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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 9/16/2024 has been fully considered. An initialed copy of said IDS is enclosed herein.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, drawn to a composite, in the reply filed on 11/21/2025 is acknowledged. The examiner notes that claims 16, 17, and 20, are drawn to a method and should have been grouped with the non-elected invention of Group II. The examiner notes that placing a claim in the wrong group will not affect the propriety of a final requirement where the requirement is otherwise proper and the correct disposition erroneously grouped claim is clear (see MPEP 814).
Claims 16, 17, 20, , and 23 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/21/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-14, 21, and 22 (all pending claims) 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 regards to claim 1, the term “polymer (FP)” renders the claim indefinite. Specifically, the claim states “at least one fluoropolymer comprising recurring units derived from tetrafluoroethylene, polymer (FP)…” Said phrase renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear if the term “polymer (FP)” further limits the claims. The specification discusses polymer (FP) in a manner which is narrower in scope than the claimed “at least one fluoropolymer comprising recurring units derived from tetrafluoroethylene.” Similarly, the term “fiber fabric (F)” renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear if the term is intended to further limit the claimed fiber layer.
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 –
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, 11-14, 21, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2007/024837A (herein referred to as “Mitsui”).
With regards to claim 1, Mitsui teaches a composite film having a thickness 30-500um (page 18, lines 23+) for printed circuit boards comprising a fiber layer impregnated with a fluoropolymer comprising tetrafluoroethylene (abstract; page 8, lines 21+) .
With regards to claims 2 and 3, Mitsui teaches the PTFE may comprise up to 10 mol.% of another fluorinated monomer selected from perfluoro(oxy)alkylvinylether (page 10, lines 24+).
With regards to claim 4, Mitsui teaches the PTFE may comprise up to 10 mol.% of another fluorinated monomer selected from perfluoro(oxy)alkylvinylether (page 10, lines 24+).
With regards to claim 5, Mitsui teaches the fiber fabric may comprise glass fibers (page 8, lines 8+).
With regards to claim 8, Mitsui teaches the fabric may comprise a woven fabric (page 8, lines 8+).
With regards to claims 10-14, Mitsui teaches the composite film preferably has a dielectric constant Dk at 20 GHz of less than 3.0,( page 4, lines 10+; page 19, lines 14+). While the test method utilized in Mitsui is different from that set forth in the claims, the examiner takes the position that the composite disclosed in Mitsui, given the dielectric constant teaching and compositional similarity with the claimed invention, will inherently meet the dielectric constant properties set forth in claims 11-14.
With regards to claim 21, Mitsui teaches the article comprising at least one composite film may further comprise a metal layer adhered onto at least one surface of the composite film (see examples).
With regards to claim 22, Mitsui teaches the component may be used for circuit boards, which is understood to read on the claimed ”mobile electronic device.”
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) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2007/024837A (herein referred to as “Mitsui”), as applied to claims above, and further in view of applicant’s admissions.
Mitsui is relied upon as above, but does not teach the glass fiber compositions of claims 6 and 7. However, applicant admits (0045) that glass fiber fabrics with the properties detailed in the preceding paragraphs (which include the compositional and property limitations of claims 6 and 7) are commercially available from CTG Taishan Fiberglass. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize glass fiber sheets meeting the compositional limitations of claims 6 and the properties set forth in claim 7 as applicant admits said sheets are commercially available from CTG Taishan Fiberglass.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2007/024837A (herein referred to as “Mitsui”), as applied to claims above, and further in view of von Gentzkow et al (US 5,760,146).
Mitsui is relied upon as above, but does not teach the fiber fabric (F) has an average area weight comprised between 10 and 100 g/m². However, teaches von Gentzkow glass fiber fabrics are predominantly used for the manufacture of prepregs for circuit board technology. In particular prepregs made of glass fiber fabric types with a surface density of 25 to 200 g/m.sup.2 are used for multilayer circuit boards (col 8, lines 15+). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize a glass fiber prepeg with a surface density of 25 to 200 g/m.sup.2 in the invention of Mitsui as such prepegs are typically used in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN R KRUER whose telephone number is (571)272-1510. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Callie Shosho can be reached at (571) 272-1123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN R KRUER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787