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 III, claims 12-18 in the reply filed on 1/19/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Applicant argues that no burden was established, and that consideration of the system claims is integral to the method claims which is believed to be concluding that the two inventions are not independent or distinct from one another.
This is not found persuasive because the scope of the independent method claim, as currently drafted, does not include specific structure required by the independent system claim, and as such, said method could be conducted by a system that does not have all of the claimed structural features in this claim and thus is materially different therefrom. Furthermore, the classifications and number of patent families are not the only possible classifications for each of the groups and the method and system require different search strategies – the prior art most applicable to the method claims is different from the system claims.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 1-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 1/19/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the configuration” should read “a configuration”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 12-13 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Klein (US 2021/0010940).
Regarding claim 12, Klein discloses a method of molding a fiber reinforced composite part comprising the steps of: (a) inserting a fiber preform into a mold cavity (“loading a tool for producing the fiber composite component with . . . a textile semifinished product” – par. 0021, where the “tool” would read upon the claimed mold cavity and the “textile semifinished product” would read upon the claimed fiber preform),
the preform including at least one monitoring circuit (“a sensor device is integrated in the fiber composite component” – par. 0019) whose resistance changes as it is surrounded with resin (this limitation would be met by the condition of the circuit or sensor being surrounded with resin – however, par. 0017 explains that the current or electrical resistance can be measured with the sensor technology);
(b) injecting resin into the mold under pressure (“closing the loaded tool” – par. 0022, and “introducing a liquid matrix” – par. 0023; also, par. 0111 explains that the tool is closed in an airtight manner and then par. 0112 explains that the liquid matrix is introduced, meaning this “introducing” would meet the “injecting resin into the mold under pressure”);
(c) measuring the resistance of the at least one monitoring circuit (par. 0017, 0043 describes the electrical sensor; par. 0017 implies this is measured using a current resistance sensor); and
(d) estimating a location of a resin flow front in the mold (“a sensor device that is arranged in a fiber composite component” that “is momentarily deflected or accelerated or excited, in particular by the incoming flow front” - par. 0048).
With respect to (c) measuring the resistance and (d) estimating a location of a resin flow front, see also par. 0014, which describes “measur[ing] material properties as a function of location and time” where a material property would be resistance, as further discussed in par. 0017 where this type of sensor is disclosed.
Regarding claim 13, Klein discloses the subject matter of claim 12, and further discloses that there is changing of a parameter in response to the estimated location of a resin flow front (par. 0048 – “process parameters of resin injection . . . can be derived, evaluated, and optimized by means of the sensor device”).
Regarding claim 17, Klein discloses the subject matter of claim 12, and further discloses that the monitoring circuit changes in the anticipated direction of flow of resin (par. 0048).
Regarding claim 18, Klein discloses the subject matter of claim 12, and further discloses that the step of estimating a location of a resin flow front is based on the anticipated flow direction of the resin (par. 0048).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klein (US 2021/0010940) in view of Cicci et al. (US 2007/0145622), hereinafter Cicci.
Regarding claims 14-16, Klein discloses the subject matter of claim 12, but does not appear to disclose that the mold has electrical contacts on both of the mold and the preform to engage each other and measure the resistance of the material or the plurality of monitoring circuits within the preform.
However, Cicci discloses a method for resin infusion that includes (Cicci, Figs. 1, 4) a mold for resin infusion that includes sensors (82) that are resistance-based sensors (Cicci, par. 0039) that are used to determine the resin position (flow front) (par. 0042) and can be placed on either portion of the mold (par. 0040) and in as many numbers as needed “as a matter of routine design choice for one skilled in the art” (par. 0040) but does show multiple locations which would at least meet the claimed first and second electrical contacts as to contact the preform in locations to measure the resistance thereof.
Klein discloses a “base” process, describing briefly a sensor used to measure resistance of the material. Cicci discloses an “improvement” to the “base” process of Klein above, in that Cicci includes an arrangement of sensors that is suitable for measuring the resistance of the material at a given point with electrical contacts on the mold configured to engage portions of the preform that are conductive as to monitor the resistance of the material. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to have specified that the mold/tool has a first and second electrical contact as to contact the preform in a first and second contact location as to engage and measure the resistance of the material.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW D GRAHAM whose telephone number is (469)295-9232. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christina Johnson can be reached at (571) 272-1176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW D GRAHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742