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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-9 & 10-20) in the reply filed on 06/22/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-8, 12, and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Schneider et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0109739).
Regarding claim 1: Schneider discloses a method for assembling disposable pant diapers, each pant diaper comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet (Figs. 4A & 4F), the method comprising steps of:
advancing a first continuous elastic laminate along a machine direction, the first continuous elastic laminate having an outer longitudinal edge and an inner longitudinal edge with a constant width, W1, in a cross direction, see for example (Fig. 4F; via substrate 206);
advancing a second continuous elastic laminate along the machine direction, the second continuous elastic laminate having an outer longitudinal edge and an inner longitudinal edge with a constant width (Fig. 4F; via substrate 208), W2, in the cross direction, wherein the first continuous elastic laminate is separated in the cross direction from the second continuous elastic laminate to define a gap between the inner longitudinal edge of the first continuous elastic laminate and the inner longitudinal edge of the second continuous elastic laminate (Fig. 4F; via the shown gap and/or space between 206 & 208);
depositing a plurality of chassis spaced apart from each other along the machine direction across the gap and onto the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate (Fig. 4F. via chassis 102), wherein the first end regions of each chassis are connected with the first continuous elastic laminate, and the second end regions of each chassis are connected with the second continuous elastic laminate (Figs. 4B-4G; via the shown connection of the chassis 102 to 206/208 while being in the gap area);
folding each chassis along the lateral axis to position the first continuous elastic laminate into a facing relationship with the second continuous elastic laminate, see for example (Figs. 4F-4G; showing the folding step);
removing discrete pieces of trim material simultaneously from the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate; and cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates in the cross direction to form discrete pant diapers, see for example (Fig. 1; via cutting mechanism 210 & 286 operate “simultaneously” for cutting both the chasses and substrate).
Regarding claim 2: a step of: advancing the first continuous elastic laminate in the facing relationship with the second continuous elastic laminate through a nip formed between a cutting roll and an anvil roll, wherein the cutting roll includes a blade having a distal edge extending in the cross direction and the machine direction, see for example (Figs. 1 & 5; via shows the entire laminate along with the chasses through nip of the cutting rollers 210); and
wherein the steps of removing the discrete pieces of trim material and cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates in the cross direction further comprise pressing the distal edge of the blade against the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate (Figs. 1 & 5-8).
Regarding claim 4: further comprising steps of:
advancing a first continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and a width in a cross direction (Fig. 4A & 4F; via conveying of substrate 206);
advancing a second continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and a width in a cross direction (Fig. 4A & 4F; via conveying of substrate 202);
advancing elastic strands in the machine direction; bonding the elastic strands between the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer to form an elastic laminate (Figs. 4G & 4H; via the shown bonded elements to form elastic laminate article 100; bonding regions 160); and
cutting the elastic laminate along the machine direction to form the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate (Fig. 4H; via the shown cut/trimmed parts to form final elastic laminate article 100).
Regarding claim 5: wherein the step of bonding the elastic strands further comprises intermittently bonding the elastic strands in a stretched state between the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer such that the elastic laminate includes bonded regions and non-bonded regions intermittently spaced along the machine direction, wherein the elastic strands are bonded to the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer in the bonded regions, and wherein the elastic strands are not bonded to the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions, see for example (Figs. 4F-4H; via the shown bonding regions 160 on 206/208; paragraph 0059; “The first and second elastic belt substrates 206, 208 are then bonded together to form bonded regions. The first and second elastic belt substrates 206, 208 are then cut along the bonded regions to create discrete diaper pants 101.”.
Regarding claim 6: wherein the step of folding further comprises aligning the outer longitudinal edge of the first continuous elastic laminate with the outer longitudinal edge of the second continuous elastic laminate, see for example (Figs. 4F-4H; via the shown alignment of 206/208 to make them evenly facing each other’s; overlapping region 166).
Regarding claim 7: further comprising a step of bonding the first continuous elastic laminate with the second continuous elastic laminate at pairs of discrete bond regions separated from each other along the machine direction (Figs. 4F-4H; via the shown bonding regions to form final panties 100).
Regarding claim 8: wherein the step of cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates further comprises cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates between pairs of discrete bond regions, see for example (Figs. 4A & 4G; via the shown perforated cutting lines along the bonding region 166; paragraph 0066; “where the bonded regions 160 are cut into along the cross direction CD”).
Regarding claim 12: wherein the step of depositing a plurality of chassis further comprises bonding the back sheet with the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate (Figs. 4G-4H; via the shown bonding region 160).
Regarding claim 14: wherein backsheet layer bonded with the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate, see for example (Figs. 4F-4H; via the shown bonding regions to form final panties 100).
Regarding claim 15: wherein the backsheet comprises a film layer bonded with the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate, see for example (Figs. 4F-4H; via the shown bonding regions to form final panties 100).
Regarding claim 16: wherein the first continuous elastic laminate comprises an elastic film (Fig. 4A; via film 164/190).
Regarding claim 17: wherein the second continuous elastic laminate comprises an elastic film (Figs. 4E-4F; via the shown continuous film 208).
Regarding claim 18: wherein the absorbent core comprises airfelt material (paragraph 0078; via “positive air pressure may be applied through the blow-off manifold 364, to the blow-off apertures 362, and then to the discrete chassis 102. As positive air pressure is applied to the discrete chassis 102, vacuum pressure may be applied to the discrete chassis 102 by the transfer members 248 of the transfer apparatus 244”).
Regarding claim 19: wherein the absorbent core comprises no airfelt material, (paragraph 0078; “positive air pressure may be applied through the blow-off manifold 364, to the blow-off apertures 362, and then to the discrete chassis 102. As positive air pressure is applied to the discrete chassis 102, vacuum pressure may be applied to the discrete chassis 102 by the transfer members 248 of the transfer apparatus 244”).
Regarding claim 20: wherein the chassis further comprises elasticized leg cuffs, see for example (Figs. 1-2; via the shown final formed article 100 with leg cuffs).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 3, 10, 11, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0109739).
Regarding claim 3: Schneider does not suggest that a width, W2, of the second continuous elastic laminate is greater than a width, W1, of the first continuous elastic laminate. However, a use of material in different sizes would only be a design choice to be made by the routinely skilled in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention, to have substituted Schneider’s substrates by having one wider than the other, as a matter of design choice of materials, in order to come up with different final shaped article as desired.
Regrading claims 10, 11, & 13: Schneider may not suggest that the first and/or second continuous substrate layer comprises a nonwoven nor backsheet comprises a laminate comprising a nonwoven layer and a film layer. However, since Schneider discloses the claimed substrates, coming up with a specific material for the substrates would be only a discovery involves a routinely skill in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have substituted Schneider’s substrates with another layer comprises a nonwoven, and a backsheet comprises a laminate comprising a nonwoven layer and a film layer, as a matter of engineering design choice, in order to come up with more effective material as desired.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. For example, the mentioned references per the attached PTO-892 suggesting similar method for assembling disposable pant diapers, comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, positioned between two parallel elastic bands.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMEH TAWFIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4470. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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/SAMEH TAWFIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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