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 .
Applicant’s election, without traverse, of Group I claims 1-6 directed to a carbon fiber bundle. Accordingly, claims 7-8 are withdrawn from consideration at this time.
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.
Claim 3 is 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.
Claim 3 is rendered indefinite because of the term “either”. It is unclear if claim 3 is dependent upon claim 1 or another claim. For purposes of examination, Examiner is interpreting claim 3 to depend upon claim 1.
Claims 1-2 and 4-6 are allowed. Applicant claims a carbon fiber bundle as recited in claim 1. The closest prior art, Tanaka et al., JP 2021-059829, teaches a carbon fiber having superior mechanical characteristics wherein the carbon fiber is made of plural monofilaments in which an average value of long axis/short axis ratio in a cross-section ranges from 1.0 to 1.15, a variation of coefficient of the long axis/short axis ratio is 3-15% and a skewness of the long axis/short axis ratio is 1.2-4.0 [abstract]. Paragraph 0026 discloses that the strand modulus is 300 GPa or more. Paragraph 0027 discloses that the strand strength is 4.0 or higher. Paragraph 0034 discloses 1,000 to 80,000 filaments. Paragraph 0038 discloses a method of producing the carbon fiber bundle treated with a flame retardant treatment. Also, paragraph 0042 discloses a carbonization process. Tanaka fails to teach or suggest that the carbon fiber has an elongation percentage of 1.8% or more and an overall fineness of 0.15 to 0.35 g/m.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMIE S THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1530. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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/CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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