DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “frame” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-7 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “in particular honeycomb structures”. It is unclear if the honeycomb structures are included in the claim or not. Is it just an example? The claim limitation “the honeycomb structure” is being recited throughout the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a frame” and “two outer layers”. It is unclear if the frame is referring to the outer layers or not. The specification does not show the frame.
All dependent claims of above-mentioned claims inherit all of the limitations of the above-mentioned claims. Thus, the claims are likewise rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Werner (DE 2626153) and Pursche (DE 102005054608) Johannes (EP 1785272) are the closest prior arts.
Werner discloses a method (Fig. 1-2) of making a door frame having two outer layers (14, 15) and honeycomb structure (13). It further discloses that the two parts (11, 12) are manufactured and attached together to make different sized door frames by compressing the two parts together to compress the honeycomb structure to change the size of the frame and fixing them with adhesive (glue).
Since Werner is concerned about manufacturing a new door frame, it fails to disclose “cutting an edge strip from a lightweight panel to provide the lightweight panel with a panel dimension larger than a corresponding final dimension, wherein the cut is made through the honeycomb structure;”. The current application only requires this step since it is modifying the premade lightweight panels (doors).
Pursche provides a method (Fig. 1) of removing middle layer (2, honeycomb) separating from two outer layers (12, 14) of a furniture part.
Johannes teaches a method of manufacturing a lightweight panel ( Fig. 1) comprising two outer layers (3, 5) core layer (7) and replacement board made of wood (“frame bolt 9', for example, made of wood, wood substitutes, plastic, metal or the like”).
Therefore, none of the prior art suggest modifying Werner to read on claim limitation “cutting an edge strip from a lightweight panel to provide the lightweight panel with a panel dimension larger than a corresponding final dimension, wherein the cut is made through the honeycomb structure;” in combination with the rest of claim 1 limitations. Therefore, claims 1-7 are allowed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOBBY YEONJIN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Templeton can be reached on (571) 270-1477. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BOBBY YEONJIN KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3725