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 .
This Office Action acknowledges the applicant’s amendment filed on 3/19/2026. Claims 1-10 are pending in the application. Claims 11-18 are cancelled.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GALLAGHER et al. US 2018/0204751 A1 in view of Hawkins US 2017/0211250 A1, both previously cited.
With regards to claim 1, GALLAGHER (Fig. 1) discloses a pod 20 comprising: a cover 22 including a cover body; a baseplate 23 including a baseplate body; and one or more inner layers (Para. 0064; several coatings such as a wear resistance coating and finishes such as corrosion, magnesium, nickel, chrome and so on) formed on the baseplate body, wherein one or more seal surfaces are formed on one or more of the inner layers to provide sealing between the cover and the baseplate (Para. 0070; method of integral sealing container), wherein the wear-resistant outermost coating of the first seal surface disposed to directly contact the cover when the cover 22 is placed on the baseplate (Para. 0070; door to shell gasketed interface can be formed integrally to the surface structures).
GALLAGHER recites the use of an outermost wear-resistant coating but it does not specifically disclose the one or more seal surfaces each including a wear-resistant outermost coating with a Rockwell C hardness of 70 or greater.
However, Hawkins teaches that it was known in the art to use a wear-resistant outermost coating with a Rockwell C hardness of 70 or greater. (Para. 0021 and claim 6). Hawkins also teaches in (para. 0021) the wear resistant coating may be applied to the outer surface of components in a system that frequently contact together.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the seal surfaces in GALLAGHER by providing a wear-resistant outermost coating with a Rockwell C hardness of 70 or greater as taught by Hawkins for the purposes of providing protection to components in a system that frequently contact or rub together.
With regards to claim 2, Hawkins further teaches the Rockwell C hardness of the wear-resistant outermost coating is 80 or greater. (claim 6)
With regards to claim 3, GALLAGHER discloses a wear-resistant outermost coating but it does not specifically disclose it is one of titanium nitride, chromium nitride, diamond-like carbon, or diamond-nickel composite.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the outermost coating be one of titanium nitride, chromium nitride, diamond-like carbon, or diamond-nickel composite, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
With regards to claim 4, GALLAGHER discloses a first seal surface having a first wear- resistant outermost coating is formed on the baseplate body and a second seal surface having a second wear-resistant outermost coating formed on the cover body, wherein the first wear- resistant outermost coating is the same as the second wear-resistant outermost coating. (Para. 0064 and 0070)
With regards to claim 6, GALLAGHER discloses the one or more seal surfaces include a first seal surface formed on the baseplate body, the baseplate 23 including the wear-resistant outermost coating of the first seal surface. (Para. 0064; carrier being finished with a wear-resistant coating and 0070; molded integral gasket structures formed in place)
With regards to claim 7, GALLAGHER discloses the baseplate body 23 includes aluminum, the wear-resistant outermost coating formed on the aluminum. (Para. 0063-0064)
With regards to claim 10, GALLAGHER discloses the one or more wear-resistant outer surfaces of the one or more seal surfaces extend along an entire perimeter of the baseplate 23. (Para. 0064 and 0070)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/19/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant argues “Gallagher does not disclose the specific ‘inner layers formed on the baseplate body’ now recited in claim 1.”, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. Gallagher discloses in para. 0064, several types of coatings and finishes that may be applied to a pod (container), one being, a wear resistant coating. In para. 0070, Gallagher recites, the sealing interface is a door to shell gasketed interface, as the Applicant recites in the remarks, however, further in para. 0070, it recites the structures can be integrally formed. Therefore, the gasket would not be considered a separate piece as argued, it is a part of the container enclosure and door, inner layer and the coating would be on the outer layer. Further, Hawkins also teaches in (para. 0021) the wear resistant coating is be applied to the outer surfaces of components in a system that frequently contact together, to provide protection.
The Applicant argues “Gallagher does not disclose a first seal surface on the baseplate body and a second seal surface on the cover body, each having a wear-resistant outermost coating. Gallagher cannot be said to teach or suggest that the first and second wear-resistant outermost coatings are the same. Gallagher's discussion of coatings generally and gasketed interfaces does not disclose Applicant's opposed hard-coated seal surfaces.”, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. Gallagher recites in para. 0070, that the sealing interface is a door to shell gasketed interface, and as stated above the structures can be integrally formed together. Gallagher recites in para. 0064, that a wear-resistant coating can be applied to the container, therefore, the first and second wear-resistant outermost coatings are the same.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENINE SPICER whose telephone number is (313)446-4924. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Thursday.
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/JENINE SPICER/Examiner, Art Unit 3736
/CHUN HOI CHEUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736
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