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 or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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 6/6/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Specifically, in lines 4-5, the claim describes the particles as being in a collapsed morphological state and then describes the particles as having two distinct morphological states. It is unclear which states are within the scope of the claim.
For purposes of examination, the Examiner interprets the claims as requiring the two distinct states. Applicants are suggested to delete “in a collapsed morphological state, the particles” in lines 4-5 of Claim 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-23 are allowed.
Specifically, while the prior art discloses porous carbon particles made from template particles or porous carbon particles which have been impregnated with resins, none of the prior art discloses porous carbon particles with deformed pores/pore walls with wall thicknesses specified and further impregnated with resins nor is there a teaching, suggestion or motivation to modify the prior art to achieve the claimed structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAISON P THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-8917. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 9:00 am-3:30 pm EST.
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/J.P.T/Examiner, Art Unit 1762
/jt/ 7/2/2025
/MARK KOPEC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762