CTNF 18/691,073 CTNF 76156 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 1. 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 2. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1, 2, and 11-18, in the reply filed on March 11, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1, 2, and 11-19 are pending of which claim 19 is withdrawn and claims 1, 2, and 11-18 are now under consideration . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 3. Claims 1, 2, and 11-18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Independent claim 1 recites a laminate comprising at least one of divided layers each of which is a layer having three or more regions by being divided into three or more in a subject direction, wherein at least one of the following is established in the laminate: a plurality of divided layers included in the at least one of divided layers are adjacently laminated; and a divided layer included in the at least one of divided layers and an undivided layer which is a layer that has not been divided are adjacently laminated, the laminate is a fiber reinforced plastic laminate having two or more layers, in one or more divided layers among the at least one of divided layers, there are a plurality of kinds of thicknesses of divided region constituent materials that constitute each divided layer of the one or more divided layers, and the laminate comprises a resin layer that is adjacent to a divided layer in which there are the plurality of kinds of thicknesses of the divided region constituent materials. It is unclear, from both the claims and the Specification, what is meant by “a plurality of divided layers included in the at least one of divided layers are adjacently laminated” or by “plurality of kinds of thicknesses”. Appropriate correction or clarification is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA 4. Claim s 1, 2, and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Odagiri et al. (US 5028478) . Odagiri et al. disclose a tough laminated composite material which comprise (A) long reinforcing fibers, (B) a matrix resin mixed with the long reinforcing fibers and (C1) a resin, preferably in the form of fine resin particles, forming a phase separate from said matrix resin which is localized in inter-layer zones, wherein 90% or more of said resin (C1) is localized in inter-layer zones and/or wherein the border length factor in the inter-layer zones is 2.5 or more and prepegs used to form the composite materials. The composite material is used for structures which must be high in strength, elastic modulus and also in specific strength and specific elastic modulus. The tough sheet-like laminated composite material is formed of a plurality of lamination layers. As can be seen in EXAMPLE 1, a unidirectional prepreg was prepared and consisted of the following A and B and of 21 wt % in resin content, and a resin film obtained by thinly coating releasing paper with a blend of C and B was applied onto both sides, respectively. A is Reinforcing fibers: Carbon fibers T800H (made by Toray Industries, Inc.) and B is a matrix resin. (See Abstract; Column 1, lines 5-18; Column 2, lines 19-60; and Examples). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to form a laminate comprising layers having three or more regions, wherein the divided layers are adjacently laminated; and the laminate is a fiber reinforced plastic laminate having two or more layers, given that the Odagiri et al. disclose that a tough laminated composite material can be formed by using localized inter-layer zones. Conclusion 5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEEBA AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-1504. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7am-6pm. 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, CALLIE SHOSHO can be reached at 571-272-1123. 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. /SHEEBA AHMED/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787 Application/Control Number: 18/691,073 Page 2 Art Unit: 1787 Application/Control Number: 18/691,073 Page 3 Art Unit: 1787 Application/Control Number: 18/691,073 Page 4 Art Unit: 1787 Application/Control Number: 18/691,073 Page 5 Art Unit: 1787
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