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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/8/26 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1, 3, 16, 19, 20, 22-24, 26-31, 34 and 76-78 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The independent claims require “resuming the depositing of the at least one course of the plurality of tows for the current ply of the layup onto the substrate and/or for subsequent plies of the layup using the multi-lane automated fiber placement device.” This limitation, in the context of the other independent claim limitation is not support by the original specification. There is not support for “resuming” the depositing with multi-lane AFP in the context of depositing with the single lane AFP (as currently required by the independent claims) without first removing the multi-lane automated fiber placement device from the layup; providing the single-lane automated fiber placement device to the layup; removing the single-lane automated fiber placement device from the layup; providing the multi-lane automated fiber placement device to the layup.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 3, 16, 19, 20, 22-24, 26-31, 34 and 76-78 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The independent claims require “resuming the depositing of the at least one course of the plurality of tows for the current ply of the layup onto the substrate and/or for subsequent plies of the layup using the multi-lane automated fiber placement device.” It is entirely unclear how “resuming” of the depositing with the multi-lane AFP occurs without first stopping the depositing with the multi-lane AFP. See new matter rejection above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Holmes and Zieve disclose a method as detailed above and in section 15 of the Non-Final Rejection. However, neither Holmes, Zieve, nor any other prior art of record discloses or suggest that the resuming of the depositing of courses of the plurality of tows is performed by same the multi-lane AFP device that is re-provided after removal of the single lane AFP device, in the context of the other claim 2 limitations.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/8/26 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER T SCHATZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6038. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at 571-270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER T SCHATZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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