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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1-6, filed 02/13/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 3 under 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Watanbe (US 20200055219) in view of Kumazaki (US 4383816) and Yonemochi (US 20060076712, as provided by the Applicant’s IDS).
.
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:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanbe (US 20200055219) in view of Kumazaki (US 4383816) and Yonemochi (US 20060076712, as provided by the Applicant’s IDS).
Regarding Claim 3 Watanbe discloses manufacturing device of an in-mold-coated molded product formed by: clamping a base mold and a molding mold with each other, injecting a thermoplastic resin into a molding gap formed between the base mold and the molding mold (Figure3-4, [0029]-[0031]) and solidifying the thermoplastic resin to form a molding base (Figure 14a, [0146], molded product-81); opening the base mold and the molding mold in a state that the molding base is held by the base mold (Figure3-4, clamping mechanism-45,clamping device-80, [0028]). Further , Watanbe discloses for molding object using rotatable base molds that turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold ([0026], [0034], clamping device-80).
Watanbe didn’t disclose the individual clamping mechanism respective to each base and top mold. RE: a second mold clamping/opening mechanism for clamping and opening the base mold and the coating mold are provided. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Kumazaki discloses a second mold clamping/opening mechanism for clamping and opening the base mold/first mold-12 and the coating mold/second mold-13 are provided (Figure 3, Col 3 line 15-22)
Watanbe / Kumazaki disclose that the molding mold and base mold and switching to the mold with the injection of the coating material once the resin molded product is formed. RE: the limitation that operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the molding mold by the first mold clamping/opening mechanism can be performed separately from the operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the coating mold by the second mold clamping/opening mechanism, Kumazaki discloses that two different clamping stations are used (Figure 3, Col 3 line 15-22, col 3 line 64-67). Therefore, Watanbe/ Kumazaki combined will meet the limitation the first mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the base mold and the molding mold in a first state where the base mold faces the molding mold and the first mold clamping/opening mechanism and the base mold does not face the coating mold and the second mold clamping/opening mechanism (Figure 3, clamping station-30, Kumazaki), the second mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the base mold and the coating mold in a second state where the base mold faces the coating mold and the second mold clamping/opening mechanism and the base mold does not face the molding mold and the first mold clamping/opening mechanism (Figure 3, clamping station-31, Kumazaki)
it would be obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art to modify Watanbe by adding Kumazaki’s’s clamping mechanism with the two different clamping station/state of molding device for the purpose of the addition to control the individual mechanism for individual molds where each mold can be moved independent with respect to each other allowing for optimized settings for both the plastic formation and the thermoset coating, improving surface finish.
Further, Kumazaki Watanbe didn’t disclose that clamping the coating mold and the base mold with each other, injecting a thermosetting resin into a coating gap formed between the molding base held by the base mold and the coating mold and hardening the thermosetting resin for coating a surface of the molding base with the thermosetting resin. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Yonemuchi discloses that injecting a thermosetting resin into a coating gap formed between the molding base held by the base mold and the coating mold and hardening the thermosetting resin for coating a surface of the molding base with the thermosetting resin. ([0001], [0010], [0082], [0108], Figure 2). Further, Yonemuchi disclose that the at least one of a mold clamping force between the base mold and the molding mold, a duration time of clamping between the base mold and the molding mold, a mold clamping timing between the base mold and the molding mold is different from the mold clamping force between the base mold and the coating mold, the duration time of clamping between the base mold and the coating mold, the mold clamping timing between the base mold and the coating mold (Figure 3, showing the mold clamping time between the base mold and the molding mold is different from the mold clamping force between the base mold and the coating mold , Figure 15a, showing in mold pressure/force, and a duration time of clamping between the base mold and the molding mold , Yonemuchi) and a mold temperature of the molding mold when injection-molding the molding base from the thermoplastic resin by the clamping/opening mechanism is different from the mold temperature of the second mold respectively when coating the molding base with the thermosetting resin by the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism ([0083], Yonemuchi discloses that surface mold temperature condition suitable for carrying out the in-mold coating formation method should be selected properly by taking into account a time for curing the surface of a molded product and a time for curing a coating material).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to combine the Watanbe/Kumazaki teaching of using a different mold with that of Yonemuchi’s teaching while the coating is injected for the purpose of coating the resin molded product before the completion of the entire molding cycle enhancing the quality of the product ([0002], Yonemuchi).
