Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 11961422, I will review the patent citations listed on the Google Patents page for US11961422B2. Given the extensive list of citations, I will prioritize those that were explicitly mentioned in the PTAB challenges or in the detailed description of US11961422, as these are typically considered highly relevant. Subsequently, I will briefly scan other citations to identify any additional highly relevant references. For each identified prior art, I will provide its full citation, publication/filing date, a brief description, and discuss which claim(s) of US11961422 it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Analysis of Prior Art Citations for US11961422

The following patent citations have been identified from the Google Patents record for US11961422B2 and are analyzed for their relevance to the independent claims (Claim 1: Recyclable Shrink Label, Claim 17: Article, Claim 22: Method of Making, Claim 23: Method of Recycling).

1. US2003/0118804A1 to Furuya

• Full Citation: US2003/0118804A1 (Furuya)
• Publication Date: 2003-06-26
• Filing Date: 2002-12-16
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a heat-shrinkable polyester film with excellent printability and adhesion, suitable for full-body shrink labels. The film can be a laminate and is designed for applications requiring heat shrinkage. While it focuses on printability and adhesion, it does not explicitly disclose a dedicated light blocking layer designed to block at least 80% of light across the 200-900 nm range, nor does it detail specific recyclability aspects related to ink removal from a clear PET substrate to enable co-recycling with clear PET containers.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Does not anticipate Claim 1, 17, 22, or 23 because it lacks the specific feature of a "light blocking layer... constructed to block at least 80% of incident light having wavelengths in a range of 200 nm to 900 nm" and the method steps related to recycling with wash-off inks from clear PET.

2. US6696150B2 to Schramm

• Full Citation: US6696150B2 (Schramm)
• Publication Date: 2004-02-24
• Filing Date: 2000-09-29
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a heat-shrinkable label film made of a polyolefin, particularly polypropylene, which can include a filler such as titanium dioxide to render it opaque. The film is designed for labels and can be printed upon. It mentions a high degree of opacity but does not specify a separate "light blocking layer" with a quantifiable light blocking threshold across the broad 200-900 nm spectrum. It primarily addresses opacity for aesthetic or visual hiding purposes, rather than specific light spectrum protection for product shelf life, and does not focus on recyclability with clear PET containers.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Does not anticipate Claim 1, 17, 22, or 23. While it discusses opaque shrink films, it lacks the explicit teaching of a dedicated "light blocking layer" designed for a specific light blocking percentage over the 200-900 nm range, nor the specific recycling methodology for co-recycling clear PET label and container with wash-off inks.

3. US6211093B1 to Takasu

• Full Citation: US6211093B1 (Takasu)
• Publication Date: 2001-04-03
• Filing Date: 1999-03-22
• Brief Description: This patent describes a heat-shrinkable polyester film suitable for labels, characterized by its low specific gravity and high transparency. It focuses on properties like tearability and low specific gravity for easier recycling processes by flotation separation. While it addresses recyclability and heat-shrinkable films, it does not disclose a light-blocking layer or composition designed to block a specific percentage of incident light in the 200-900 nm range. Its emphasis is on transparency and specific gravity for recycling, not light protection.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Does not anticipate Claim 1, 17, 22, or 23. It addresses recyclable shrink films but lacks the core inventive concept of a specific light-blocking layer with defined performance and the method for recycling light-blocking inks from a clear PET stream.

4. US6153288A to Shih et al.

• Full Citation: US6153288A (Shih et al.)
• Publication Date: 2000-11-28
• Filing Date: 1999-04-09
• Brief Description: This patent describes an ink-receptive composition and a method for making a printable film using this composition. The composition enhances the printability of films, including polyester films, by providing improved ink adhesion and print quality. US11961422 explicitly references this patent for ink-receptive compositions that can be optionally included in its labels. However, Shih et al. does not disclose a light blocking layer, recyclability, or the specific light blocking performance claimed in US11961422.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Does not anticipate any of the independent claims (1, 17, 22, 23) of US11961422, as it focuses on printability and ink adhesion rather than the specific light blocking, heat shrink, or recyclability features of the claimed invention.

5. US6106982A to Mientus et al.

• Full Citation: US6106982A (Mientus et al.)
• Publication Date: 2000-08-22
• Filing Date: 1999-07-28
• Brief Description: This patent describes a biaxially oriented multilayer film that can include a transparent topcoat layer for protection and enhanced aesthetics of underlying print layers. US11961422 references this patent for examples of topcoat layers. Similar to Shih et al., Mientus et al. does not disclose a light blocking layer, its specific performance (e.g., 80% blockage in 200-900nm), or the recyclability features central to US11961422.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Does not anticipate any of the independent claims (1, 17, 22, 23) of US11961422, as its focus is on protective or aesthetic topcoat layers for films, not on light blocking or recyclability as claimed.

Conclusion on Most Relevant Prior Art for Anticipation:

Based on the analysis of these key cited prior art documents, none of them individually appear to anticipate the independent claims (1, 17, 22, and 23) of US11961422 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. While some references discuss heat-shrinkable films, opacity, or recyclability (e.g., low specific gravity), they lack the combined and specific limitations of US11961422. Specifically, no single prior art reference explicitly discloses:

• A "light blocking layer" configured to block "at least 80% of incident light having wavelengths in a range of 200 nm to 900 nm" (Claim 1).
• The method of recycling an article where both a PET container and a recyclable shrink label with light-blocking components are directed into a PET recycling stream and washed to remove inks and pigments, resulting in a clear, unstained washed article (Claim 23).

The prior art identified, even those considered significant enough for PTAB challenges under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (obviousness), do not individually disclose every element of the independent claims of US11961422, particularly the specific light-blocking performance, the layer configuration, and the explicit recycling methodology for the light-blocking label with clear PET containers. Further analysis of the vast number of other cited references would be required for a comprehensive non-anticipation assessment, but based on the most relevant, the core inventive concept of US11961422 remains distinct.