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 .
Response to Arguments
Claims 1-16 are pending, with claims 13-16 newly added.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 14 May 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 11 under 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Taniguchi et al. (US 2017/0008462 A1); claim(s) 1-2 under 103 as being unpatentable over Taniguchi et al. (US 2017/0008462 A1) in view of Abe (JP-H06227305 A); have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in further view of Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1). Al Sayed et al. teaches the amended claim limitations.
Prior 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ) rejections and drawing objections are withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claims 11-12 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11: “a paneling” is read as "a floor paneling"
Claim 12:“the material structure wear layer” is read as “the at least one material structure wear layer”.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-10, and 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taniguchi et al. (US 2017/0008462 A1) in view of Abe (JP-H06227305 A) and Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Taniguchi et al. discloses a method for producing a sound insulation, a paneling with nonwoven insulation for a vehicle (Paneling 1 with nonwoven 30; Para. 0030; Fig. 2. Nonwoven in structure of 30 described as raw yarn heated and molded; Para. 0080-0082):
wherein the nonwoven insulation and/or the paneling having different acoustic and/or mechanical-physical properties over its surface and/or thickness(Fig. 2: Insulation 30 and paneling 1 have different thicknesses. 40 in insulation 30. 40 of insulation 30 having a different density; Para. 0039),
wherein the paneling comprises at least one material structure wear layer, wherein the at least one material structure wear layer is a (Carpet/wear layer 20 with visible surface layer 26 and sublayers 25 and backing layer; Para. 0053; Fig. 1-2),
wherein the nonwoven insulation is a single-layer or multilayer nonwoven which has a density distribution over its length and/or width and which oriented over its entire surface or partially towards the at least one material structure wear layer (Insulation 30 comprises 40 having a different density; Para. 0039,0062,0073. 40 with fibers 44 oriented in direction D3 partially towards wear layer 20; Para. 0059; Fig. 2) , ;
wherein the nonwoven being positioned in a forming tool and is preformed by closing and reopening the forming tool (In structure of insulation 30 preliminary molded with shape of silencer 1; Para. 0082; Fig. 2), wherein thicknesses and/or contour jumps of the nonwoven insulation being compensated for and by blowing in fibers and/or inserting nonwoven pads (Insulation 30 with contour 31 preliminarily formed and nonwoven pad 40 inserted; Para. 0058).
Taniguchi et al. fails to explicitly disclose subsequently, the at least one material structure wear layer (Concavo-convex shapes of wear layer 20 formed by press molding; Para. 0053 Fig. 2) is placed over it (30; Fig. 2) and the forming tool (Insulation 30 200; Fig. 7) closes and opens after a defined form closing time; and the at least one material structure wear layer with connected nonwoven insulation is removed and subsequently trimmed (Paneling 1 with insulation 30 (not connected to wear layer 20) removed from tool 200 and cut; Para. 0089), and the single-layer or multi-layer nonwoven insulation as well as the at least one material structure wear layer are inserted into the forming tool in the board blank in a heated state.
However, Abe teaches subsequently, the at least one material structure wear layer is placed over it the nonwoven insulation and the forming tool closes and opens after a defined form closing time (Abe: Wear layer 13 placed over felt layer 15 in forming tool 1; Para. 018-0020; Fig. 1); and the at least one material structure wear layer with connected nonwoven insulation is removed and subsequently trimmed (Abe: Wear layer 13 with connected felt layer 15 removed from tool 1 and moved to trim mold; Para. 0021; Fig. 2). Abe and Taniguchi et al. are in similar fields comprising vehicle floor paneling. Modifying Taniguchi et al. with teachings of Abe would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein subsequently, the at least one material structure wear layer is placed over and the forming tool closes and opens after a defined form closing time for the purpose of preventing deformity of the adjoined layer (Abe: Para. 0010); and the at least one material structure wear layer with connected nonwoven insulation is removed and subsequently trimmed for the purpose of conforming to a desired shape.
Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe fails to explicitly disclose the single-layer or multi-layer nonwoven insulation as well as the at least one material structure wear layer are inserted into the forming tool in the board blank in a heated state. However, Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1) teaches the single-layer or multi-layer nonwoven insulation as well as the at least one material structure wear layer are inserted into the forming tool in the board blank in a heated state (Al Sayed: Individual layers heated independently; Para. 0017,0019. Material structure wear layer, a carpet can be heated independently; Para. 0025. Then all layers are brought together and laminated; Para. 0027-0028). Al Sayed et al., Abe, and Taniguchi et al. are in similar fields comprising vehicle floor paneling. Modifying Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe with teachings of Al Sayed et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the single-layer or multi-layer nonwoven insulation as well as the at least one material structure wear layer are inserted into the forming tool in the board blank in a heated state for the purpose of temperature and time settings of each layer (Al Sayed: Para. 0027).
Regarding Claim 2, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 1. Claim 2 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1; detailed discussion is omitted for brevity.
Regarding Claim 3, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven pads are positioned in 2D board form or in 3D preformed form (Nonwoven pads 40 positioned in 3D form of 31; Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven insulation are heated, wherein the nonwoven insulation being heated in a heating station with hot air flow and/or by radiation (Fibers of nonwoven 30/40 heated by hot air circulation or infrared radiation; Para. 0081).
Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. fail to explicitly disclose wherein the wear layer with underlying sublayers (Wear layer 20 with sublayers 25 and backing; Para. 0053; Fig. 2) and the nonwoven insulation are heated in separate process steps, wherein the nonwoven insulation being heated in a heating station with hot air flow and/or by radiation and/or the at least one material structure wear layer being heated in a heating station with an IR radiation field or in a contact heating field.
However, Al Sayed et al. further teaches wherein the wear layer with underlying sublayers and the nonwoven insulation are heated in separate process steps, wherein the nonwoven insulation being heated in a heating station with hot air flow and/or by radiation and/or the at least one material structure wear layer being heated in a heating station with an IR radiation field or in a contact heating field (Al Sayed: Individual layers heated independently; Para. 0017,0019; Carpet/wear layer be radiation field; 0024-0025). Modifying Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. with additional teachings of Al Sayed et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the wear layer with underlying sublayers and the nonwoven insulation are heated in separate process steps, wherein the nonwoven insulation being heated in a heating station with hot air flow and/or by radiation and/or the at least one material structure wear layer being heated in a heating station with an IR radiation field or in a contact heating field for the purpose of temperature and time settings of each layer (Al Sayed: Para. 0027).
Regarding Claim 5, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven insulation has a density distributionnonwoven insulation’s entire surface or partially towards the at least one material structure wear layer (Insulation 30 comprises 40 having a different density along length and width; Para. 0039,0062,0073. 40 with fibers 44 oriented in direction D3 partially towards wear layer 20; Para. 0059; Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 6, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven insulation comprises a base nonwoven with nonwoven pads partially distributed over the surface in a predetermined manner (Nonwoven 30 as a base comprises nonwoven pads 40; Para. 0063,0067. 31 formed/predetermined for inserting 40; Para. 0058; Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 8, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1. Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. fail to explicitly disclose wherein the at least one material structure wear layer is stretched before the forming tool and is stretched, in a transverse direction and/or a longitudinal direction.
However, Al Sayed et al. further teaches wherein the at least one material structure wear layer is stretched before the forming tool and is stretched in a transverse direction and/or in a longitudinal direction (Al Sayed: Composite layers stretched before forming tool in transversely and longitudinally; Para. 0019,0030-0032. Modifying Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. with additional teachings of Al Sayed et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the at least one material structure wear layer is stretched before the forming tool and is stretched in a transverse direction and/or in a longitudinal direction for the purpose of saving material (Al Sayed: Para. 0022).
Regarding Claim 9, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one material structure wear layer and the nonwoven insulation are positioned in the forming tool following contours of the forming tool (Materials arranged according to positional relation to be laid in vehicle before press molding; Para. 0084).
Regarding Claim 10, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the sound insulation paneling is used for an interior of the vehicle (Paneling 1 installed in floor, side wall, veiling, dashboard of interior; Para. 0030,0032; Fig. 1).
Regarding Claims 13-14 and 15-16, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 4. Claims 13-14 and 15-16 are rejected for similar reasons as claim 4; detailed discussion is omitted for brevity.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taniguchi et al. (US 2017/0008462 A1) in view of Abe (JP-H06227305 A), Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1), and Wei et al. (US 2020/0130611 A1).
