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 without traverse of species A(i) and B(ii), claims 1-2, 5 and 7-8, in the reply filed on September 1, 2026 is acknowledged.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Accordingly, claims 3-4 and 6 (species) are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention.
Drawings
The drawings were received on December 15, 2023. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 5 and 7-8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2
Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 2 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be
performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met”.
Claim 3 (withdrawn)1
Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 3 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s)
precedent are not met”.
Claim 5
Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 5 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met”.
Claim 6 (withdrawn)
Line 1, Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 6 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest
reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met”.
Claim 7
Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 7 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met”.
Claim 8
Line 1, please delete the word “when”.
Claim 8 is not a positive limitation. MPEP § 211.04(II) states that “the broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8
Lines 2-3, “the remaining surface of the injection molded product” lacks antecedent basis.
Antecedent basis must be laid for each recited element in a claim, typically, by introducing each element with the indefinite article (“a” or “an”). See Slimfold Mfg. Co. v. Kincaid Properties, Inc., 626 F. Supp 493, 495 (N.D. Ga. 1985), aff'd, 810 F.2d 1113 (Fed. Cir. 1987) (citing P. Rosenberg, 2 Patent Law Fundamentals § 14.06 (2d. Ed. 1984)). Subsequent mention of an element is to be modified by the definite article “the”, “said” or “the said,” thereby making the latter mention(s) of the element unequivocally referable to its earlier recitation.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 1-2, 5 and 7-8 define over the prior art of record because the prior art does not contain any language that teaches or suggests a method of manufacturing interior parts for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of forming, printing, partially removing, forming and
removing as presently claimed, esp., partially removing the first plating layer to a size
corresponding to the symbol part from a rear surface of the injection molded product. Therefore, a person skilled in the art would not have been motivated to adopt the above conditions, and a prima facie case of obviousness cannot be established.
Jung et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0206635 A1) do not teach partially removing the first plating layer to a size corresponding to the symbol part from a rear surface of the injection molded product. Jung et al. teach a plastic plating process that includes a sequential process in which conductivity is imparted to a non-conductive injection material by chemical plating and then a metal layer is formed by electroplating (page 1, [0012]). In the printing, it is possible to form characters and symbols by pad printing, screen printing, and laser printing methods (page 3, [0077]).
Claims 2, 5 and 7-8 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the claim objection(s) set forth in this Office action.
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Citations
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kunthady et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0034241 A1) is cited to teach that a polymer coating layer 3 is formed on a part of the surface of the base layer 2. An electroless plating layer 4 is formed on the surface of the base layer 2 where the polymer
coating layer 3 is not formed (page 4, [0060]).
Shin et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0253412 A1) is cited to teach a process of manufacturing a dual surface-treated injection molding article (page 2, [0019]; and Fig. 4).
Kim et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0130971 A1) is cited to forming a metal plating layer on the molded product, wherein the metal plating layer includes a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer and a chromium plating layer, which are sequentially formed (page 1, [0016]).
JP 2001073158 is cited to teach laser-processed electroless metal plated characters. Next, the character-forming portion of the electroless metal plated layer is laser-processed to partially cut out, thereby exposing the resin surface of the button base molding material and displaying the laser-processed electroless metal plated characters (ρ [0020]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDNA WONG whose telephone number is (571) 272-1349. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM- 3:30 PM.
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supervisor, Luan Van can be reached at (571) 272-8521. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDNA WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
1 Claims 3-4 and 6 are subject to rejoinder.
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