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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 18 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the second side of the web" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the second side of the web" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-17, 19-26 and 28-33 are allowed.
Claims 18 and 27 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art fails to anticipate, teach, suggest or otherwise render obvious each and every element of the claims. Independent claims 16 and 25 disclose a method of applying an adhesive web including, inter alia, unfolding a web, wherein the first adhesive being an activatable adhesive and being free of activation with the web in the form of a fan-fold.
Langeman [US6025045] discloses a folded tape. Langeman fails to disclose unfolding a web wherein the first adhesive being an activatable adhesive and being free of activation with the web in the form of a fan-fold, prior to applying or positioning the web so that the first adhesive contacts a substrate.
Claims 16 and 26 are allowable as the prior art does not disclose unfolding a web wherein the first adhesive being an activatable adhesive and being free of activation with the web in the form of a fan-fold, prior to applying or positioning the web so that the first adhesive contacts a substrate, in combination with the other requirements of the claims. Claims 17-24 and 26-33 are or would be allowable as they depend from an allowable base claim, incorporate the allowable subject matter though dependency, and are or would be allowable for the same reasons as the base claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MCNALLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2685. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at 571-270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL MCNALLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
DPM
September 29, 2026
