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
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 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ITO et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2014/0187721, hereinafter ITO).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, ITO teaches a resin composition comprising a hard resin may be mixtures of polyetherimide (PEI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and polysulfone (PSU) (well-known to be aromatic) [0016] and a fibrous inorganic filler may also be added into the resin composition [0018]. Examples of inorganic fillers include carbon fiber, glass fiber, alumina fiber, potassium titanate fiber, boron fiber, or silicon carbide fiber [0018]. The resin composition is mixed in an twin-screw extruder [0025]. The resin composition is injection molded (Example 1; [0028]) to for a sliding member including bearings, guide members, chains, gears, thrust washers, seal rings, and the like [0026].
Claims 1-3, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ANEJA et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2007/0197739, hereinafter ANEJA).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, ANEJA teaches filled phase-separated blends (composites [0222]) of polyether ether ketones and at least one polysulfone etherimide (Abstract; [0003 and 0015]). Note: polysulfone etherimide is a well-known aromatic polysulfone [0019]. In one embodiment, the blends include a polyetherimide [0022, 0149, 0151, and 0246 (Table 1)]. The filled compositions include one or more fillers selected from carbon fibers, aramid fibers, metallic fibers, metal-coated fibers, natural fibers, and reinforcing fibers [0172-0175].
Regarding claim 2, ANEJA teaches the final resin blend comprises 30 to 70% of polyaryl ether ketone resin of the entire mixture and 70 to 30% of polysulfone etherimide ([0026] and [0257] (Example 14)) (which is in within the claimed range of less than 40% by mass based on a total content of the polyether ether ketone, the aromatic polysulfone, a polyetherimide, and a fibrous filler).
Regarding claim 3, ANEJA teaches the final resin blend comprises 30 to 70% of polyaryl ether ketone resin of the entire mixture and 70 to 30% of polysulfone etherimide ([0026] and [0257] (Example 14)) (which is within the claimed is 25% by mass or more based on the total content of the polyether ether ketone, the aromatic polysulfone, and the polyetherimide).
Regarding claim 5, ANEJA teaches the blend composition comprises from 1 to 98 wt% of the at least filler (Claim 1). When converted from wt% to parts by mass, the amount of filler is within the claimed range of 10 parts or more and 100 parts by mass or less as claimed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. ITO et al. and ANEJA et al. are the closest prior art of record, however the references do not teach the claim limitations of claims 4 and 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEVE V HALL whose telephone number is (571)270-7738. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9 am-5 pm, EST.
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DEVE V. HALL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1763
/DEVE V HALL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1763
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