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
Claim 114 is withdrawn from consideration as being directed to the non-elected method invention.
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.
Claims 95-113 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (US 2022/0410094) in view of Kelley (US 2004/0125688):
Regarding claim 95, Zhu discloses a system for thermoset manufacturing, comprising: a pipe segment comprising: a pipe body (22) having an exterior surface (an exterior surface of 88, which is a portion of 32), an interior surface (34), a main inlet portion (a portion including the top end of 36 as seen in Fig. 6), a main outlet portion (a portion including the bottom end of 36 as seen in Fig. 6), a secondary inlet portion (a portion including 92), and a secondary outlet portion (a portion including 94), the interior surface defining a main chamber (36) extending from the main inlet portion to the main outlet portion, and the pipe body defining a secondary chamber (90) between the exterior surface and the interior surface and extending from the secondary inlet portion to the secondary outlet portion, wherein the main inlet portion comprises a main inlet orifice (the top end of 36 as seem in Fig. 6), the main outlet portion comprises a main outlet orifice (the bottom end of 36 as seen in Fig. 6), the secondary inlet portion comprises a secondary inlet orifice, and the secondary outlet portion comprises a secondary outlet orifice; and a mixing element (42) disposed within the main chamber such that the main chamber and the mixing element form a static mixing chamber; a three-way junction (the Y-junction at the top of Fig. 6) comprising a first inlet connection, a second inlet connection, and an outlet connection, wherein the three-way junction is in fluid communication with the static mixing chamber via the outlet connection and the main inlet orifice (see Fig. 6); at least one of a thermoset resin, an epoxy resin, and a polyester resin (see [0095] and [0096]) flowing through the first inlet connection, the outlet connection, and the main inlet orifice; at least one of a thermoset hardener, an epoxy hardener, a polyester hardener, a hardener additive, and a catalyst (see [0095] and [0096]) flowing through the second inlet connection, the outlet connection, and the main inlet orifice; a heated fluid flowing through the secondary chamber via the secondary inlet orifice and the secondary outlet orifice; a mixed fluid comprising the materials flowing through the first inlet connection and the second inlet connection, the mixed fluid being disposed within the static mixing chamber; and a thermoset manufacturing station (106 or a portion thereof) in fluid communication with the main outlet orifice and configured to receive the mixed fluid discharged through the main outlet orifice, wherein the thermoset manufacturing station is configured to manufacture a thermoset product using the mixed fluid received from the main outlet orifice. However, the three-way junction is not disclosed to be a three-way “valve”. Kelley teaches a three-way junction being a valve (see [0026]). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have utilized a three-way valve as the three-way junction at taught by Kelley to facilitate flow control.
Regarding claim 96, the pipe segment comprises a nozzle and the pipe body comprises a nozzle body (see Figs. 6 and 16A-16D).
Regarding claim 97, though Zhu expressly discloses the pipe segment is fabricated using additive manufacturing (see [0097]), it should be note that method steps of manufacturing are not limiting in a claim to a product.
Regarding claim 98, the pipe body comprises at least one of a metal, titanium, a metal alloy, steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, and a copper alloy (see [0094]).
Regarding claim 99, the interior surface comprises a nonstick coating (see [0042]).
Regarding claim 100, the nonstick coating comprises a chemical-based coating (see [0042]).
Regarding claim 101, the pipe body is configured to transfer heat from the heated fluid in the secondary chamber to the materials in the static mixing chamber to maintain a predetermined mixing temperature for at least one of the materials (see [0086]-[0089]).
Regarding claim 102, the secondary chamber comprises at least one path for the heated fluid, the at least one path extending from the secondary inlet orifice to the secondary outlet orifice (see [0086]-[0089]).
Regarding claim 103, the at least one path comprises a spiral path extending from the secondary inlet orifice to the secondary outlet orifice (see Fig. 16B).
Regarding claim 104, the at least one path comprises a plurality of paths substantially circling the main chamber, the plurality of paths being interconnected on an inlet end with an inlet routing path from the secondary inlet orifice and interconnected on an outlet end with an outlet routing path to the secondary outlet orifice (see [0087]).
Regarding claim 105, the at least one path comprises a plurality of paths extending substantially longitudinally or angled longitudinally in relation to the main chamber, the plurality of paths being interconnected on an inlet end with an inlet routing path from the secondary inlet orifice and interconnected on an outlet end with an outlet routing path to the secondary outlet orifice (see [0087]).
Regarding claim 106, the mixing element comprises at least one of a spiral mixing element, a helical mixing element, a baffle mixing element, and a stair-step mixing element (see Figs. 6-15).
Regarding claim 107, flange (102) and the discussion of fasteners in [0043], [0044] and [0090] would have rendered the flange connection of this claim obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date.
Regarding claim 108, first and second pumps are disclosed (see [0213]). It would be understood that reservoirs for the source materials are necessary. Kelley is relied up as above concerning the obviousness of providing valves for flow control.
Regarding claim 109, a heater is disclosed (see [0086]), and [0044] and [0086]-[0088] render the remaining features of this claim obvious.
Regarding claim 110, a temperature sensor is disclosed (see [0044]).
Regarding claim 111, the disclosure of a temperature sensor in [0044] and the discussion of a heater and temperature control in [0086] would controlling the heater in the claimed manner.
Regarding claim 112, the discussion of molds in [0214] would have rendered injecting a mold obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date.
Regarding claim 113, the thermoset manufacturing station comprises a composite-part tool configured to receive the mixed fluid by infusion for resin infusion (see Figs. 17 and 22).
Claims 109-111 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (US 2022/0410094) in view of Kelley (US 2004/0125688) as applied to claim 109-111 above, and further in view of Feldmeier (US 1,863,786). Though these claims are rejected as unpatentable over Zhu (US 2022/0410094) in view of Kelley (US 2004/0125688) alone above, Feldmeier is cited for conventional details of heat exchange systems, such as reservoirs (6,10), pumps (4,9), valves, heater, and heater controller (15, 17, 18, 19). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have included these conventional components to complete the system suggested in [0044] and [0086]-[0088] of Zhu.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments are mood due to all new claims and reliance upon Zhu (US 2022/0410094).
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 DAVID L SORKIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1148. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire X Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID L. SORKIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1774
/DAVID L SORKIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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