thickness). With regard to claim 12, the slit pattern comprises additional regions, each defining another arrangement different than the first arrangement, the second arrangement, or both (Figure 16; Paragraphs 0056, 0126, and 0114). For claim 13, the expanded configuration has folded walls (Paragraphs 0063, 0064, 0066). Corrigan et al. further disclose a roll comprising the expandable sheet according to claim 1 (Claim 19) as in claim 14. Corrigan et al. also disclose a rotary die comprising cutting surfaces configured to form the expandable sheet according to claim 1 (Paragraph 0017) as in claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional prior art is cited to show that having expandable sheets with different arrangement of slits and slit shapes is known.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patricia L Nordmeyer whose telephone number is (571)272-1496. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6:30pm EST, Monday - Friday.
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/Patricia L. Nordmeyer/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 July 22, 2026
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