Regarding Claim 4, Watanbe/Kumazaki and Yonemuchi disclose the claim limitation re: the molding mold and base mold and switching to a different coating mold once the resin molded product is formed is met as discussed in Claim 3. Further, Yonemuchi discloses the mold clamping force between the base mold and the molding mold when injection-molding the molding base from the thermoplastic resin by the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism is larger than the mold clamping force between the base mold and the coating mold when coating the molding base with the thermosetting resin by the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism, (Figure 3), and the duration time of clamping between the base mold and the molding mold when injection-molding the molding base from the thermoplastic resin by the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism is shorter than the duration time of clamping between the base mold and the coating mold when coating the molding base with the thermosetting resin by the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism (Figure 3 ). Yonemuchi discloses that: the molding mold and base mold and switching to a mold with the injection of the coating material once the resin molded product is formed, Yonemuchi discloses that mold opening and closing mechanism is individually controlled during the resin molding and after the injection of the coating material, Figure 3-4 ). Further, Kumazaki discloses that operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the molding mold by the first mold clamping/opening mechanism can be performed separately from the operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the coating mold by the second mold clamping/opening mechanism (Figure 3, col 3 line 15-22), as discussed in Claim 3
Regarding Claim 5, Watanbe discloses wherein a turntable facing the molding mold and the coating mold is provided, the base mold is comprised of two base molds and the two base molds are installed on the turntable at a 1800 interval (Figure 1, [0027], [0031], two base/lower molds 72 and 74 are 1800 interval) , a turntable-rotary-driving portion for rotating the turntable is provided for switching the turntable between a first state where one of the two base molds faces the molding mold and the other of the two base molds faces the coating mold (The turnatable-30 could rotate the two base molds to different location with respect to the two different top molds (molding mold and coating mold) and a second state where the other of the two base molds faces the molding mold and the one of the two base molds faces the coating mold (Figure 1, turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold. ), the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism is provided on a base which supports the turntable so as to be freely rotatable, the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the one of the two base molds and the molding mold in the first state ,the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the other of the two base molds and the molding mold in the second state ([0026], [0034], clamping device-80) ,the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism is provided on the base, the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the other of the two base molds and the coating mold in the first state, and the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism is configured to clamp and open the one of the two base molds and the coating mold in the second state (([0026], [0034], clamping device-80).
As Watanbe didn’t disclose the individual clamping mechanism respective to each base and top mold RE: the limitation that a first mold clamping/opening mechanism for clamping and opening the base mold and the molding mold; and a second mold clamping/opening mechanism for clamping and opening the base mold and the coating mold are provided. Yonemuchi discloses that: the molding mold and base mold and switching to a mold with the injection of the coating material once the resin molded product is formed, Yonemuchi discloses that mold opening and closing mechanism is individually controlled during the resin molding and after the injection of the coating material, Figure 3-4 ). Further, Kumazaki discloses that operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the molding mold by the first mold clamping/opening mechanism can be performed separately from the operation of clamping/opening the base mold and the coating mold by the second mold clamping/opening mechanism, as discussed in Claim 3.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanbe (US 20200055219) in view of Kumazaki (US 4383816) and (US Yonemochi (US 20060076712) in IDS, further in view of FUJII, JP H09193194.
Regarding Claim 6, Watanbe discloses that turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold ([0026], [0034],but didn’t disclose that a plurality of molding cores projected respectively from the one of the two base molds. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, FUJII discloses two cores for the base mold (Figure 5- 8, [0023], translated). FUJII discloses that , a plurality of cavities recessed from the mold in accordance with the plurality of cores (Figures 5-8, [0023], translated) .
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to combine Watanbe’s teaching with that of FUJII’s teaching of multiple cores and cavities in the molds for the purpose of for the purpose of producing more parts per cycle and consistent mold design.
