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 .
Claim1 is amended. Claim 2 is canceled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1-10, filed 11/25/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1cunder U.S.C. 103 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 view of Otsubo (US 20170297259) in view of JP 2016150517, cited as JP’517 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over in view of Otsubo (US 20170297259) and JP 2016150517, cited as JP’517 translation provided listed in IDS and further in view of Strack US 20140120204.
Regarding Claim 1 JP’517 discloses manufacturing method for manufacturing a liner including a cylinder portion having a round tubular shape (Figure 2A, liner-10, [0055]) a first dome portion disposed at one end part in an axial direction of the cylinder portion (Figure 2A, dome-14, [0055]), and a second dome portion disposed at another end part in the axial direction of the cylinder portion (Figure 2A, dome-14, [0055]), the manufacturing method comprising: preparing a shaft assembly in which a first attachment having an annular shape (Figure 5, shaft assembly with first attachment-200, [0063]) and a second attachment having an annular shape are attached to an outer circumferential portion of a shaft that has a tubular shape (Figure 5, second assembly-210 which has a tubular shape, [0063]), includes an air supply hole, and extends in a straight line shape (Figure 5, air supply passage-204, holes -201, [0063]), wherein a first boss having an annular shape is attachable to the first attachment, a second boss having an annular shape is attachable to the second attachment (Figure 2A, 5, first attachment/, second attachment-nozzle-16 on either side), the first attachment and the second attachment are arranged to be separated apart from each other in an axial direction of the shaft (Figure 2A, [0056]), and the shaft is removable from the first attachment and the second attachment ([0063], the jigs are inserted at two ends so they can be removed); and arranging the shaft assembly on an inner side of the parison (Figure 5, shaft assembly with jigs-200, 210 inner side of the liner-10); and obtaining a liner molded body in which the first attachment including a first hole/recess portion is integrally molded on the first dome (Figure 2A, liner-10, [0062], [0063], hole-16h ), and the second attachment including a second hole portion disposed concentrically with the first hole portion is integrally molded/formed on the second dome (Figure 2A, liner-10, [0062], [0063], hole-16h). Further, attaching the first boss to the first attachment and attaching the second boss to the second attachment after the obtaining of the liner molded body (Figure 2A,5, nozzle/boss-16, [0061] ); winding reinforcement fibers around an outer circumferential surface of the liner ([0062], Figure 5) and wherein in attaching the first boss and the second boss, the first boss and the second boss are attached so that the shaft protrudes from each of the first boss and the second boss in the axial direction of the shaft (Figure 5,[0064], [0065]), and in the winding of the reinforcing fibers, the liner molded body is rotated by rotating the shaft in a state where the shaft protrudes from each of the first boss and the second boss ([0065]).
Otsubo discloses that the fiber reinforced resin layer 102 is formed on the external surface of the liner 10 (Figure 4 ) but didn’t disclose that supplying a parison having a tubular shape and made of a resin material toward a mold device configured to mold the liner. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, JP’517 discloses supplying a parison having a tubular shape and made of a resin material toward a mold device configured to mold the liner (Figure 1-2, [0026]-[0028], molds 44, parison is made of same material as liner-10 which is made of resin), and closing the mold device (Figure 2 closed position), supplying air into the parison from the air supply hole of the shaft to thereby cause the parison to expand ([0032]).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to combine Otsubo’s teaching of the liner body with that JP’517 teaching of forming the parison using a mold device for perfect alignment during the joining of two bodies.
Otsubo/JP’ 517 didn’t particularly disclose that removing the shaft from the first attachment and the second attachment after the winding of fibers. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Strack discloses removing/detaching the shaft/positioning apparatus-10 from attachment and taking out the shaft/positioning apparatus-10 to an exterior of the liner (Figure 1-4, [0023]).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to combine Otsubo/JP’517 teaching with that of Strack’s teaching of removing the shaft outside the liner body for the purpose of using for another molding cycle for the liner.
