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 without traverse of group I, claims 1-17, in the reply filed on 3/5/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 3/5/26.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 objected to because of the following informalities: vacuum is misspelled. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marmon (US 2003/0068947 A1) in view of Harrison (US 2006/0057377 A1) in view of Zhang (US 2020/0232156 A1).
Claims 1, 7, 13-14, 17:
Marmon teaches a method for preparing a porous fabric polymer film (abstract). A “first membrane” is formed by spinning polymeric components [0049] (Fig. 2: 62, 64, 70). A “first mixture” is formed by suspending fine particulate matter in water [0037]. The first mixture is applied onto the first membrane [0039] and “filtered” through the thickness of the membrane by vacuum filtration [0043], which has the effect of depositing the fine particular matter within the first membrane thereby forming the “second membrane”. The second membrane is then dried [0050] to form the “third membrane”.
Marmon does not teach electrospinning PVDF/PU or mid-infrared radiation reflective material. It is noted that Marmon is open to nearly any porous substrate [0044-0046] and nearly any active agent for treating the porous substrate [0047].
Harrison teaches a method for electrospinning PVDF where PVDF has many useful properties [0007] and electrospinning has many advantages [0008] and ultimately produces a nonwoven (porous) mat of customizable size, shape, etc. [0029].
Zhang teaches a method for coating fabric with a reinforcing agent such as titanium carbide nanoparticles [0027-0028]. Although Zhang does not explicitly state titanium carbide is a mid-infrared radiation reflective material, this is an inherent property of the material (see instant claim 13 for example).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to practice the method of Marmon where the porous fabric polymer film is PVDF manufacturing by electrospinning in order to realize the benefits stated by Harrison and coat the fabric with titanium carbide nanoparticles as a specific active agent for treating fabric.
Claims 2-6:
PVDF pellets were dissolved in DMF at a concentration of 30 wt. % PVDF [Harrison 0032]. The temperature is not specified, but would have been obvious as a routinely optimized process variable.
Claims 8-10:
The concentration of active agent is specifically described as a routinely optimized process variable [Marmon 0037-0038] and would have been obvious for this reason.
Claims 11-12:
The titanium carbide is in the form of nanoparticles having a size of 1-200 nm [Zhang 0027].
Claims 15-16:
These claims are merely the combination of limitations already addressed above and are rejected for the same reasons.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX A ROLLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-5355. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Curtis Mayes can be reached at 5712721234. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEX A ROLLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
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