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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I (Claim(s) 1-4) in the reply filed on 12/16/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not provide any statement/reasons indicating traversal of the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01). Claim(s) 5 is/are withdrawn as being drawn to nonelected group II. Accordingly, claim(s) 1-4 is/are examined herein.
Claim Interpretation
The term “decorative layer” has been interpretated below as encompassing layers/films/coatings described in [0021] of Applicant’s published application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takeyori (JP 2001341173A with English translation – FOR of record).
Regarding claim 1, Takeyori discloses a method for manufacturing a plastic molded article (abstract, P0001), the method comprising:
producing a granular waste material by finely pulverizing a waste material that includes a base made of a thermoplastic and a decorative layer provided on a surface of the base (producing a pulverized material by finely pulverizing a used article/bumper that includes a base made of a polyolefin and a paint coating/film on a surface of the polyolefin: P0006, 0010, 0015-0016, 0021, 0023);
producing a molten waste material by melting the granular waste material (producing a molten material by melting the pulverized material: P0008, 0024, 0043-0044);
injecting the molten waste material into a cavity of a mold (P0008, 0031, 0043), and maintaining the molten waste material in a molten state in the cavity (an insulating layer in the inner surface of the cavity of the mold is designed to maintain the molten material in a molten state in the cavity at least for some time by slowing/delaying cooling and solidification of the molten material: P0012, 0032-0033; furthermore, injection molding intrinsically comprises the step of maintaining the molten material in a molten state in the cavity after injection at least during a holding operation for the benefit(s) of ensuring proper filling of the cavity); and
molding the plastic molded article by cooling the molten waste material that is maintained in the molten state (P0012, 0056; furthermore, injection molding inherently comprises a step of cooling injected molten plastic material to enable molding of plastic molded articles). Furthermore, the method of Takeyori yields similar advantages (P0001, 0005, 0012) as Applicant’s claimed invention ([0003] of Applicant’s published Application). Thus, Takeyori discloses the method substantially as claimed by Applicant.
Regarding claim 2, Takeyori further discloses prior to the melting of the granular waste material, producing a granular mixture by mixing the granular waste material and a granular virgin material that is made of the same thermoplastic as that of the base (the pulverized material may be mixed/blended with an additive before converting the mixture into the molten resin for molding: P0024, 0044; wherein the additive can be a virgin polyolefin with a composition same as the polyolefin of the recycled coated polyolefin: P0026-0027),
wherein the melting of the granular waste material includes melting the granular mixture (melting the pulverized material mixed with additive before converting the mixture into the molten resin by melting: P0024, 0044).
Regarding claim 3, Takeyori discloses a method for manufacturing a plastic molded article (abstract, P0001), the method comprising:
producing a granular waste material by finely pulverizing a waste material including a molded body made of a thermoplastic colored with a pigment (producing a pulverized material by finely pulverizing a used molded product/bumper made of polyolefin colored with a paint and/or pigment: P0006, 0010, 0015-0021, 0023; wherein the taught paint reads on the claimed pigment; and wherein P0020 explicitly discloses that the polyolefin may include a pigment);
producing a molten waste material by melting the granular waste material (producing a molten material by melting the pulverized material: P0008, 0024, 0043-0044);
injecting the molten waste material into a cavity of a mold (P0008, 0031, 0043) and maintaining the molten waste material in a molten state in the cavity (an insulating layer in the inner surface of the cavity of the mold is designed to maintain the molten material in a molten state in the cavity at least for some time by slowing cooling and solidification of the molten material: P0012, 0032-0033; furthermore, injection molding inherently comprises a step of maintaining the molten material in a molten state in the cavity after injection at least during an inherent holding operation for the benefit(s) of ensuring proper filling of the cavity); and
molding the plastic molded article by cooling the molten waste material that is maintained in the molten state (P0012, 0056; furthermore, injection molding inherently comprises a step of cooling injected molten plastic material to enable molding of plastic molded articles). Additionally, the method of Takeyori yields similar advantages (P0001, 0005, 0012) as Applicant’s claimed invention ([0003] of Applicant’s published Application). Thus, Takeyori discloses the method substantially as claimed by Applicant.
Regarding claim 4, Takeyori further discloses prior to the melting of the granular waste material, producing a granular mixture by mixing the granular waste material and a granular virgin material that is made of the same thermoplastic as that of the molded body and exhibits a color different from that of the waste material (the pulverized material may be mixed/blended with an additive before converting the mixture into the molten resin for molding: P0024, 0044; wherein the additive can be a virgin polyolefin with a composition same as the polyolefin of the used molded product/bumper made of polyolefin: P0026-0027; wherein the virgin polyolefin inherently exhibits a color different from that of the waste material as the waste material comprises the painted/pigmented polyolefin whereas the virgin polyolefin does not),
wherein the melting of the granular waste material includes melting the granular mixture (melting the pulverized material mixed with additive before converting the mixture into the molten resin by melting: P0024, 0044).
Conclusion
Additional prior art made of record and not relied upon that is considered to be pertinent to
Applicant’s disclosure.
Hiroshi (JP 2001353742 with English translation – FOR of record) discloses a relevant method (0007-0008, 0012-0016) and the technique of increasing fluidity of a recycled thermoplastic resin containing foreign matter such as paint chips during injection molding and allowing sinking of the foreign matter for the benefit(s) of preventing the foreign matter in the recycled thermoplastic resin from protruding the surface of the molded product (P0012-0016). Hiroshi further discloses that an insulating layer in the inner surface of the cavity of the mold is expected to maintain the molten material in a molten state in the cavity at least for some time by delaying cooling of the molten material (P0003, 0006).
Suzuki (US 20040130053) discloses a relevant method (all document).
Shohei (US 20240165865) discloses a relevant method (all document, particularly claims 1-6).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0625. The examiner can normally be reached 1:00-10:00 PM PT.
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JERZI H. MORENO HERNANDEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743