Ex Parte Osorio

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Feb 11, 2016

13003365 (P.T.A.B. Feb. 11, 2016)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE
13/003,365 04/25/2011
11632 7590
Hoffmann & Baron, LLP
6900 Jericho Turnpike
Syosset, NY 11791
02/12/2016
FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
Islene Osorio
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
1421-284 PCT/US 8368
EXAMINER
SMITH, CHAIM A
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
1792
MAILDATE DELIVERY MODE
02/12/2016 PAPER
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte ISLENE OSORIO
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003 ,3 65 1
Technology Center 1700
Before BRADLEY R. GARRIS, GEORGE C. BEST, and
BRIAND. RANGE Administrative Patent Judges.
RANGE, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
SUMMARY
Appellant appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134 from a rejection of claims 1-
11 and 13. We have jurisdiction. 35 U.S.C. § 6(b ). We review the appealed
rejections for error based upon the issues identified by Appellant and in light
of the arguments and evidence produced thereon. Cf Ex parte Frye, 94
USPQ2d 1072, 1075 (BPAI 2010) (precedential) (citation omitted).
We AFFIRM.
1 According to the Appellant, the real party in interest is "Kraft Foods
Global Brands LLC (by change of name Intercontinental Great Brands LLC
- Mondelez Global LLC)." Appeal Br. 1.
1
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
STATEMENT OF CASE
Appellant describes the present invention as directed to a package for
containing a plurality of consumable pieces. Appeal Br. 2. Independent
claims 1 and 9 are on appeal along with dependent claims 2-8, 10, 11, and
13. Claims 1 and 9, reproduced below, are illustrative of the claimed subject
matter:
1. A package for containing a plurality of consumable pieces
comprising: a package housing formed from cardboard for
containing said consumable pieces, said package housing having
a rectangular configuration including opposed major surfaces
and opposed end walls which are adhesively closed and a
separation location about said housing including said major
surfaces which permits separation of said housing into at least
two compartments, each compartment containing at least one of
said consumable pieces and wherein said separation location
defines an opening of each compartment for dispensing said at
least one consumable piece therefrom.
9. A package assembly comprising: a package housing having a
generally rectangular configuration having opposed major surfaces
and opposed end walls which are adhesively closed defining a
package interior; and a pair of confectionery pieces supported in side-
by-side spaced apart relationship; said package housing having a
rupture line perimetrically thereabout located between said spaced
apart confectionery pieces; whereby said package housing may be
separated at said rupture line to form a pair of compartments each
compartment including one said confectionery pieces.
2
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
REFERENCES
The Examiner relied upon the prior art identified below relied in
rejecting the claims on appeal:
Huston ("Huston '4 72")
Huston ("Huston '4 73 ")
Atkinson
Kopecky
us 2, 192,4 72
us 2, 192,4 73
us 2,263,835
US 6,776,288 B2
REJECTIONS
Mar. 5, 1940
Mar. 5, 1940
Nov. 25, 1941
Aug. 17, 2004
Claims 1-11 and 13 are pending on appeal. The Examiner made the
following rejections:
Rejection 1. The Examiner rejected claims 1-10 and 13 under
35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Atkinson. Final Act. 2.
Rejection 2. The Examiner rejected claims 1-8 under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as unpatentable over Atkinson, Hutson '472, Huston '473, and Kopecky. Id.
at 5
Rejection 3. The Examiner rejected claim 11under35 U.S.C. § 103
as unpatentable over Atkinson in view of "Applicant's Admission of the
Prior Art (AAPA)." Id. at 6.
ANALYSIS
Appellant's arguments with respect to the Examiner's rejections are
discussed below. The Appellant does not independently argue any of the
dependent claim limitations. We therefore limit our discussion to claims 1
and 9. Claims 2-8, 10, 11, and 13 stand or fall with the independent claim
they depend on. See 37 C.F.R. § 41.37(c)(l)(iv) (2013).
3
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
All of the Examiner's rejections focus on Atkinson. Figure 5 of
Atkinson is reproduced below:
Atkinson's Figure 5 depicts how its rectangular packaging may be broken in
half to expose two sugar cubes. See Atkinson 4:4-10. 2 Atkinson teaches
that its box may be "paper, 'Cellophane,' foil or the like .... " Id. at 1 :58-
59. Atkinson teaches the use of adhesive to retain the end folds of the
package in position. Id. at 3: 1-10. Atkinson does not teach that its box may
be cardboard.
