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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 12/19/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-16 are pending. Claims 1-10 are presented for this examination. Claims 11-16 are withdrawn.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 12/18/2924 and 06/06/2023 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-10 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Instant claims 1, 3 and 4 required “traces” as a lower limit for each alloying element amount is unclear as to whether the term “traces” means present in a very small amount, or totally absent (0%) or be present only as an impurity.
Instant claim 1 required “a second cold rolling step- the annealed sheet or strip being then carried out” is unclear as to whether the second cold rolling step is to subject the intermediate annealed sheet to a second cold rolling or something else. Second, instant claim 1 required “the cold-rolled strip or sheet… then undergoing a static final annealing…” is unclear as to whether the cold rolled strip or sheet refers to the first cold rolled or second cold rolled strip.
Instant claim 1 required “a part previously cut from the strip” is unclear as to whether the strip is part of the hot rolled strip or something else. It is also unclear when the cutting step occurs in the claimed process.
The term “neutral or reducing atmosphere” in claim 1 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “neutral” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Instant claim 1 term “Lu in m” during the intermediate annealing is unclear as to whether “m” refers to unit of length in meter or something else.
As a result of rejected claim 1, all dependent claims are also rejected under the same statue.
Claim Objection
Instant claim 1 “the effective zone Lufor 15 s to 5 min” should be recited as “the effective zone Lu for 15 s to 5 min” with a space between “Lu” and “for”.
Instant claim 1 required “26oC min <= (T-Trc).Lu/V <= 160oC min” during the intermediate annealing step should be recited as “26oC min <= (T-Trc) x Lu/V <= 160oC min” according to instant application specification.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Closest prior art is Waeckerle (US20140283953A1)
Waeckerle discloses a method of making a cold rolled steel alloy strip having Co 18-55% which suggests substantially equal atomic FeCo alloy. The method comprising hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing by passing the cold rolled strip through a continuous furnace followed by rapid cooling to a temperature below 200 degree C, then followed by static annealing 820-880 Degree C for 1-5 hours. The annealing temperature is 700-930 degree C. The annealing time is less than 10 minutes. Cooling speed at the exit of the annealing furnace is >=1000 degree C/hour. Hence, Waeckerle discloses instant claim 1 required hot rolling, first cold rolling step, an intermediate annealing, and static final annealing.
However, Waeckerle does not disclose or suggest a second cold rolling step to further bring the strip thickness to 0.05-0.25 mm; cooling at a rate of 100-500 degree C/hour after the static final annealing and adjusting the speed (V)of the passing through the continuous furnace, annealing temperature (T) and effective length (Lu) of the continuous furnace according to claimed condition of 26oC min <= (T-Trc).Lu/V <= 160oC min as required by instant claim 1.
No prior art can be found to disclose instant claim 1 required feature of above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNY R WU whose telephone number is (571)270-5515. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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/JENNY R WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1733