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 § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wood et al. (6,942,477).
Regarding claims 1-8, Wood et al. disclose a mold for sequentially curing sections of a belt includes two end zones 24, 28, a center zone 20, and transition zones 32, 36 between each end zone and the center zone. The mold is comprising:
[AltContent: textbox (Back-adjacent wall)]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (At least 8 ports coupled with different pair of channels 40A-D, 48A-D extending from the back wall to the front wall)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Manifold is shaped conforming with the mold surface)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fluid channels)][AltContent: textbox (Face-adjacent wall)][AltContent: textbox (Subsurface manifold
With peripheral wall)]
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Wherein the mold is having a manifold conforming with the mold surface and having at least 8 ports coupled with different pair of channels 40A-D, 48A-D extending from the back wall to the front wall of the mold half 10A to allow rapid temperature change in different heat transfer zones 20, 24, 28, 32, 36.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the ports occupy at most 70% of the back-adjacent wall as shown above.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the tool is a compression, transfer molding tool – col. 1, lines 23-30.
Regarding claims 10-19, Wood et al. further discloses a that the heat transfer rate can be more closely controlled by insertion of a pin or closed tube into the heat transfer cavities 50 – Fig. 3; wherein the shape and cross section of the pin at any point in a cavity can be chosen to affect the average fluid velocity and the thermal and viscous film thickness, thereby controlling the heat transfer rate at that point, and can also be used to reduce the surface area of the cavity exposed to the fluid. The pins can be easily replaced with a pin of different size or shape to adjust the flow rate and heat transfer in a given cavity without modifying the heat transfer cavities in the mold – see col. 7, lines 18-35.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manuel et al. (2004/0103709) or over Manuel et al. (2004/0103709) in view of Wood et al. (6,942,477).
Regarding claims 1-9, Manuel et al. discloses a tool 10 having several sectional members 12-17 forming an outer contour 19 mold surface 11 and coolant passages 14 that form a coolant manifold 18, wherein the coolant manifold 18 having a shape conforming to the shape of the mold surface 11 – Fig. 2, [0028] and a plurality of conduits 20, 22, 50, 52 communicatively couple cooling manifold 18 with the exterior of tool 10, wherein conduits 20, 22 are coupled to a source 39 of coolant material 40 while conduits 50, 52 function to remove or exhaust heated material 40 from tool 10, [0030].
Manuel et al. further discloses a plurality of coolant passages 14 and/or apertures 20, 22 are formed within sectional members 12-17 a predetermined distance from the respective outer contour 19 and each coolant passage 14 within a unique sectional member 16 is set apart or separated from the other coolant passages 14 formed therein, [0033].
Manuel et al. fails to disclose that the manifold has at least 6 ports but discloses that various configurations and numbers of coolant conduits can be used [0031]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide appropriate number of ports arranged in different orientations depending on the size and/or the shape of the mold in order to increase the heat transfer effects of the forming article and the mold.
Alternatively, Wood et al. discloses a mold having a manifold conforming with the mold surface and having at least 8 ports coupled with different pair of channels 40A-D, 48A-D extending from the back wall to the front wall of the mold half 10A to allow rapid temperature change in different heat transfer zones 20, 24, 28, 32, 36.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide Manuel et al. with multiple manifold ports as taught by Wood et al. in order to provide rapid and uniform heat transfer during the molding process.
Regarding claims 10-19, Wood et al. further discloses pins or closed tubes 50 – Fig. 3; wherein the shape and cross section of the pin at any point in a cavity can be chosen to affect the average fluid velocity and the thermal and viscous film thickness and control the heat transfer rate at that point. The pins can be easily replaced with a pin of different size or shape to adjust the flow rate and heat transfer in a given cavity without modifying the heat transfer cavities in the mold – see col. 7, lines 18-35. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to one of ordinary skilled in the art to provide flowrate controlling means as taught by Wood et al. in order to control the flowrate of the heat transferring fluid within the manifold and to control the heat transfer of the mold and the molding product.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thu-Khanh T. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)272-1136. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-4:30.
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/Thu Khanh T. Nguyen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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