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 .
Response to Amendment
Withdrawn Rejections
The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections of claims 9-17 are withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment and clarifications in the response filed on April 7, 2026.
The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claims 1-20 over Kuniyasu in view of Ichihashi, is withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment filed on April 7, 2026.
New Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
It is unclear in independent claims 1 and 17, how the solubility parameter (SP value) is calculated because paragraph [0075] of Applicant’s specification only states that “the solubility parameter (SP value) is a value calculated from the types and ratios of monomers constituting the matrix using the Fedors estimation method described in [Poly. Eng. Sci., vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 147 to 154 (1974)] or the like, which is commonly used. The SP value for a mixture of a plurality of types of resins can also be calculated by the same method. For example, the SP value of polymethyl methacrylate can be calculated as 9.7 (cal/cm3)0.5 the SP value of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be calculated as 10.8 (cal/cm3)0.5, and the SP value of a bisphenol A-based epoxy resin can be calculated as 10.9 (cal/cm3)0.5.” Applicant has not provided details of the calculations using estimates of parameters to generate the estimated SP values, where the estimates of parameters in the calculations do not appear to be listed in the specification.
Claims 2-16, 18-20 depend on and include all the subject matter of claim 1, but all fail to provide any solutions to the indefinite issue described above.
Clarifications and details of calculations, accompanied by relevant citations from the specification and/or teaching references, are required.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Sow-Fun Hon whose telephone number is (571)272-1492. The examiner is on a flexible schedule but can usually be reached during a regular workweek between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/Sophie Hon/
Sow-Fun Hon
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
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