DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I claims 1-4 and 19-20 in the reply filed on 8/6/26 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirata et al. US Patent 7,449,042 in view of Fujisawa US Patent 5,849,054.
Regarding claim 1 and 2, Hirata teaches a hollow cylindrical filter produced by a method comprising:
a) A first winding process by winding metal wire 16 on cylindrical bobbin 19 to form a hollow cylindrical body 15a. The start of wire 16 is fixed at one winding end portion L1 of bobbin 19, thereby securing the start end between inner and outer wound portions. Bobbin 19 is rotated to create the cylindrical body including a first wire rod layer located on an innermost circumference, (column 4 lines 50-55);
b) A second winding process of rotating the bobbin 19 and winding the metallic wire rod on an outer circumferential side of the start end portion and the inner cylindrical body to produce an outer cylindrical body (column 5 lines 1-35).
Hirata does not explicitly teach a folding process of folding the start end portion of the metallic wire rod is folded and placed between wire rod layers adjacent to each other.
However, Fujisawa teaches folding an end potion of a metallic wire cylindrical filter back toward the opposite axial direction and positioning the end within the wound filter structure to prevent the wire from protruding or catching (column 4 lines 10-25).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to fold Hirata’s start end toward the opposite axial end before winding additional wire over the start end, in order to prevent fraying and protrusions. The combined method would include forming an inner cylindrical body, folding the starting end onto the outer circumferential side of the inner cylindrical body, and then winding additional wire over the start end and inner cylindrical body to form the outer cylindrical body as claimed.
Regarding claim 3, Hirata does not explicitly teach the selecting the pitch and number of rod layers to prevent the start end from protruding to the inner diameter side. However, Hirata teaches that pitch and the amount of wire winding are adjustable winding parameters (column 4 lines 43-48).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to select the pitch and number of inner wire layers to provide sufficient underlying wire coverage to maintain the folded start end outward of the innermost layer and prevent inward protrusion.
Regarding claims 4, 19 and 20, Hirata does not explicitly teach positioning the folded-back portion inward of the axial end edge of the filter. Fujisawa teaches folding metallic-wire filter end portions and positioning the cut ends inside the filter structure so that they are not exposed or caught on surrounding objects (column 4 lines 10-20).
Thus, it would have been obvious to position the folded-back portion of Hirata inward of the axial end edge, as suggested by Fujisawa, to prevent the folded wire portion from protruding or catching during handling.
Conclusion
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/SHARON PREGLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
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