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 .
Response to Amendment
The Examiner acknowledges the remarks and amendments filed on 2/19/26. Claims 1 and 16 have been amended. Claims 1-17 are pending rejection.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imai WO_2021106649_A1 (see English equivalent: USPA_20230040874_A1) in view of Day USPA_20010031350_A1.
1. Regarding Claims 1, 2, 13, 14, and 16, Imai discloses a sandwich structure (Title) that can be used in housings of notebook computers (corresponds to claimed member for an electronic device housing of instant Claim 14) (paragraph 0109) comprising a fiber-reinforced composite material (Abstract) that is sheet-shaped (corresponds to claimed plate-like) (paragraph 0034) that can be used as a core material (Examples 7 & 8, paragraphs 0103 & 0104). Imai discloses a coarse cavity portion (element 4 in FIG. 1; paragraph 0024) which corresponds to the claimed core forming part portion that has wavy corrugations that extend unidirectionally (see FIG. 1); corresponding to tunnel-like shapes of instant Claim 2. Imai also discloses a porous structure portion (element 6 in FIG. 1; paragraph 0024) which corresponds to the claimed core peripheral part. Furthermore, Imai discloses two skin layers that are also fiber-reinforced materials that are bonded to said core material at tops and bottoms of the said corrugations (paragraphs 0049, 0050) which inherently would lead to the forming of interspaces between said skin layers and afore-described core material given the wavy corrugated-shape ridges when aligned with flat skin layers. Finally, Imai discloses bonding said core material and said skin layers using a adhesives (corresponds to claimed resin bonding of instant Claim 13) and heat welding (paragraph 0049). It would be expected for this bonding method to effectively seal to prevent the interspace adjacent to the core peripheral part from contacting with an outside air. Additionally, Imai discloses a method of manufacture that first prepares a prepreg for the afore-described core material (corresponds to claimed core preparation step), followed by a lamination of said skin layers and said bonding by way of adhesives and welding (corresponds to claimed bonding step of instant Claim 16) (paragraphs 0048-0070). The disclosures above are not found within a single, exemplified embodiment. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to try the different embodiments found within Imai out of a desire of optimization as is routinely done.
2. However, Imai does not disclose the newly added feature to the independent claims of having the skins specifically bonded and sealed at the core peripheral part so as to form an end-closed structure.
3. Day discloses fiber-reinforced composite cores and panels (Title) comprising skins (Abstract) that are bonded to each other through a portion of the core (paragraph 0095, 0110) at the core peripheral (paragraphs 0015, 0052, 0053, 0056, 0070, 0076, 0095; Claims 22 and 23; Figures) and sealed (paragraphs 0014, 0051, 0053, 0056); thereby corresponding to the claimed end-closed structure. Day discloses that its invention provides enhanced structural performance by improving the structural connections and support among reinforcing members within the foam core and between the core and the panel skins (paragraph 0005).
4. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the bonding, of Imai, by the skins specifically bonded and sealed at the core peripheral part so as to form an end-closed structure, as disclosed by Day. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated in doing so in order to obtain enhanced structural performance by improving the structural connections and support among reinforcing members within the foam core and between the core and the panel skins.
5. Regarding Claim 5, Imai in view of Day suggests its fibers having a fiber orientation that is orthogonal to each other as well as in a direction along which the wave of the corrugation of the core materials extends (Imai Claim 14).
6. Regarding Claims 6 and 7, Imai in view of Day suggests a composite thickness ranging from 0.1 mm to 5 mm (Imai paragraph 0046).
7. Regarding Claims 8 and 9, Imai in view of Day suggests using continuous carbon fibers in said skin layers (Imai paragraph 0050).
8. Regarding Claims 10-12, Imai in view of Day suggests discontinuous carbon fibers (Imai paragraph 0040) that are multi-directionally oriented (Imai Figure 2) that are monofilaments (Imai paragraphs 0069, 0078, 0079).
9. Regarding Claim 15, Imai in view of Day suggests using thermoplastic resin members (Imai paragraph 0003).
10. Regarding Claim 17, Imai in view of Day suggests a press molding step (Imai paragraph 0070).
11. Regarding Claims 3 and 4, Imai in view of Day suggests the angles (Imai see Figures) and the claimed angle and pitch of waves.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to all claim(s) 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/TAHSEEN KHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1781 April 2, 2026