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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DeMille et al. (US 213/0344986) in view of Yamamoto (JP 2005-296626).
Regarding claim 1, DeMille et al. discloses a club head having a face portion and an aft body 61. The face portion includes a striking face and the aft body is located rearward of the face portion. The aft body also includes a crown portion, sole portion, and skirt portion between the crown portion and sole portion. The aft body is also formed of a composite material having fibers (See Paragraph 0050). It is assumed that more than 50% of the aft body includes fibers that extend 360 degrees (hoop direction) in a direction perpendicular to the z-axis being that Demille et al. discloses the aft body being one piece. Demille et al. does not disclose the orientation of the fibers. Yamamoto discloses a club head wherein at least one of the crown and sole is made of a fiber-reinforced resin. Yamamoto discloses the fibers being oriented parallel to the front-back direction, or 0-degree orientation, and/or perpendicular to the front-back direction, or 90-degree orientation (See Figure 6). Yamamoto notes that the orientation increases the strength of the club head. One having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to have the fibers oriented perpendicular to the front-rear direction, as taught by Yamamoto, in order to strengthen the club head.
Regarding claim 2, DeMille et al. discloses the forwardmost portion of the composite material is located 0.2 to 1 inch from the striking face (See Paragraph 0041).
Regarding claim 3, see the above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Yamamoto discloses the composite material being a stack of unidirectional fiber plies.
Regarding claim 5, Yamamoto discloses alternating stack of unidirectional fiber plies having fibers oriented perpendicular to the z-axis (See Figure 6).
Regarding claim 6, Yamamoto discloses the fibers oriented perpendicular to the z-axis being woven fiber plies.
Regarding claim 7, see the above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, DeMille et al. discloses a club head having a face portion and an aft body 61. The face portion includes a striking face and the aft body is located rearward of the face portion. The aft body also includes a crown portion, sole portion, and skirt portion between the crown portion and sole portion. The aft body is also formed of a composite material having fibers (See Paragraph 0050). It is assumed that more than 50% of the aft body includes fibers. Demille et al. does not disclose the orientation of the fibers. Yamamoto discloses a club head wherein at least one of the crown and sole is made of a fiber-reinforced resin. Yamamoto discloses the fibers being oriented parallel to the front-back direction, or 0-degree orientation, and/or perpendicular to the front-back direction, or 90-degree orientation (See Figure 6). Yamamoto notes that the orientation increases the strength of the club head. One having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to have the fibers oriented perpendicular to the front-rear direction, as taught by Yamamoto, in order to strengthen the club head.
Regarding claim 9, DeMille et al. discloses the forwardmost portion of the composite material is located 0.2 to 1 inch from the striking face (See Paragraph 0041).
Regarding claim 10, see the above regarding claim 8.
Regarding claim 11, see the above regarding claim 8.
Regarding claim 12, Yamamoto discloses the composite material being a stack of unidirectional fiber plies.
Regarding claim 13, Yamamoto discloses alternating stack of unidirectional fiber plies having fibers oriented perpendicular to the z-axis (See Figure 6).
Regarding claim 14, Yamamoto discloses the fibers oriented perpendicular to the z-axis being woven fiber plies.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALVIN A HUNTER whose telephone number is (571)272-4411. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 7:30AM to 4:00PM Eastern Time.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eugene Kim, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4463. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALVIN A HUNTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
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