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
1. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/18/2026 has been entered.
Examiner’s Note
2. Newly added claim 21 includes the phrase “a frequency equal to or greater than 20 kHz”. There is no explicit support for specific frequencies in Applicant’s Specification filed 01/03/2023. However, in reviewing this Application, it came to the Examiner’s attention that [0003] of Applicant’s Specification noted the article “Ultrasonic welding of Thermoplastic Composites” by Irene Villegas as prior art. Villegas taught that “Ultrasonic welding is cataloged as a friction welding technique in which the parts to be welded, i.e., adherends, are subjected to high frequency (typically between 20 and 50 kHz)” (paragraph 2 of the INTRODUCTION Section). Given that this is a prior art definition of ultrasonic welding, and for the sake of compact prosecution, the Examiner will consider the referencing of Villegas as implicit support for the new subject matter of claim 21 and a 112(a) rejection is unnecessary. Villegas was not noted in any of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statements, however the Examiner has considered it and a PDF copy is to be added to the case file with the mailing of this Office Action.
Response to Arguments
3. Upon further search and consideration, better prior art was found to address the limitations that Extol previously addressed and a new set of rejections are presented below. Consequentially, Applicant’s arguments filed 05/18/2026 directed to the combination of Sano and Extol are moot.
35 U.S.C. 103 Rejections
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-2, 3-7, 14-16, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano (US 2015/0246480; previously presented) in view of Singh (YouTube Video “Ultrasonic Welding: Plastics” by IIT Roorkee; presented by Professor Inderdeep Singh; dated 04/01/2019; hereafter Singh; NPL with relevant screenshots included with Office Action).
Regarding claim 1, Sano teaches a method for welding thermoplastic composite components (title), best displayed in [0077] wherein a first and second composite components that both contain thermoplastic matrix material (“fiber-reinforced plastics”, noted as a matrix in [0002]) and weld region surfaces (“portions to be joined”, also “contact portion”) are brought into stationary contact at the weld region surfaces (“brought into contact… [and] started to apply the pressurizing force”), ultrasonically welded by melting the thermoplastic resin with an ultrasonic welding device with a sonotrode (horn) at an engagement surface (“a surface portion”) of one of the components, and then kept in contact until the matrix material of both components are cooled below their melt temperatures (“solidifying” implies the matrix material is brought below the melting points). Both composites have some melt temperature, and therefore there is a first and second melt temperature. Sano teaches that ultrasonic welding involves direct contact between the first and second components ([0022]).
Sano does not teach that the ultrasonic welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces. In a related art, Singh teaches of an ultrasonic welding technique wherein the welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces with the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface (See Screenshot 1 and relevant transcript). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the proposed invention for the ultrasonic welding device of Sano to move in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces as suggested by Singh for the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface.
Regarding claims 2 and 4, Sano doesn’t differentiate between the two materials ([0029]), this implies that they are the same material which is relevant to claim 4. Sano explicitly teaches using polyamide (PA), polyethersulfone (PES), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as well as similar resins ([0054]).
Regarding claims 5 and 6, Sano teaches that the composite components contain reinforcement contains carbon fibers ([0028]-[0030]).
Regarding claim 7, Sano teaches the use of unidirectional fibers in their composite material, possibly stacked orthogonally ([0034]). In the case that both the first and second component have unidirectional fibers, each component would have an outermost fiber reinforcement layer that would have a plurality of fiber all extending substantially along a second fiber orientation, next to the weld region.
Regarding claim 14, as mentioned in claim 1, Sano teaches that there is a welding force applied by the sonotrode to the engagement surface of the first thermoplastic composite component or the second thermoplastic composite component that the sonotrode is contacting (“pressurizing force”-[0077]).
Regarding claim 15, Sano teaches a method for welding thermoplastic composite components (title), best displayed in [0077] wherein a first and second composite components that both contain thermoplastic matrix material ([0002]) and a plurality of fibers for composite reinforcement (“fiber-reinforced plastics”) and weld region surfaces (“portions to be joined”, also “contact portion”) are brought into stationary contact at the weld region surfaces (“brought into contact… [and] started to apply the pressurizing force”), ultrasonically welded by melting the thermoplastic resin with an ultrasonic welding device with a sonotrode (horn) at an engagement surface (“a surface portion”) of one of the components, and then kept in contact until the matrix material of both components are cooled below their melt temperatures (“solidifying” implies the matrix material is brought below the melting points). Both composites have some melt temperature, and therefore there is a first and second melt temperature. Sano teaches that ultrasonic welding involves direct contact between the first and second components ([0022]) and a pressurizing force that would be normal to the engagement surface is applied both before and during welding ([0023]).
