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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/26/2026 has been entered.
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 1-4, 6-17 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.
As to claim 1, applicant recited “a density of the partition wall is higher than that of a portions other than the partition wall” is not clear. For example: According to applicant specification [0026], applicant recites that “In the carrier tape 1 according to the present example embodiment, the accommodating portion 10 and the partition wall 20 are formed at the same time by pressing a molding die against the front surface 1a of a material made of belt-shaped laminated paper for press-molding. At the time of press-molding, the partition wall 20 is compressed in the height direction and the thickness direction from the material state. Therefore, the degree of compression of each of the partition walls 20 is higher than that of the other portions, and the density of each of the partition walls 20 is higher than that of the other portions other than the partition walls 20. Further, since the density is high, the hardness of each of the partition walls 20 is higher than that of the other portions”.
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However, with the process of making the carrier tape as explain in the specification, the compression should not cause the partition wall being the highest density of the carrier tape. The highest density would happen at the bottom portion of the accommodating portion. Furthermore, upon further review of the claim, it is not clear which structure “that of portions” applicant is referring to. The structure is lack of proper antecedent basis and not clear under 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter.
As to claims 2-4 and 6 17, they depended form claim 1 and are therefore rejected to accordingly under 35 USC 112(b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 6-17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUN HOI CHEUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-5702. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Orlando E Aviles can be reached at (571)270-5531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUN HOI CHEUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736
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