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 .
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 3, 10, 12 and 19-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3, 10, 12 and 19-20 recite the limitation, “when an amount of the polyolefin contained in the polyamide resin layer (A) is defined as P mass%, an amount of the polyolefin contained in the polyamide resin layer (B) is from 0.5 P to 2.0 P mass%, and an amount of the polyolefin contained in the polyamide resin layer (C) is from 0.5 P to 2.0 P mass%.” The term “when” makes the limitation conditional and it is not clear whether the limitation is required in claims 3, 10, 12 and 19-20 or not. For purposes of examination, said limitation has been interpreted as being optional and not 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura et al. (US 2018/0257354, cited by applicant) in view of Manai et al. (US 2008/0014397).
Nakamura discloses A hollow structure for fuel, comprising a polyamide resin layer (A), a polyamide resin layer (B), and a polyamide resin layer (C) in this order from an outside, wherein the polyamide resin layer (A) comprises a polyamide resin (a), 90 mol% or more of all structural units of the polyamide resin (a) being one or more of: a structural unit derived from a lactam having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms; a structural unit derived from an aminocarboxylic acid having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms; a structural unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and a structural unit derived from an aliphatic diamine having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms,
wherein the polyamide resin layer (B) comprises a polyolefin, a polyamide resin (b1), and a polyamide resin (b2); a content of the polyolefin is from 5 to 40 mass% of the polyamide resin layer (B); and a mass ratio (b1/b2) between a content of the polyamide resin (b1) and a content of the polyamide resin (b2) is from 55/45 to 95/5, the polyamide resin (b1) comprising: a diamine-derived structural unit containing 70 mol% or more of a structural unit derived from metaxylylenediamine; and a dicarboxylic acid-derived structural unit containing 70 mol% or more of a structural unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, the polyamide resin (b2) comprising: a diamine-derived structural unit containing 70 mol% or more of a structural unit derived from xylylenediamine; and a dicarboxylic acid-derived structural unit containing 70 mol% or more of a structural unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having from 9 to 12 carbon atoms,
wherein the polyamide resin layer (C) comprises a conductive substance and a polyamide resin (C) (paragraphs [0011-0014], [0019], [0021-0063], [0066], [0082-0098], [0123], [0131-0132], [0136], [0140-0147]).
Nakamura does not disclose wherein an amount of an eluate in an eluate test using a pseudo fuel in the hollow structure for fuel is 25 g/m3 or less.
Manai discloses wherein an amount of an eluate in an eluate test using a pseudo fuel in the hollow structure for fuel is 25 g/m3 or less (paragraphs [0018-0021], [0038], [0048-0053], [0131-0133] and Table 3) in order to remove impurities such as low molecular weight monomers and/or oligomers (paragraphs [0018-0021]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant’s invention was made to have provided wherein an amount of an eluate in an eluate test using a pseudo fuel in the hollow structure for fuel is 25 g/m3 or less in Nakamura in order to remove impurities such as low molecular weight monomers and/or oligomers as taught or suggested by Manai.
Nakamura discloses wherein the polyolefin contained in the polyamide resin layer (B) is an acid-modified polyolefin, wherein each polyolefin contained in the polyamide resin layer (A), the polyamide resin layer (B), and the polyamide resin layer (C) is an acid-modified polyolefin, wherein, in the polyamide resin layer (B), a total of the polyolefin, the polyamide resin (B1), and the polyamide resin (B2) accounts for more than 95 mass% of the polyamide resin layer (B), wherein the conductive substance comprises a conductive carbon compound, wherein the conductive substance comprises carbon black and/or carbon nanotubes, wherein a content of the conductive substance in the polyamide resin layer (C) is from 3 to 30 mass%, wherein the polyamide resin layer (A) comprises a plasticizer in a proportion of from 1 to 20 mass% in the polyamide resin layer (A), wherein 90 mol% or more of all structural units of the polyamide resin (c) are one or more of a structural unit derived from a lactam having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, a structural unit derived from an aminocarboxylic acid having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, a structural unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and a structural unit derived from an aliphatic diamine having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms (paragraphs [0011-0014], [0019], [0021-0063], [0066], [0082-0098], [0123], [0131-0132], [0136], [0140-0147]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL C MIGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1494. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 1-9 pm EST.
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/MICHAEL C MIGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
MCM
October 17, 2025
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