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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant’s submission filed on February 23, 2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on February 23, 2026 have been entered. Claims 1-7 and 9-11 remain pending in the application.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okumura et al (US 5451632 A).
Regarding Claim 1: Okumura teaches a resin composition comprising a polycarbonate-polyorganosiloxane (PC-PDMS) copolymer with repeat units reading on instant formula (I) (col. 2, lines 7-35, repeating units I and II) and instant formula (II) (col. 2, lines 36-51, structural unit III), which may be in the form of a block copolymer (col. 4, lines 8-17), and an inorganic filler such as a carbon fiber (col. 10, lines 65-69) surface coated with an epoxy resin (col. 11, lines 41-44). Okumura teaches that the composition comprises 2-95 wt% of the PC-PDMS copolymer, 0-90 wt% of a second polycarbonate, and 5-55 wt% of the inorganic filler (col. 11, lines 60-69). Based on calculations, the sum of PC-PDMS and carbon fiber is from 7-100 wt% of the composition. This overlaps the claimed range. In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05 (I). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an overlapping amount of the PC-PDMS and carbon fiber and would have been motivated to do so, especially on the high end of the range, to improve the stiffness (col. 12, lines 1-5) and flame resistance (col. 14, lines 48-52) of the composition.
Okumura teaches a flame retardant as an optional, but non-necessary, component (col. 16, lines 10-22).
Regarding Claim 2: Based on calculations, the content of the carbon fiber is from 5-2750 parts by weight per 100 parts of PC-PDMS. This overlaps the claimed range. In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05 (I). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an overlapping amount of the carbon fiber and would have been motivated to do so, especially on the lower end of the range, to balance the stiffness and mixability of the composition (col. 12, lines 1-6).
Regarding Claims 3-4: Okumura teaches phenol and phosphorus-based antioxidants (col. 15, lines 49-51).
Regarding Claim 5: Okumura teaches 0.08 parts by weight (800ppm) of an antioxidant, based on 100 parts of PC-PDMS (col. 23, lines 20-22).
Regarding Claim 6: Okumura teaches a chain length of the polyorganosiloxane segment is from 1-500 (col. 2, lines 36-51), with examples having chain lengths of 30-350 (col. 19, line 59-col. 20, line 13).
Regarding Claim 7: Okumura teaches 0.01-10wt% of the polysiloxane structural unit in the copolymer (col. 4, lines 28-39). This overlaps the claimed range. In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05 (I). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an overlapping amount of the polyorganosiloxane unit in the copolymer and would have been motivated to do so since Okumura teaches this amount allows for a balance of flame resistance, impact resistance, and heat resistance (col. 4, lines 28-39).
Regarding Claim 9: Okumura teaches molded articles (col. 37, lines 14-19).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okumura et al (US 5451632 A).
Okumura teaches a method of improving a property of a composition comprising a polycarbonate-polyorganosiloxane (PC-PDMS) copolymer with repeat units reading on instant formula (I) (col. 2, lines 7-35, repeating units I and II) and instant formula (II) (col. 2, lines 36-51, structural unit III), which may be in the form of a block copolymer (col. 4, lines 8-17), and an inorganic filler such as a carbon fiber (col. 10, lines 65-69) surface coated with an epoxy resin (col. 11, lines 41-44). Okumura teaches that the composition comprises 2-95 wt% of the PC-PDMS copolymer, 0-90 wt% of a second polycarbonate, and 5-55 wt% of the inorganic filler (col. 11, lines 60-69). Based on calculations, the sum of PC-PDMS and carbon fiber is from 7-100 wt% of the composition. This overlaps the claimed range. In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05 (I). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an overlapping amount of the PC-PDMS and carbon fiber and would have been motivated to do so, especially on the high end of the range, to improve the stiffness (col. 12, lines 1-5) and flame resistance (col. 14, lines 48-52) of the composition. Okumura teaches a flame retardant as an optional, but non-necessary, component (col. 16, lines 10-22). The method comprises adjusting a blending ratio of PC-PDMS and carbon fiber to improve properties such as the flow of the composition (col. 14, lines 48-52).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7 and 9-11 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.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAITLIN N ILLING whose telephone number is (571)270-1940. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Eashoo can be reached at (571)272-1197. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.N.I./Examiner, Art Unit 1767
/MARK EASHOO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1767