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 .
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments will be addressed below.
In response, it is pointed out that Applicant’s argument seems to not consider the cited portion with respect to Klein, par. 0017, which teaches direct current resistance sensors that would measure a resistance of the material as would have been understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Even though Klein uses another sensor in the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the disclosure provides for the type of sensor used in broad enough terms to meet the claimed invention since the claim is recited broadly and does not go into any details as to how the detection is conducted.
With respect to claims 17-18, par. 0048 clearly describes finding the acceleration of the resin flow front, and the use of sensor device as to find this parameter. Thus, the sensor would inherently broadly change a configuration as to denote the change in location of the resin flow front.
Accordingly, the rejections are maintained as outlined above.
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 ANDREW D GRAHAM whose telephone number is (469)295-9232. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM (CST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDREW D GRAHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
Prosecution Insights