Applicant addresses the anticipation rejection by arguing that
Atkinson fails to disclose an adhesively closed cardboard package. Appeal
Br. 5-6. Claim 1 requires that the package housing be "formed from
cardboard." Id. at 8. Thus, Applicant's argument raises the issue of whether
or not "paper" as disclosed in Atkinson reaches the "cardboard" limitation
recited in claim 1 of the '365 application.
The '365 application does not define cardboard in any manner, and it
provides little context for the meaning of cardboard as used in claim 1.
Thus, we consider the ordinary meaning of cardboard. Cardboard is made of
2 Atkinson's columns are not numbered. We refer to the two columns of
page 1 as columns 1 and 2 and the two columns of page 2 as columns 3
and4.
4
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
paper. See THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® COLLEGE DICTIONARY 218
(Houghton Mifflin Co., 4th ed. 2002) (defining cardboard as "[a] stiff
material made of pressed paper pulp or pasted sheets of paper and used for
making cartons, for example"). Cardboard is not merely a type of paper,
however. Thus, because Atkinson does not disclose that its box may be
made of cardboard, we reverse the § 102(b) rejection of claims 1-8.
Claim 9, however, does not require cardboard. As such, Appellant's
argument concerning an adhesively closed cardboard package does not
apply. Applicant makes no additional arguments as to why Atkinson does
not anticipate claim 9. Thus, we affirm the Examiner's rejection of claims 9,
10, and 13 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).
To address obviousness, the Examiner cites Huston '473, Huston
'4 72, and Kopecky to demonstrate that "it was quite old and well established
by [sic, to] form package housings capable of containing a plurality of
consumable pieces from cardboard and it would have been obvious to the
ordinary skilled artisan to modify Atkinson if required and to form the
package housing from cardboard." Final Act. 5-6. We agree with this
finding and conclusion, and Applicant does not dispute this point. Instead,
Applicant argues that the four cited references do not teach "major surfaces
which allow a user to grip the package and provide enough leverage to break
apart the cardboard material." Appeal Br. 6.
The '365 Specification uses the term "major surfaces" only once.
Spec. 3 :21-22 ("the formed package 10 is generally a rectangular member
having opposed major surfaces 32 and 34"). It appears that the claim and
Specification use the term "major surfaces" merely to identify the larger
surfaces of its rectangular package. Nothing suggests that the use of the
term "major surfaces" excludes embodiments where four sides of
5
Appeal2014-006280
Application 13/003,365
rectangular packaging are the same size. Thus, we find the surfaces used to
grip and break apart the packaging of Atkinson are "major surfaces."
Accordingly, we affirm the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-8 under
35 U.S.C. § 103.
Applicant makes no separate arguments with respect to the
Examiner's rejection of claim 11 under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Therefore, that
rejection is also affirmed.
DECISION
For the above reasons, the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-8 under
35 U.S.C. § 102(b) is reversed. The Examiner's rejection of claims 9, 10,
and 13 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) is affirmed. The Examiner's rejections of
claims 1-8 and 11 under 3 5 U.S. C. § 10 3 are affirmed.
No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with
this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a).
AFFIRMED
6
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Notice of References Cited
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Application/Control No.
13/003,365
Examiner
Chaim Smith
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Name
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
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NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS
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Applicant(s)/Patent Under
Reexamination
Art Unit
1700 I Page 1 of 1
Classification
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u THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® COLLEGE DICTIONARY 218 (Houghton Mifflin Co., 4th ed. 2002)
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*A copy of this reference 1s not being furnished with this Office action. (See MPEP § 707.05(a).)
Dates in MM-YYYY format are publication dates. Classifications may be US or foreign.
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PT0-892 (Rev. 01-2001) Notice of References Cited Part of Paper No.
