DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takei et al., US 2019/0001634 A1, in view of Caspari, US 5393590.
Regarding claim 1, Takei teaches a hot-melt adhesive film (10 of Fig. 1) that comprises a hot melt glue layer ([0008]) for adhering a metal foil ([0049], corresponding to the claimed “transfer material”) to an object.
The teachings of Takei differ from the present invention in that Takei does not teach that the adhesive layer and transfer material form a graphic on the object. Caspari, however, teaches that it is known in the art to apply such adhesive layers and transfer materials via imagewise heating to selectively transfer a pattern of adhesive and transfer material to a substrate in order to provide alphanumeric or decorative patterns (col. 1 ln. 22-48). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the adhesive film and transfer material of Takei in an imagewise manner that produced a pattern on the substrate object, as taught by Caspari, because doing so would allow one to produce alphanumeric or decorative patterns, and because Caspari explicitly teaches such graphic pattern formation via imagewise adhesion to be known in the art.
Regarding claims 2, 3, and 6, Takei teaches that the adhesive film may comprise an upper and lower adhesive layer made from different materials (Abstract, [0050], [0087], [0127]).
Regarding claim 4, Takei teaches an intermediate layer (12 or Fig. 1, corresponding to the claimed “isolation layer”) positioned between the first and second adhesive layers ([0022]).
Regarding claim 5, Takei teaches that the intermediate layer may be methylpentene polymer, which has a melting point above 200 ⁰C, while the first and second adhesive layers may have melting points in the range of 100 – 180 ⁰C and 80 -120 ⁰C ([0064], [0080]).
Regarding claims 7 and 8, Takei teaches that the transfer material may be a metal foil ([0049]).
Regarding claim 9, Takei teaches that the hot melt adhesive material may be a polyolefin (Abstract, [0007]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ian A Rummel whose telephone number is (571)270-5692. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternating Fridays, 8:30-5:00.
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/IAN A RUMMEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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