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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B, claims 4, 6, 13 and 14, in the reply filed on 03/09/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 7-11 and 15 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species A, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/09/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 4, 6, 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang KR 20210076429A (see Machine translation of KR 20210076429A and 18292943_2026-03-18_KR_20210076429_A_M.pdf for figures) in view of Motojima JP 2002094283A (see Machine translation of JP 2002094283A and 18292943_2026-03-18_JP_2002094283_A_M.pdf).
Regarding claim 4, Kang discloses a polarizer that polarizes electromagnetic waves, in at least figs.4-7, comprising:
a plurality of carbon fibers (11); and
a holder (13) to hold the plurality of carbon fibers in a state of being arranged with spacing between each other (see figs.4-5(c) and para.67),
wherein the plurality of carbon fibers respectively include parts extending in a same direction (see figs.5(a) and 5(b)),
the holder includes a plastic part to keep the plurality of carbon fibers embedded therein (see figs.4-5(c)), and
the plastic part contains thermoplastic resin.
Kang does not explicitly disclose the plastic part contains thermosetting resin.
Motojima discloses an analogous art, the plastic part (base material) contains thermosetting resin (para.17 and 18) or thermoplastic resin (para.17 and 18) for the purpose of forming a base material or the plastic part depending on the requirements for the hardness, mechanical strength, heat resistance, electrical resistance and durability of the product (para.17).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plastic part contains thermosetting resin or thermoplastic resin as taught by Motojima in the polarizer of Kang in order to have the plastic part contains thermosetting resin for the purpose of forming a base material or the plastic part depending on the requirements for the hardness, mechanical strength, heat resistance, electrical resistance and durability of the product or polarizer.
Regarding claim 6, Kang discloses a volume content rate of the plurality of carbon fibers relative to the polarizer is in a range from 1% to 75% (see figs.5(c) and para.67 disclose a volume content rate of the plurality of carbon fibers relative to the polarizer is about 40% or less which is in the range from 1% to 75%).
Regarding claim 13, Kang discloses a manufacturing method of a polarizer that polarizes electromagnetic waves, in at least figs.4-7, comprising:
arranging a plurality of carbon fibers (11) oriented to respectively include parts extending in a same direction (see fig.7(a) and para.81) and a plastic raw material (F1) containing thermoplastic resin on a forming die (the bottom F2)(see figs.7(a) and para.81);
molding the plastic raw material by applying pressure to the plurality of carbon fibers and the plastic raw material arranged on the forming die (see figs.7(a) and 7(b) and para.81 and 82);
forming a molded object including the plurality of carbon fibers and a plastic part filling in spaces around the plurality of carbon fibers by heating and curing the molded plastic raw material (see figs.7(b) and 7(c), para.82 and 83); and
demolding the molded object from the forming die (see fig.7(c) and para.84).
Kang does not explicitly disclose the plastic part contains thermosetting resin.
Motojima discloses an analogous art, the plastic part (base material) contains thermosetting resin (para.17 and 18) or thermoplastic resin (para.17 and 18) for the purpose of forming a base material or the plastic part depending on the requirements for the hardness, mechanical strength, heat resistance, electrical resistance and durability of the product (para.17).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plastic part contains thermosetting resin or thermoplastic resin as taught by Motojima in the manufacturing method of a polarizer of Kang in order to have the plastic part contains thermosetting resin for the purpose of forming a base material or the plastic part depending on the requirements for the hardness, mechanical strength, heat resistance, electrical resistance and durability of the product or polarizer.
Regarding claim 14, Kang discloses the arranging the plurality of carbon fibers and the plastic raw material includes arranging a prepreg (the top F2) obtained by impregnating the plurality of carbon fibers with the plastic raw material (see figs.7(a) and para.81 and 82), on the forming die (see figs.7(a) and para.81 and 82).
Contact Information
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/JIA X PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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