FUJII didn’t particularly disclose that the device has two base molds with two top molds (molding and coating molds).However, having a plurality of molding cores projected respectively from the one of the other of the two base molds so that the number of the plurality of molding cores is same between the one of the two base molds and the other of the two base molds is mere duplication of parts ; also a plurality of molding cavities recessed from the molding mold in accordance with the plurality of molding cores; a plurality of coating cavities recessed from the coating mold in accordance with the plurality of molding cores is mere duplication of parts.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to duplicate cores and cavities in the base and top molds, since it have been held that a mere duplication of working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. One would have been motivated to duplicate multi-core and multi-cavity for the purpose of producing more parts per cycle and consistent mold design ensures greater uniformity. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) , MPEP 2144.05 VI
Combining Watanbe/Kumazaki/Yonemuchi and FUJII disclose further that a plasticizing injection unit configured to inject the thermoplastic resin into the molding gap formed between the plurality of molding cores and the plurality of molding cavities when the one of the two base molds and the molding mold are clamped together or the other of the two base molds and the molding mold are clamped together by the molding mold clamping/opening mechanism ( From claim 1 , in Watanbe Figure 1, turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold ; Figure 5- 8, multiple cores/cavities of the base molds, [0023], translated , FUJII );
Combining Watanbe/Kumuzaki/ Yonemuchi and FUJII a coating agent injector configured to inject the thermosetting resin into the coating gap formed between the molding base held by the plurality of molding cores and the plurality of coating cavities when the other of the two base molds and the coating mold are clamped together or the one of the two base molds and the coating mold are clamped together by the coating mold clamping/opening mechanism (From claim 1, coating injector-55, Yonemuchi , in Watanbe Figure 1, turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold; Figure 5- 8, multiple cores/cavities of the base molds [0023], translated , FUJII).
Claim(s) 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanbe (US 20200055219) in view of Kumazaki (US 4383816) and Yonemochi (US 20060076712) in IDS further in view of FUJII, JP H09193194 as in Claim 6 further in view of Kitamura US 20030227109
Regarding Claim 7 Watanbe/Kumazaki/Yonemuchi disclose in-mold-coated molded product with an injector (Figure 7, coating injector-55, [0093], Yonemuchi) but didn’t disclose that wherein the coating agent injector is arranged at an approximately center of the coating mold. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Kitamura discloses , wherein the coating agent injector is arranged at an approximately center of the coating mold (Figure 6, nozzle-19 with a turning device, [0032]) so that injection distances to the plurality of coating cavities are equal to each other.
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to combine Watanbe’s/ Kumuzaki/Yonemuchi teaching with that of Kitamura’s teaching of placing the injector nozzle in the center of the mold for the purpose of for the purpose of guiding the material through the mold cores uniformly.
Regarding Claim 8, Watanbe/ Kumuzaki/Yonemochi//FUJII discloses that injection path for the molten resin (Figures 5-6, FUJII) but didn’t specifically disclose that a runner groove is formed on the molding mold so that the thermoplastic resin injected. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Kitamura discloses that a runner groove is formed on the molding mold so that the thermoplastic resin injected from the plasticizing injection unit is guided into the molding gap (Figure 7-8, runner-18, [0037]). Therefore, the limitation a runner groove is formed on the molding mold so that the thermoplastic resin injected from the plasticizing injection unit is guided into the molding gap formed between the plurality of molding cores and the plurality of molding cavities at a constant length when the molding mold is clamped with the one of the two base molds or the other of the two base molds (From claim 1, in Watanbe Figure 1, turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold; Figure 5- 8, multiple cores/cavities of the base molds [0023], translated , FUJII; Figure 4, runner mold-18 in KItamura), and a coating agent groove is formed on the coating mold so that the thermosetting resin injected from the coating agent injector is guided into the coating gap formed between the molding base held by the plurality of molding cores and the plurality of coating cavities at a constant length along a runner formed by the runner groove when the coating mold is clamped with the other of the two base molds or the one of the two base molds (From claim 1, in Watanbe Figure 1, turntable-30 disposed on base molds- 70 (71,72,73, 74) and the top molds-60 (61,62,63,64) (Figures 2-3, [0030], [0031]), therefore turning the base molds-70 , it would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to switch the top molds to a different mold other than the starting/molding mold ; the new mold could be use as the coating mold; Figure 5- 8, multiple cores/cavities of the base molds [0023], translated , FUJII; Figure 4, coating injector -19 with the groove in Kitamura).
Conclusion
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.
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, 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.
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.
/DEBJANI ROY/Examiner, Art Unit 1741
/ALISON L HINDENLANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1741