Regarding Claim 7, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven insulation comprises a recycled sandwich nonwoven, having fiber scattering material (Fibers of insulation 30 may be reclaimed wool fibers or regenerated cotton fibers; Para. 0068; Fig. 2. Reclaimed/regenerated is recycled). Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. fail to explicitly disclose wherein the nonwoven insulation comprises a recycled sandwich nonwoven with a nonwoven in a core layer, having fiber scattering material with different scattering amounts over the length and width of the nonwoven in the core layer.
However, Wei et al. teaches wherein the nonwoven insulation comprises a sandwich with a core layer, having fiber scattering material with different scattering amounts over the length and width of the in the core layer (Wei: Sandwich panel with core layer 100 varies its basis weight along directions d1 and d2; Para. 0074-0076; Fig. 1. Basis weight of core varied by addition of fibers; Para. 0093,0096). Wei et al., Abe, Al Sayed et al., and Taniguchi et al. are in similar fields comprising multi-layered composites. Modifying Taniguchi et al. as modified by Abe and Al Sayed et al. with teachings of Wei et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the nonwoven insulation comprises a recycled sandwich nonwoven with a nonwoven in a core layer, having fiber scattering material with different scattering amounts over the length and width of the nonwoven in the core layer for the purpose of varying the basis weight across the core layer (Wei: Para. 0093).
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taniguchi et al. (US 2017/0008462 A1) in view of Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Taniguchi et al. discloses a sound insulation, a paneling with nonwoven insulation for a vehicle (Paneling 1 with nonwoven 30; Para. 0030; Fig. 2. Nonwoven in structure of 30 described as raw yarn heated and molded; Para. 0080-0082), wherein the nonwoven insulation and/or the floor paneling having different acoustic and/or mechanical-physical properties over the area and/or thickness, of the nonwoven insulation (Fig. 2: Insulation 30 and paneling 1 have different thicknesses. 40 in insulation 30. 40 of insulation 30 having a different density; Para. 0039),
wherein the floor paneling having at least one material structure wear layer, wherein the at least one material structure wear layer is a surface(Carpet/wear layer 20 with visible surface layer 26 and base/sublayer 25; Para. 0053; Fig. 1-2),
wherein the nonwoven insulation is a single-layer or multilayer nonwoven which has a density distribution over length and width and which has fibers oriented over the entire surface or partially towards the at least one material structure wear layer (Insulation 30 comprises 40 having a different density; Para. 0039,0062,0073. 40 with fibers 44 oriented in direction D3 partially towards wear layer 20; Para. 0059; Fig. 2), wherein thicknesses and/or contour jumps of the nonwoven insulation being compensated for by blown in fibers and/or inserted nonwoven pads (Insulation 30 with contour 31 preliminarily formed and nonwoven pad 40 inserted; Para. 0058).
Taniguchi et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein, during production, the tempered at least one material structure wear layer is applied separately over the tempered nonwoven insulation, so that a process temperature is introduced into the at least one material structure wear layer and nonwoven insulation.
However, Al Sayed et al. (DE-102018114125-A1), teaches wherein, during production, the tempered at least one material structure wear layer is applied separately over the tempered nonwoven insulation, so that a process temperature is introduced into the at least one material structure wear layer and nonwoven insulation (Al Sayed: Individual layers heated independently; Para. 0017,0019. Material structure wear layer, a carpet can be heated independently; Para. 0025. Then all layers are brought together and laminated; Para. 0027-0028). Al Sayed et al. and Taniguchi et al. are in similar fields comprising vehicle floor paneling. Modifying Taniguchi et al. with teachings of Al Sayed et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein, during production, the tempered at least one material structure wear layer is applied separately over the tempered nonwoven insulation, so that a process temperature is introduced into the at least one material structure wear layer and nonwoven insulation for the purpose of temperature and time settings of each layer (Al Sayed: Para. 0027).
Regarding Claim 12, Taniguchi et al. as modified by Al Sayed et al. discloses the sound insulation (Fig. 8) according to claim 11, wherein the nonwoven insulation is a multilayer nonwoven in which first nonwoven layer of the nonwoven insulation which adjoins the material structure wear layer is lower than that of at least a second nonwoven layer of the nonwoven insulation or nonwoven layers which lie towards a vehicle floor (In Fig. 8: Nonwoven 30 with first layer 30 adjoins wear layer 20 has low compressive strength/hardness in the thickness direction D3 compared to second layer 40 with high compressive strength/hardness which lie towards vehicle floor 80; Para. 0062-0063).
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.
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/JENNIFER B OLSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/DEDEI K HAMMOND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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