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 allowance. 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 21 November 2025 has been entered.
Prosecution was reopened in response to the citation of GB 2016432 in the IDS submitted on 21 November 2025. However, is not applied herein because, after subsequent search and consideration, CN 109293248 was determined to be closer prior art. It is noted that claims 3-5 were canceled by examiner’s amendment in the Notice of Allowance filed on 14 August 2025. Therefore, claims 1-2 and 7-21 are pending.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiu (CN 109293248), as evidenced by Ravishankar et al. (US 2015/0273451 A1).
Qiu discloses a method for preparing ultrafine glass fibers ([0008]) (i.e., a process for treating a fiber substrate) comprising:
obtaining glass fibers ([0009]) (i.e., providing the fiber substrate, wherein the fiber substrate comprises glass fibers);
adding the glass fiber to a rare earth salt solution ([0011]) comprising a rare earth element selected from at least one of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, europium, terbium, yttrium, samarium, ytterbium, thulium, erbium, holmium, dysprosium, lutetium, and scandium ([0015]) in a chloride solution ([0016]), wherein in a rare earth chloride solution, the rare earth is the cation and the chloride is the anion, as evidenced by Ravishankar ([0027]) (i.e., introducing the fiber substrate to a salt solution, wherein the salt solution comprises divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or a combination thereof; wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, and Lu3+);
drying the glass fiber after the use of the rare earth salt solution ([0011]) (i.e., drying the fiber substrate).
Although Qiu does not explicitly state that metal cations are deposited on the fiber substrate, wherein the depositing entails the metal cations being entangled in the fiber substrate (i.e., depositing the metal cations onto the fiber substrate . . . after the metal cations have been deposited; the divalent and trivalent metal cations are deposited by entangling in the fiber substrate), since Qiu discloses the same process for treating a fiber substrate, it is asserted that, absent evidence to the contrary, one would reasonably expect that the process as taught by Qiu functions the same as the process recited in claim 1. Specifically, it is asserted that one would reasonably expect the process of Qiu would result in metal cations deposited on the fiber substrate, where they are entangled in the fiber substrate, because the cations are implicitly coupled to fibers which are modified by the coupling of the metal cations to the fibers ([0023]: “coupling agent”), and “coupling” can be interpreted to entail depositing of the cations on the fiber substrate. Furthermore, the fiber substrate of Qiu can be interpreted as a fiber capable of entangling metal cations since the metal cations of the salt solution are implicitly on the fiber after the treatment of the fibers with the rare earth salt solution ([0011]-[0012]). If it is Applicant’s position that this would not be the case: (1) evidence would need to be provided to support Applicant’s position; and (2) it would be the Office’s position that the application contains inadequate disclosure as to how to obtain the claimed physical property with only the claimed steps.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiu, as applied to claim 1 above, and as evidenced by Chan et al. (US 2006/0281119 A1).
Qiu teaches an acid immersion pretreatment of the glass fiber ([0010]), wherein an acid bath was known in the art to expose SiOH groups on glass, as evidenced by Chan ([0077]) (i.e., increasing an amount of SiOH species on the glass fibers (claim 7); wherein the amount of SiOH is increased by an acid leaching (claim 8)).
Regarding claim 9, the acid immersion step of Qiu precedes treating the rare earth salt solution step (claim 1; [0010]-[0011]) (i.e., wherein the acid leaching occurs before introducing the fiber substrate to the salt solution).
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dankovich (US 2019/0242064 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Dankovich discloses a method for forming a substrate (Abstract) by applying an aqueous solution of nanoparticle precursors to an assembly of fibers (claim 1; [0026]) including glass fibers ([0043]) (i.e., a process for treating a fiber substrate; providing the fiber substrate, wherein the fiber substrate comprises glass fibers) comprising:
applying the aqueous solution to the substrate, the solution including a metal salt and a reducing agent ([0036]; claim 1), the metal salt including aluminum, colbalt, and/or manganese (claim 7) (i.e., introducing the fiber substrate to a salt solution, wherein the salt solution comprises divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or a combination thereof; wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: Co2+ or Co3+, Al3+, Mg2+);
providing metal nanoparticles in the substrate (claim 1; [0009]) after drying (claim 1; [0037]-[0038]) (i.e., depositing the metal cations onto the fiber substrate; drying the fiber substrate, after the metal cations have been deposited).
Regarding “wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are deposited by entangling in the fiber substrate,” since the metal nanoparticles are in the substrate (claim 1; [0009], [0038]), the method of Dankovich is interpreted as including metal cations that are entangled in the fiber substrate.
Regarding claim 2, Dankovich teaches a metal salt that includes aluminum, colbalt, and/or manganese (claim 7) (i.e., wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from Co2+ or Co3+, Al3+, Mg2+).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dankovich.