Sano does not teach that the ultrasonic welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces. In a related art, Singh teaches of an ultrasonic welding technique wherein the welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces with the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface (See Screenshot 1 and relevant transcript). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the proposed invention for the ultrasonic welding device of Sano to move in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces as suggested by Singh for the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface.
Regarding claim 16, Sano teaches the use of unidirectional fibers in their composite material, possibly stacked orthogonally ([0034]). In the case that both the first and second component have unidirectional fibers, each component would have an outermost fiber reinforcement layer that would have a plurality of fiber all extending substantially along a second fiber orientation, next to the weld region.
Regarding claim 21, Sano teaches a method for welding thermoplastic composite components (title), best displayed in [0077] wherein a first and second composite components that both contain thermoplastic matrix material (“fiber-reinforced plastics”, noted as a matrix in [0002]) and weld region surfaces (“portions to be joined”, also “contact portion”) are brought into stationary contact at the weld region surfaces (“brought into contact… [and] started to apply the pressurizing force”), ultrasonically welded by melting the thermoplastic resin with an ultrasonic welding device with a sonotrode (horn) at an engagement surface (“a surface portion”) of one of the components, and then kept in contact until the matrix material of both components are cooled below their melt temperatures (“solidifying” implies the matrix material is brought below the melting points). Both composites have some melt temperature, and therefore there is a first and second melt temperature. Sano teaches that ultrasonic welding involves direct contact between the first and second components ([0022]).
Sano does not teach that the ultrasonic welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces. In a related art, Singh teaches of an ultrasonic welding technique wherein the welding device moves in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces with the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface (See Screenshot 1 and Transcript). Singh specifically notes that the vibration is at least 20kHz (Screenshot 1 and Transcript timestamp 7:38). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the proposed invention for the ultrasonic welding device of Sano to move in a direction axis parallel to the welding surfaces as suggested by Singh for the advantage of heat only being generated at the welding surface.
6. Claims 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano and Singh as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Rajadurai et al. (NPL- “Optimization of Ply Orientation of Different Composite Materials for Aircraft Wing”; dated June 2017; previously presented; hereafter known as Rajadurai).
Regarding claims 8-13, Sano does not teach the orientation of the fibers on a unidirectional fiber sheet, but does teach as an example of multilayer unidirectional fiber layers may be perpendicular ([0034]). In a similar field of endeavor, Rajadurai teaches orientation of fibers between layers (known as plies) of composite structures are various and highly dependent on the complexity of the intended structure (page labelled 111, Section I- Introduction). Specifically, the optimal orientation is found through experimentation (last sentence of the introduction). Claims 8-13 are directed towards specific fiber orientations. MPEP 2114.05.II.A states- "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Rajadurai teaches the orientations of 0°, ±30°, ±45°, ±75°, and 90° as an example, and consequentially it is the opinion of the Examiner that these orientations mentioned by Rajadurai describe the general conditions of claims 8-13, and would consequentially be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and therefore unpatentable.
7. Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano and Singh as applied to claim 16 above, and in further view of Rajadurai.
Regarding claims 17-20, Sano does not teach the orientation of the fibers on a unidirectional fiber sheet, but does teach as an example of multilayer unidirectional fiber layers may be perpendicular ([0034]). In a similar field of endeavor, Rajadurai teaches orientation of fibers between layers (known as plies) of composite structures are various and highly dependent on the complexity of the intended structure (page labelled 111, Section I- Introduction). Specifically, the optimal orientation is found through experimentation (last sentence of the introduction). Claims 17-20 are directed towards specific fiber orientations. MPEP 2114.05.II.A states- "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Rajadurai teaches the orientations of 0°, ±30°, ±45°, ±75°, and 90° as an example, and consequentially it is the opinion of the Examiner that these orientations mentioned by Rajadurai describe the general conditions of claims 17-20, and would consequentially be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and therefore unpatentable.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER S WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571) 272-8343. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:30am-5:00 pm EST.
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/ALEXANDER S WRIGHT/Examiner, Art Unit 1745
/ALEX B EFTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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