Regarding Claim 3 JP’517 discloses , wherein an outer circumferential surface of the shaft includes a first male threaded portion and a second male threaded portion provided at different positions in the axial direction of the shaft (Figure 3, [0019], [0023], attaching portion -21 comprising a male screw and second attaching portion-26 comprising second male screw at different position in the axial direction),an inner circumferential surface of the first attachment includes a first female threaded portion configured to be screw engaged with the first male threaded portion (Figure 3, [0019], [0025] bearing member-37 has the outer portion with the female screw-37b engaged with male screw of the attaching portion-21), an inner circumferential surface of the second attachment includes a second female threaded portion configured to be screw engaged with the second male threaded portion ,in the shaft assembly (Figure 3, [0020], [0021], [0023], base portion/circumferential surface-22 has threaded portion with male screw -26 and which engaged to female screw-23), the first male threaded portion and the first female threaded portion are screw engaged with each other (Figure 3), and the second male threaded portion and the second female threaded portion are screw engaged with each other (Figure 3), and in the taking out of the shaft to the exterior of the liner molded body, by causing the shaft to rotate relatively with respect to the liner molded body, screw engagement between the first male threaded portion and the first female threaded portion is released (Figure 3, support shaft-52 is fitted though a screw bearing member-37 has the outer portion with the female screw-37b engaged with male screw of the attaching portion-21; therefore to take out the shaft from the liner molded body , it would be obvious that to release the screw engagement between the first male threaded portion and the first female threaded portion where the rotation of the shaft would loosen the screw and detach the shaft assembly ), and screw engagement between the second male threaded portion and the second female threaded portion is released (Figure 3, outer base portion-22 has threaded portion with male screw -26 and which engaged to female screw-23 therefore to take out the shaft from the liner molded body , it would be obvious that to release the screw engagement between the first male threaded portion and the first female threaded portion would loosen the screw and detach the shaft assembly).
Regarding Claim 4, JP’517 discloses wherein an inner diameter of the second attachment is larger than an inner diameter of the first attachment (Figure 2- shows that the first attachment portion-21 is smaller in diameter than second attachment portion-26 ), and further Strack discloses that in the taking out of the shaft/position apparatus-10 to the exterior of the liner molded body, the shaft is made to move relatively with respect to the liner molded body in a direction from the first attachment toward the second attachment (Figures 1-4, [0010], [0023]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over of Otsubo (US 20170297259) , JP 2016150517 , cited as JP’517 translation provided listed in IDS in view of Strack US 20140120204 as applied in Claim 1 further in view of Olson (US 5938367)
Regarding Claim 5 Otsubo/JP’517/Strack disclose that manufacturing method for manufacturing a liner including a cylinder portion having a round tubular shape (Figures 2A, 5, liner-10, [0062]-[0064], Otsubo) a first dome portion disposed at one end part in an axial direction of the cylinder portion (Figures 2A, 5, dome-14, Otsubo ), and a second dome portion disposed at another end part in the axial direction of the cylinder portion (Figures 2A, 5, dome-14, Otsubo), the manufacturing method comprising: preparing a shaft assembly in which a first attachment having an annular shape (Figure 5, Otsubo) and a second attachment having an annular shape are attached to an outer circumferential portion of a shaft that has a tubular shape (Figure 5, Otsubo). Further, combining JP’517/Strack discloses the first retaining mechanism includes a first locking member configured to be displaced in a radial direction of the shaft main body and project out from an outer circumferential surface of the shaft main body to lock the first attachment (Figures 1-3, [0019]-[0020], locking element-24, 28, Strack does teach using various connections to fix the caps to the shaft), the second retaining mechanism includes a second locking member configured to be displaced in the radial direction of the shaft main body and project out from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft main body to lock the second attachment (Figures 1-3, [0019]-[0020],Strack does teach using various connections to fix the caps to the shaft)
Further, Otsubo/JP’517/Strack didn’t teach the first and second elastic member configured to bias the radial direction of the shaft main body. In the related filed of endeavor pertaining to the art, Olson discloses biasing spring/elastic is coupled to the locking pin and movable to extendable and retracted position (Col 2 line 21-28, line 35-37)
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to modify Otsubo/JP’517/Strack locking elements of the shaft body with that of the Olson’s biasing spring attached to the locking component for the purpose to facilitate accurately positioning of the shaft inside the mold device.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 DEBJANI ROY whose telephone number is (571)272-8019. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Hindenlang can be reached at 571-270-7001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEBJANI ROY/ Examiner, Art Unit 1741
/ALISON L HINDENLANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1741