Dankovich discloses a filter media that includes glass fibers ([0018])
applying the aqueous solution to the substrate, the solution including a metal salt and a reducing agent ([0036]; claim 1), the metal salt including aluminum, colbalt, and/or manganese (claim 7) (i.e., introducing the fiber substrate to a salt solution, wherein the salt solution comprises divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or a combination thereof; wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: Co2+ or Co3+, Al3+, Mg2+);
providing metal nanoparticles in the substrate (claim 1; [0009]) after drying (claim 1; [0037]-[0038]) (i.e., depositing the metal cations onto the fiber substrate; drying the fiber substrate, after the metal cations have been deposited).
Regarding “wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are deposited by entangling in the fiber substrate,” since the metal nanoparticles are in the substrate (claim 1; [0009], [0038]), the method of Dankovich is interpreted as including metal cations that are entangled in the fiber substrate.
Claim Objections
Claims 10-13 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
A thorough search for pertinent prior art did not locate any prior art that discloses or suggests the invention recited in claims 10-21.
The concept of a process for treating a fiber substrate, the process comprising:
providing the fiber substrate, wherein the fiber substrate comprises glass fibers;
introducing the fiber substrate to a salt solution, wherein the salt solution comprises divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or a combination thereof;
depositing the metal cations onto the fiber substrate; and
drying the fiber substrate, after the metal cations have been deposited,
wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: Mn2+, Co2+, Co3+, Ga3+, Al3+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, La3+, Bi3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, and Lu3+,wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are deposited by entangling in the fiber substrate (claim 1);
further comprising: increasing an amount of SiOH species on the glass fibers (claim 7); wherein the amount of SiOH is increased by an acid leaching (claim 8); wherein the acid leaching occurs simultaneously with introducing the fiber substrate to the salt solution (claim 10);
wherein an amount of the divalent and trivalent metal cations on the fiber substrate is increased by at least 0.001 wt% of the fiber substrate (claim 11);
wherein an amount of the divalent and trivalent metal cations on the fiber substrate is at least 0.005 wt% of the fiber substrate (claim 12);
wherein an amount of the divalent and trivalent metal cations on the fiber substrate is between 0.001 and 3.0 wt% of the fiber substrate (claim 13)
is considered to define patentable subject matter over the prior art.
Likewise, the concept of a filter media substrate comprising:
fiberglass, wherein the fiberglass has been treated to increase an amount of divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or both at least 0.001 wt%,
wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: Mn2+, Co2+, Co3+, Ga3+, Al3+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Bi3+, La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, Lu3+,
wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are deposited on the fiberglass by entangling in the fiberglass (claim 14)
is considered to define patentable subject matter over the prior art.
Finally, the concept of a process for treating a fiber substrate, the process comprising:
providing the fiber substrate, wherein the fiber substrate comprises glass fibers;
introducing the fiber substrate to a salt solution, wherein the salt solution comprises divalent metal cations, trivalent metal cations, or a combination thereof;
depositing the metal cations onto the fiber substrate; and
drying the fiber substrate, after the metal cations have been deposited,
increasing an amount of SiOH species on the glass fibers,
wherein the divalent and trivalent metal cations are selected from a group consisting of: Mn2+, Co2+, Co3+, Ga3+, Al3+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, La3+, Bi3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, and Lu3+,wherein the amount of SiOH is increased by an acid leaching,
wherein the acid leaching occurs simultaneously with introducing the fiber substrate to the salt solution (claim 21)
is considered to define patentable subject matter over the prior art.
The closest prior art is Qiu (CN 109293248), which discloses a method for preparing ultrafine glass fibers ([0008]) comprising:
obtaining glass fibers ([0009]);
adding the glass fiber to a rare earth salt solution ([0011]) comprising a rare earth element selected from at least one of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, europium, terbium, yttrium, samarium, ytterbium, thulium, erbium, holmium, dysprosium, lutetium, and scandium ([0015]) in a chloride solution ([0016]); and
drying the glass fiber after the use of the rare earth salt solution ([0011]).
However, regarding claims 11-14, Qiu does not suggest a final weight percentage of the rare earth element relative to the glass fibers, and regarding claims 10 and 21, Qiu does not suggest that acid leaching occurs simultaneously with introducing the fiber substrate to the salt solution.
Other close prior art is Dankovich (US 2019/0242064 A1), which discloses a method for forming a substrate (Abstract) by applying an aqueous solution of nanoparticle precursors to an assembly of fibers (claim 1; [0026]) including glass fibers ([0043]) comprising:
applying the aqueous solution to the substrate, the solution including a metal salt and a reducing agent ([0036]; claim 1), the metal salt including aluminum, colbalt, and/or manganese (claim 7);
providing metal nanoparticles in the substrate (claim 1; [0009]) after drying (claim 1; [0037]-[0038]).
However, Dankovich also does not suggest a final weight percentage of the nanoparticle precursors relative to the glass fibers, and no step is disclosed that can be regarded as acid leaching.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL E GITMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7934. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:15-5:45pm.
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/GABRIEL E GITMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772