The
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1. English language .. -D kfamarie:;, 2. 1\mericanisms. I
Houghton Mifflin Company. 11. Arneri.:an Heritage
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1::'El628 ,A6227 2002
423--dc21
Manufactured in the United St,1tes of A.merka
2001039826
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::ns
card"
tmd}f!g wool
(.3«:!inal
moi~ cardl~al
Cardlnaii'i crmifnaJ.is
cardioid
r.onstru-ct;;;d from drc!~ DEF
and its :iHi!nt5 through
fix~:d pofnt D
ulcer< Gk karkinorna < karkfof.•S, 01r..cer.] -r.~:- 1d .. ncl1ma""toid
(-110f1n~-toid1 ) adj . . · -(Z!f .. (i""homfa"tous (-;:16m'a-b~~
-nOlm~-) ml}.
o:ar 11 dll!no1-unl"to .. sJ5 (kl!r":?d··nCi 1mJ-tO;!i:fa) r.i. A ps.thoJ>Jgicat
i::onditii:•n r.harac:terh~ed by the presence of citrd.nom~ that have
rneta:;;t~r.ized ta many parts vi the body. [Gk, karkinanw~
karkin01t1ah cance-rous uk:-er; ~.r.c c~GtN0~.1iA + --OSI-5-.1
car -::;oat n, An ovi::rcoat ex.tending t•:< about midtltlgh. -
(!lftl 1 (kf.ird) rt 1. A .. flat= u.s:u. rectc;m.g-clar pie;::{; of stiff paper~
-:.:an:1boa.rdi at pla.sti·:~ esp.: a, On.e rJf?.. ;::et or pack b~ar.tng m.nn-
bo;;rs.~ :zymbofa, o:r figurer., u:1ed ill games and in dlv.i:aation, b. A
gre~ting t:3.fd, '-·A pmt card.. cl. 0~1.e beri.r.iil.g a perzon~:";> :n.a..."'lY!e a.nd
oth~r b1io:m1atk1.n1 ·~med for p!~rpo.:;eri uf .identific;rcion or dassifi-
c:ation. e .. A busU1cs~ card. f. A credit c.arI point N. Ono of the four prrncipl directions nn a 00,
pass: nort.1.\, south, ~a;;:t, or west. ~
cardSnai virtue n. One of the four pa-ramcuritvi.."'ti.J.es in d;i.s.i.;~
phllasaphy: ju:1ti:.::·~~ prudence, fortitud.~) ot t-emperani::t":. •{
~ardio;:_ ~r ,~,~~·- _pref. . H~a~1: ratdiova ... .:ufor. (Gk. kard;
< ki:U•d!l~ nean. See kerd- m App.J
~af•(!i•O'!J"'"ic.(~~r' 1 ~An im:tr~ment med tr; 1
c~~rd th·~ rnEr.:han.k.;o:l 11wven:1cnts of t..~e heart. 1. S.ee e~eo;tro.;:;
d1ograph. -~·car1dl>og';a•pliy ( ·cg>ro-fo) n.
car ... di ... o~d (kartd~~-0.iJ.1 ) n. Ahei.'!rt·shape:d plane onve, the ]a"
of a nx.~d point on a dtdr. that :runs on. the drcumforencc of~
athct dn:.k ·«ith the .same l'ad:ius.
carcdico~·fP{;f}' (kar 1 de-Olf~-:je) n. Th;::: medkal st1Jdy oft
strn.cture, fun~tkm. and d?:rnrd~r.s (~£ the ~·.~rui:. ~-car 1 dt~,
!ugri"'t:al (-,,-lOj!ink~l} ai# -car'di.,o!to"g~~t n.
carcdi"'O"fflY;.Op"a 11 thy Otartd;e .. o~:mr-Op>~-th~) n.~ pi. -foie"
dise!i wild th:istlc:.} '
Car-do•zo (lr&r-d~lzo), Be!ljamin Nath•n 1S7!}--l938. Am
j11rfat; associate jw.;tk~ cf the US S!Jpre::w.e Cou1t (1932·-·33).
~artl•rtharp (kanYsharp!) also card<)sharp"ef (-~harr;:;~r) ri.
expe~t in. cheatinB :?..t ce.::-ds. ----c~rdish~rp'i"1g n. "
C~r .. duc 11 d (klfr .. dCl•:l.:-he), G~osu~ "l!B.5-1907. halian p•Jet\~
vmn the .1906 NrJ!:d Pril.e fo.r llteratvre.
care {ld.r) n. 1 .. d., burr n1ind. 4a~ To have a !ikii:.g m atta-::::hn1:mt, b. Tc h
a wish; be i.ndined, ----tr. 1. To wish; desire. 2. To be concm
-~~~-E:~ d~gn::r. of: I don:! t:Q1~ ~hit. lMt Ja.t.dka.i 1. To cauae (a ~hip) to careeu: tilt 2, Tokar
ship) en one .s\dc fo.t ckaning1 i:n.ull swerve/' esp~df1
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