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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 and 11 in the reply filed on 9/16/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the groups are not independent and distinct. This is not found persuasive because the groups are independent and distinct as demonstrated in the requirement for restriction of 8/7/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim 10 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 9/16/2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-9 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities: A period must be added to the end of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kakegawa (JP 2000-136483A).
Regarding claims 1 and 3: Kakegawa teaches a composition comprising 80 wt% polyvinylidene fluoride (claimed fluororesin) and 20 wt% of carbon fibers surface treated with a polymer sizing agent [0026, 0037; Examples; Tables]. The carbon fibers of Kakegawa have a mass loss after heat treatment at 600°C of 3% [0026]. Therefore, at a temperature of 400°C, the mass loss will be at most 3%.
Regarding claim 2: 0 wt% is within the range of “at most 20 mass%. The examples of Kakegawa tech 0 wt% of other components [Examples; Tables].
Regarding claim 4: Kakegawa teaches a fiber length of 6 mm [0026; Examples].
Regarding claim 11: Kakegawa teaches a molded body [Examples].
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.
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) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kakegawa (JP 2000-136483A) as applied to claim 1 above.
Kakegawa teaches a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer resin or a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer resin [0024]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer resin or a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer resin as the polymeric material from the short, finite of Kakegawa.
Claim(s) 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kakegawa (JP 2000-136483A) as applied to claim 1 above further in view of Iwasa et al. (JP 2007-314720A).
Kagegawa teaches glass fibers or carbon fibers [0007]. Kakegawa teaches a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer resin [0024].
Kakegawa fails to teach the claimed fluororesin.
However, Iwasa et al. teach a fluororesin with a functional group comprising a carbonyl, hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, or an acid anhydride, from the viewpoint of adhesion between the glass fiber-reinforced composite material and a metal [0024]. Iwasa et al. teach fluorinated copolymers based upon tetrafluoroethylene and unites based on ethylene [0023].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer resin with a functional group comprising a carbonyl, hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, or an acid anhydride as taught by Iwasa et al. as the polymeric material in Kakegawa to promote adhesion between the composition and a metal.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN USELDING whose telephone number is (571)270-5463. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8am to 6:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Del Sole can be reached on 571-272-1130. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOHN E USELDING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1763
