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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/17/2026 has been entered.
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) 1, 5, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao et al. (5,941,110) in view of Fujii et al. (WO2019/181360A1).
Regarding claim 1, Cao discloses a friction-joining method which comprises: a first step of forming an interface to be joined by bringing an end surface of one member into contact with an end surface of the other member while applying a pressure substantially perpendicular to the interface to be joined; (column 3 line 51 to column 4 line 17), and a third step of stopping the sliding to form a joined surface (would necessarily happen in a friction welding process when the weld is complete); wherein the one member and the other member are galvanized steel sheets (column 3 line 51 to column 4 line 17).
Cao discloses friction welding galvanized steel sheets to form a linear weld seam, but does not specifically disclose a second step of repeatedly sliding the one member and the other member on the same trajectory by vibrating both of the one member and the other member in opposite directions or vibrating one of the one member or the other member while other one of the one member or the other member is fixed. However, Fujii discloses linear friction welding a carbon steel material (see Description of Embodiments English translation). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to use linear friction welding as it is a well-known process for friction welding. It would have been obvious for one skilled in the art to determine the ideal friction welding process based on the type of weld seam desired and the shape of the components being welded.
Cao does not specifically disclose setting a desired joining temperature to be equal to or lower than 907°C; and setting the pressure applied in the first step to be equal to or higher than the yield stress of the galvanized steel sheet at the desired joining temperature. However, Fujii discloses that the bonding temperature can be controlled by setting the pressure to be equal to or higher than the yield stress of one of the components being bonded. Fujii states that by doing so, deformation and discharge of the burrs is accelerated. Fujii shows in figure 3 that the temperature can be lower than 907 when the pressure is higher (see computer English translation). Since Fujii discloses a temperature lower than 907 and a pressure equal to or higher than the yield stress, it is the Examiner’s position that it would necessarily follow that the discharge of the burr suppresses the mixing of galvanizing components into the joined surface. To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to have a pressure higher than the yield stress because it lowers the temperature required to join the components and it accelerates the discharge of the burrs (see English computer translation). This would help cut down on production time.
Regarding claim 5, Cao does not specifically disclose that the tensile strength of the galvanized steel sheets prior to the second step is 340 MPa or more. However, Fujii does disclose using a JIS-S45C steel. This steel has a tensile strength above 340 MPa and would be before the second step of the limitation. Carbon steels with a tensile strength above 340 MPa are known in the art and it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of the invention to select a known steel with a tensile strength suitable for the final product.
Regarding claim 8, Fujii discloses that the desired joining temperature can be set to be equal to or higher than 560°C and equal to or lower than 907°C based on the pressure being applied (figure 3, see computer English translation).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 5, 8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN B SAAD whose telephone number is (571)270-3634. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30a-6p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ERIN B SAAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
Prosecution Insights