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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 January 23, 2026 has been entered.
Applicant’s amendment and accompanying remarks filed January 23, 2026 are acknowledged.
Examiner acknowledges amended claim 1.
The rejection of claims 1-2 and 6-7 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682 is overcome by Applicant’s amendment.
The rejection of claims 8-9 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682, as evidenced by Carbon Nanotube Yarns and Sheets for Structural Composite is overcome by Applicant’s amendment.
The rejection of claims 3 and 5 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682 in view of Yu et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2020/0307153 is overcome by Applicant’s amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-2 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682 in view of Shanov et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2013/0316172.
Regarding claims 1-2 and 6-7, Liang discloses a composite material in the form of at least one sheet which comprises woven or non-woven fibers wherein the fibers of the woven or non-woven sheet can include glass fibers or carbon fibers and stitching a plurality of thermally conductive fibers through the at least one sheet thereby forming a stitched [penetrate composite material ][0006]. Paragraph 0009 discloses that the thermally conductive fiber can include a carbon nanotube yarn. Paragraph 0020 discloses that the sheet material can include a fiber reinforced polymeric composite. Paragraph 0030 discloses that the layers are stacked. Paragraph 0036 discloses that the matrix material can include thermoplastic or thermoset. Examples 1 and 2 disclose that the nanotube yarns have a diameter in the range of 20-80 microns. Paragraph 0042 discloses that the composite can comprise one, two, three, four or more sheets stacked adjacent to each other with a thickness ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 25.4 mm [500 µm to 2540 µm]. Paragraph 0018 discloses fiberglass/epoxy with carbon nanotube yarn stitching. Paragraph 0020 discloses that the glass or carbon fibers can be oriented in the X- and or Y-axis of the sheet. Applicant's claim is not specific to the "at least a single direction". Applicant's claim 1 does not exclude more than one (1) direction of the fibers. Applicant's claim 1 allows for the fibers being dispersed in any direction. It is disclosed in paragraph 0048 of Liang that the thermally conductive fibers [carbon nanotube yarn] are twisted for more flexible for stitching.
Liang is silent to the carbon nanotubes being Z-twisted. Shanov discloses in paragraph 0060 a carbon nanotube thread (yarn) is twisted in the clockwise direction [Z-twist]. Paragraph 0050 discloses that carbon nanotube thread has improved mechanical properties such as increased modulus and strength. Liang and Shanov are analogous art in that both references discloses carbon nanotube yarns[threads]. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the carbon nanotube thread of Shanov as the carbon nanotube fiber stitching thread of Liang for the benefit of obtaining a carbon nanotube yarn having enhanced mechanical properties such as increased modulus and strength.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682 in view of Shanov et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2013/0316172, as evidenced by Carbon Nanotube Yarns and Sheets for Structural Composite.
Liang and Shanov, above, remains relied upon for claim 1.
Regarding claims 8-9, Liang discloses that the carbon nanotube yarns include 3TEX from Nanocomp Technologies. Carbon Nanotube Yarns and Sheets for Structural Composite from Nanocomp Technologies provides evidence for the carbon nanotube yarns having tensile strength of 3 GPa [3000 MPa].
Claims 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2010/0021682 in view of Shanov et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2013/0316172 and in further view of Yu et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2020/0307153.
Liang and Shanov, above, remains relied upon for claim 1.
Regarding claim 3, Liang nor Shanov disclose a thermoplastic resin comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyamide resin, a polyphenylene resin, a polyphenylene sulfide resin, a polycarbonate resin and a thermoplastic polyurethane resin. However, Liang does disclose in paragraph 0036 that the matrix material for the carbon sheets can include thermoplastic. Additionally, Liang discloses in paragraph 0035 that the thermoplastic matrix material is known in the art. Yu discloses a carbon fiber reinforced composite structure comprising a plurality of carbon fiber reinforced sheets which are laminated and a stitch member penetrating one or more carbon fiber reinforced sheets wherein the carbon fiber reinforced sheets include a plurality of reinforcing carbon fibers arranged in one direction [abstract and 0015]. Paragraph 0019 of Yu discloses that the stitch member can include carbon fibers. Paragraph 0018 discloses that the carbon fiber reinforced sheet is a prepreg including a plurality of reinforcing carbon fibers arranged in one direction and a polymer resin impregnating with reinforcing carbon fibers. Paragraph 0052 discloses that the stitch member may penetrate a fiber reinforced sheet, and a fiber reinforced composite structure may include one or more stitch members. Paragraph 0051 of Yu discloses that polymer resin can include polycarbonate resin. Liang and Yu are analogous art in that both references disclose a stack of carbon fiber reinforced sheets that are penetrated by a carbon fiber yarn stitching for structural composite. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize polycarbonate resin as the thermoplastic resin matrix in the carbon fiber reinforced sheets of Liang as Yu discloses that polycarbonate resin used in a stack of carbon fiber reinforced sheets stitched with a carbon fiber yarn.
Regarding claim 5, Liang nor Shanov disclose an axial direction of the carbon fibers in at least one of the carbon fiber layers is not parallel with an axial direction of the carbon fibers in another one of the carbon fiber layers. Yu discloses in paragraph 0017 discloses the adjacent carbon fiber reinforced sheets may be laminated with the reinforcing carbon fibers arranged at an angle of 90°. Paragraph 0046 discloses adjacent fiber reinforced sheets may be laminated by setting the arrangement direction of the reinforcing fibers at 0°, 45°, or 90°, and preferably, adjacent fiber reinforced sheets may be laminated by setting the arrangement direction of the reinforcing fibers at 90°. Paragraph 0016 of Yu discloses adjacent carbon fiber reinforced sheets may have different arrangement directions of the reinforcing carbon fiber. Yu discloses in paragraph 0005 that the fiber composite structure and a method for producing the same, and more particularly, to a fiber reinforced composite structure with improved thermal conductivity in a stacking direction, while having excellent mechanical strength. Liang and Yu are analogous art in that both references disclose a stack of carbon fiber reinforced sheets that are penetrated by a carbon fiber yarn stitching for structural composite. One of ordinary skill in the art would arrange the stack of carbon fiber reinforced layer in Liang wherein an axial direction of the carbon fibers in at least one of the carbon fiber layers is not parallel with an axial direction of the carbon fibers in another one of the carbon fiber layers for the benefit enhanced mechanical strength of the Liang composite.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the present claims 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.
Conclusion
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/CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786