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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/17/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 6, 8-9 and 11-13 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.
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks (pages 1-9), filed 08/18/2026, with respect to claim 10 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim 10 has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 6, 8-9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (CN 109487318 B).
Regarding claim 6, Li et al. teaches a metal molded article having a first surface (half of 4), a second surface (the other half of 4) opposite to the first surface (as shown in fig. 1), and a side surface (2 and 3) connecting the first surface and the second surface to each other (as shown in fig. 1), the metal molded article comprising: a first side surface area (2) located at a first height of the side surface of the metal molded article (as shown in fig. 1); and a second side surface area (3) located at a second height different from the first height of the side surface of the metal molded article (as shown in fig. 1), wherein the first side surface area (2) comprises a plurality of fine trenches (6) formed side by side in a long groove shape extending from the first surface to the second surface (as shown in fig. 1), wherein the plurality of fine trenches (6) are formed as open recessed grooves at an outer surface of the first side surface area (2), the open recessed grooves are formed by pores of an anodic aluminum oxide film (as disclosed in Step S3, in the description), wherein the plurality of fine trenches (6) are formed side by side in the outer surface of the first side surface area (2) of the metal molded article (as shown in fig. 1), and wherein the second side surface area (3) does not include fine trenches formed by pores of the anodic aluminum oxide film (as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Li et al. teaches the limitations of claim 6, in addition, Li et al. teaches wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion (6) and a body portion (2), and the protruding tip portion (6) is made of a material different from a material of the body portion (2) (2 is a fiber optic and 6 is gold).
Regarding claim 9, Li et al. teaches the limitations of claim 6, in addition, Li et al. teaches wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion (6) and a body portion (2), and the protruding tip portion (6) has the same width as a central portion of the body portion (2) (portion of 2 where 6 is positioned on top), but has a lower height than the central portion of the body portion (2) (as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Li et al. teaches the limitations of claim 6, in addition, Li et al. teaches wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion (6) and a body portion (2), and the protruding tip portion (6) is provided at a corner of the end of the metal molded article (6 are provided at different corners of the top of the metal molded article, as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, Li et al. teaches the limitations of claim 6, in addition, Li et al. teaches wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion (6) and a body portion (2), and the protruding tip portion (6) is provided at a center of the end of the metal molded article (6 are provided at the center of the top of the metal molded article, as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Li et al. teaches the limitations of claim 6, in addition, Li et al. teaches wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion (6) and a body portion (2), and the protruding tip portion (6) is made of a material having a higher hardness than a material of the body portion (2) (6 is gold, which has a higher hardness than fiber optic).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, the prior art fails to specifically teach a metal molded article having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface to each other, the metal molded article comprising: wherein at least one end of the metal molded article comprises a protruding tip portion and a body portion, and the protruding tip portion has the same height as a central portion of the body portion, but has a narrower width than the central portion of the body portion, in combination with all the limitations of the claim.
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 ROBERTO VELEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8597. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 5:30am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached at (571)272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERTO VELEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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