DETAILED ACTION1
CLAIM OBJECTIONS
Claims 21-47 are objected to because of informalities. Claim 1 has two grammatical issues. First, the first letter of each step should not be capitalized. Second, the word ‘and’ is grammatically required after the semi-colon that concludes step v.
Claim 32 recites the lower tool is heated to a temperature comprised between…. The word comprised is unnecessary and potentially confusing and should be deleted, as should the later use of comprised in the claim as well. The remaining claims are objected to based on their dependence.
REJECTIONS UNDER 35 USC 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112:
(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.
Claims 26-31, 34, & 44-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 26 recites the duration of maintaining the metal substrate. This feature is indefinite for two reasons. First, the term duration was not introduced in any parent claim. As such, claim 26 must be amended to recite ‘a duration.’ Second, the concept of maintaining the metal substrate is introduced in claim 24, while claim 26 is dependent on claim 22. Claim 26 should likely be amended to depend from claim 24. Claim 28 contains the same two issues and is rejected for the same reasons.
Claim 30 recites the plane of the surface of both the upper and lower tool. Neither the plane nor the surface was previously introduced. As such, this constitutes improper antecedent basis. Claim 34 recites the surface of the face. The surface was not previously introduced and constitutes improper antecedent basis. Claim 44 recites the thickness of the film. The thickness was not previously introduced and constitutes improper antecedent basis.
Claims 27, 29, 31, and 45 are rejected based on their dependence.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
Claims 21-25, 32-33, 35-43, & 46-47 are allowable over the prior art. Regarding independent claim 21, WO 2015/114581 to Bertozzini teaches attaching metal mesh (3) to the face (2a) of [a] metal substrate (2). See Bertozzini Fig. 1 and pg. 12, ln. 5 to pg. 16, ln. 32. Bertozzini also teaches providing a film…[that is] brought into contact with mesh and substrate. Bertozzini does not, however, teach heating the elements or then hot stamping them together. (Bertozzini teaches col molding the components together.) Nor does Bertozzini specifically teach the film has a layer of the recited polymers. The prior art does teach hot stamping coating cookware, such U.S. 2018/0344082 to Lim, which teaches hot forming a film having the recited polymers onto a metal substrate. See Lim [0012]-[0015], [0036], & [0042]-[0058]. But Lim does not teach or suggest a mesh being stamped as well. As such, the prior art does not teach or suggest all of the features of independent claim 1. Claims 22-25, 32-33, 35-43, & 46-47 are allowable based on their dependence.
Claim 26-31, 34, & 44-45 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Moshe Wilensky whose telephone number is 571-270-3257. Mr. Wilensky’s supervisor, Sunil Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Examiner interviews are available via telephone or video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. Applicant may also use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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/MOSHE WILENSKY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
1 The following conventions are used in this office action. All direct claim quotations are presented in italics. All non-italic reference numerals presented with italicized claim language are from the cited prior art reference. All citations to “specification” are to the applicant’s published specification unless otherwise indicated. The use of the phrase “et al.” following a reference is used solely to refer to subsequent modifying references, and not to other listed inventors of the cited reference.