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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on March 13, 2026 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Office.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kitago et al. (US20220389206, hereinafter referred to as “Kitago”).
As to Claim 1: Kitago teaches a tire including a rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts of a rubber component which may be a hydrogenated styrene-butadiene copolymer ([0037]) including exemplary hydrogenated styrene-butadiene copolymers having a degree of hydrogenation of 93 mol% ([0135]): a filler which may be silica ([0050]) present in an amount of 50 parts by mass or more ([0086]),
a plasticizer which may be a resin ([0008]) present in an amount of 9 parts by mass or more ([0063]) including exemplary compositions comprising a liquid resin plasticizer in an amount of 10 parts per 100 parts of rubber component (see, e.g., Table 1, Example 1),
one or more antioxidants ([0096]) wherein the antioxidant may be used alone and may be, e.g., a quinoline antioxidant such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline ([0097]), thus reading on the claimed “wherein the rubber composition comprises no paraphenylenediamine-based compound.”
As to Claim 2: Kitago teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra).
Kitago teaches wherein the composition comprises a filler which may be silica ([0050]).
As to Claim 3: Kitago teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra).
Kitago teaches wherein the plasticizer may be a resin ([0008]).
As to Claim 4: Kitago teaches the composition of claim 3 (supra).
Kitago teaches wherein the plasticizer may be a resin ([0008]) based on aromatic vinyl polymers including homopolymers of styrene ([0058]) and teaches exemplary resins that are styrenic ([0156]).
As to Claim 5: Kitago teaches the composition of claim 1 (supra).
Kitago teaches wherein the comprising comprises one or more antioxidants ([0096]) wherein the antioxidant may be used alone and may be, e.g., a quinoline antioxidant such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline ([0097]), the structure of which is construed to read on the claimed “amine-ketone condensation compound” as the structure results from the condensation of aniline (an amine) and acetone (a ketone). Kitago further teaches exemplary antioxidants that are purified reaction products of an amine and a ketone ([0159]).
As to Claim 6: Kitago teaches the composition of claim 5 (supra).
Kitago teaches wherein the comprising comprises one or more antioxidants ([0096]) wherein the antioxidant may be used alone and may be, e.g., a quinoline antioxidant such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline ([0097]), the structure of which is construed to read on the claimed “amine-ketone condensation compound” as the structure results from the condensation of aniline (an amine) and acetone (a ketone). Kitago further teaches exemplary antioxidants that are purified reaction products of an amine and a ketone ([0159]). Kitago further teaches that the antioxidant may be present in an amount of 1 parts by mass or more based on 100 parts by mass of rubber ([0098]), which is within the claimed range.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kitago et al. (US20220389206, hereinafter referred to as “Kitago”).
As to Claim 7: Kitago teaches a tire including a tread (i.e., a tire member) containing a rubber composition (Abstract) comprising, based on 100 parts of a rubber component which may be a hydrogenated styrene-butadiene copolymer ([0037]) including exemplary hydrogenated styrene-butadiene copolymers having a degree of hydrogenation of 93 mol% ([0135]): a filler which may be silica ([0050]) present in an amount of 50 parts by mass or more ([0086]),
a plasticizer which may be a resin ([0008]) present in an amount of 9 parts by mass or more ([0063]) including exemplary compositions comprising a liquid resin plasticizer in an amount of 10 parts per 100 parts of rubber component (see, e.g., Table 1, Example 1),
one or more antioxidants ([0096]) wherein the antioxidant may be used alone and may be, e.g., a quinoline antioxidant such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline ([0097]), thus reading on the claimed “wherein the rubber composition comprises no paraphenylenediamine-based compound.”
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CULLEN L. G. DAVIDSON IV whose telephone number is (703)756-1073. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6:00.
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/C.L.G.D./ Examiner, Art Unit 1767
/MARK EASHOO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1767
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