DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to amendments received 30 January 2026.
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 Objections
Claims 15-18 and 21-23 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 15, line 8, and should be added before “applying.”
Regarding claim 15, line 9, “composite sports paddle head” should be changed to composite molded sports paddle head as introduced in lines 1-2 of the claim to distinguish from the sport paddle head composite material.
Regarding claim 16, for clarity, the body of the claim should be changed to: wherein simultaneously molding includes during molding of the composite molded sports paddle head.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 15-18 and 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Davis et al. (WO 2022/217045 A1; hereinafter Davis).
Regarding claim 15, Davis discloses a method of manufacturing a composite molded sports paddle head [102] of a composite molded sports paddle [100] comprising the head [102] with a hitting surface [110]; a throat [114]; and a handle [112], comprising providing a sport paddle head composite material [118] (see paragraph 0009: “[t]he core may comprise a woven composite material” and paragraph 0072: “[t]he core structure 118 may be formed of…composites”); providing an outer cured textured layer [120, 122] (see paragraph 0059: “[t]he composite skins may be formed and cured in a separate step” and paragraph 0061: “[t]he uncured composite skins are cured in the autoclave”) or a semi cured textured layer; simultaneously molding the sport paddle head composite material [118] and the outer cured textured layer [120, 122] or the semi cured textured layer in a single step (see paragraph 0061: “[t]he uncured composite skins are cured in the autoclave and then assembled with the core and heated in a platen press”) whereby the outer cured textured layer [120, 122] or the semi cured layer is adhered to the sport paddle head composite material [118], applying a molded textured area [190] (see paragraph 0062: “light texture” and paragraph 0080: “[d]uring a curing process, a peel-ply 186, such as frosted glass or frosted aluminum, may be used to provide a texture 190 to a striking surface of the sandwich panel 102”) to the composite sports paddle head [102] (paragraphs 0009-0010, 0057-0065, 0069-0074, 0080, and Figures 1-3 and 7).
Regarding claim 16, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein during molding (see paragraph 0061: “heated in a platen press”) includes during molding of the composite molded sports paddle head [102] applying various skin textures (see [190]) to the head [102] (paragraphs 0061-0063, 0080, and Figure 7; wherein composite skins [120, 122] are previously textured and applied during molding in the platen press).
Regarding claim 17, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 16, wherein the composite molded sports paddle head [102] includes opposite sides (see [120, 122]) and applying various skin textures (see [190]) includes at least one of applying different skin textures to a side (see [120]) and applying different skin textures to an opposite side (see [122]), the different skin textures including one or more of different friction, different roughness, different variable roughness, different variable surface textures, different patterns, and different drag coefficients (paragraphs 0010, 0058, 0065, 0069, 0080, and Figures 1- 3 and 7; wherein "[t]he first skin and a second skin may be formed of different materials" and "the first composite skin 120 and the second composite skin 122 are different and express different material properties," and thus have one or more of different textures, friction, roughness, patterns, and drag coefficients).
Regarding claim 18, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein molding the composite molded sports paddle head [120] includes one of internal pressurized molding the composite molded sports paddle, composite compression molding (see paragraph 0061: “heated in a platen press”) the composite molded sports paddle, and combined compression with internal pressure molding the composite molded sports paddle (paragraphs 0059, 0061, 0065).
Regarding claim 21, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein the composite molded sports paddle [100] is a composite molded pickleball paddle [100] (paragraphs 0057, 0065, and Figure 1).
Regarding claim 22, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein the hitting surface [110] includes a variable surface texture (see [190]) (paragraphs 0010, 0058, 0062-0065, 0069, 0080, and Figure 7; wherein “[t]he first skin and a second skin may be formed of different materials” and “the first composite skin 120 and the second composite skin 122 are different and express different material properties,” and thus have different surface textures; i.e., variable surface textures).
Regarding claim 23, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein the hitting surface [110] includes progressive drag coefficients (paragraphs 0010, 0058, 0065, 0069, and 0080; wherein "[t]he first skin and a second skin may be formed of different materials" and "the first composite skin 120 and the second composite skin 122 are different and express different material properties," and thus have different drag coefficients; i.e., one drag coefficient is larger than the other).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 30 January 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding page 5 of the Remarks, the applicant argued that Davis teaches curing the molded texture with the core of the paddle head and thus does not disclose "simultaneously molding the sport paddle head composite material and the outer cured textured layer or the semi cured textured layer in a single step whereby the outer cured textured layer or the semi cured layer is adhered to the sport paddle head composite material, applying a molded textured area to the composite sports paddle head." The examiner disagrees. Although Davis discloses one method of curing the skins [120, 122] in conjunction with the core [118], Davis also discloses a different method of curing the skins [120, 122] separately from the core [118] and then coupling the skins [120, 122] with the core [118] after a curing process (paragraphs 0010, 0059-0061). The skins [120, 122] are first cured and then they are assembled with the core [118] and heated in a platen press (paragraphs 0061 and 0066), which amounts to a single molding step wherein the previously cured skins [120, 122] are pressed and molded to the core [118]. Davis discloses that the previously cured skins [120, 122] are later coupled to the core [118] with adhesive or resin through an autoclaving process/in a platen press (paragraphs 0061 and 0066). As such, Davis discloses the method of manufacturing recited in claim 15.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUDREY B. WALTER whose telephone number is (571)270-5286. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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/AUDREY B. WALTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711