Detailed Office Action
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Acknowledgement of Election
2. Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, claims 1-3, 7, and 10-13 in the reply filed on 15 July 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that a search of all of the claims would not pose a serious burden on the Office. This is not found persuasive because the mere conclusory argument that a serious search burden does not exist, without more, neither makes it so nor adequately sets forth rationale explaining why it is believed that a serious search burden does not exist.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Indefiniteness Rejection
3. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
4. Claims 1-3, 7, and 10-13 are 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.
With respect to clam 1, the proviso within the last two lines renders the claims indefinite, because it appears to be in conflict with the β and γ conditions of the claim; it is unclear if the proviso is operative only for the optionally present substituent of the R variables definition.
Prior Art Rejection
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 2, 7, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 62-169776 A.
Within pages 743, 744, 746, and 747 of the reference, polyamines are disclosed that meet those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
7. Claims 1, 2, 7, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 102786544 A.
Compound (V) disclosed within pages 3, 7, and 10 of the reference meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
8. Claims 1, 2, 7, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by QU, Zhi et al, Living and stereoselective polymerization of rac-lactide by bimetallic aluminum schiff-base complexes, Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2014, 52, 1344-1352
.
Compound 3 disclosed within the reference meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
9. Claims 1, 2, 7, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2014-224194 A.
Disclosed compounds 3 and 4 meet those claimed. The compounds inherently function as an epoxy resin curing agent.
10. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2014-118442 A.
Amine compounds 6 and 9 disclosed within paragraph [0064] meet those claimed. The compounds inherently function as an epoxy resin curing agent.
11. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BALIJA, Amy M. et al., Substituted 1,3,5-Triazaadamantanes: Biocompatible and degradable building blocks, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 2008, 47, 8072-8074.
Disclosed compound 6 (Scheme 2) meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
12. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KEANA, John F. W. et al., Novel nitroxids for spin-labelling, trapping, and magnetic resonance imaging applications, Pure & Appl. Chem., 1990, 62(2), 201-205.
Disclosed hexamine 35a (page 205) meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
13. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DORNOW, Alfred et al., Uber die Reduktion substituierter Cyanessigsaure-athylester (Reduktionen mit LiALH4 VIII. Mitteil.), Chem. Ber., 1954, 87(7), 985-990.
1-amino-2,2-dibenzyl-propanol oxalate compound disclosed in page 988 meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
14. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 102872700 A.
Disclosed compound II-5 meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
15. Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2005-538050 A.
Disclosed compound 28 within FIG. 11 meets those claimed. The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
16. Claims 1-3, 7, and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2001187811 A.
Within paragraph [0011] of the provided translation of JP 2001187811 A, 3,9-bis(1,1-dimethyl-2-aminoethyl)-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5]undecane is disclosed, which meets the claimed amino compound (formula (2). The compound inherently functions as an epoxy resin curing agent.
Conclusion
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rabon A Sergent whose telephone number is (571)272-1079. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Heidi Riviere Kelley, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-1831. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center to authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to the USPTO patent electronic filing system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/RABON A SERGENT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765
Prosecution Insights