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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14, 17-18, 20-22, 29-30, 32, and 34 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/28/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I, claims 1, 4-6 and 8-13 in the reply filed on 8/28/26 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 4-6, and 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi in JP2014085200 (wherein citations made herein refer to the machine translation provided) as evidenced by Mothudi in their publication “Photoluminescence and phosphorescence properties of MAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ (M=Ca, Ba, Sr) phosphors prepared at an initiating combustion temperature of 500 °C”.
Regarding Claim 1: Takahashi teaches a multi-layer coating system for crack detection (See Problem to be solved section). Takahashi teaches that the multi-layer coating system comprises a first coating layer (corresponding to Item 5 in Figure 1-4) formed from a first coating composition comprising a film forming resin, such as a polyurethane based, SBR based, acrylic based, or vinyl acetate based resin (See paragraph beginning “the highly elastic coating layer 5 is highly elastic with large ductility”). Takahashi teaches that layer 5 also contains a fluorescent dye or pigment, such as an inorganic pigment of calcium aluminate doped with europium and dysprosium (See paragraph beginning “in the present application, the term ‘fluorescent dye’ is a generic term”). Takahashi is silent in terms of the emission wavelength of calcium aluminate doped with europium and dysprosium when excited by UV-Vis light; however, CaAl2O4:Eu,Dy is a well known fluorescent phosphor. The evidentiary document to Mothudi shows that this material has emission at around 450 nm after being excited with a UV lamp, falling within the claimed range (See Figure 3 and 4). Those of ordinary skill would have expected the calcium aluminate doped with europium and dysprosium of Takahashi to inherently have emission of 450 nm as Takahashi teaches that the pigment or dye emits blueish light (see Abstract) and it is the same composition as that of Mothudi.
The multilayer coating system of Takahashi further includes a second coating layer disposed over at least a portion of the first coating layer (corresponding to Item 6 in Figure 1-4). The second coating layer is formed from a second coating composition comprising a film forming resin of the same composition as the first coating layer (with more curing agent or less plasticizer; See paragraph beginning “the low elastic coating layer 6 can also be obtained by using”). The second coating layer of Takahashi further includes a pigment that blocks radiation corresponding to the excitation or emission wavelength of the fluorescent pigment. The shielding agent of Takahashi scatters ultraviolet light and may include pigments such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide. Takahashi sets forth that these materials also have the effect of shielding (blocking) the blue visible light of the emission.
Regarding Claim 4: Takahashi teaches that second coating layer blocks an effective percent of radiation incident to the coating layer and corresponding to the emission wavelength of the fluorescent pigment in the first coating layer such that incident radiation corresponding to the emission wavelength of the fluorescent pigment in the first coating transmitted through the second coating layer is below a sensitivity threshold of a detector. This is shown in Figure 6, wherein fluorescence from the first layer is only visible in the region where a crack occurs and emission from areas outside the crack are black and below the detection threshold as emission is absorbed by the second layer.
Regarding Claim 5: Takahashi teaches that the first coating layer (Item 5) and the second coating layer (Item 6) may be in direct contact with one another (See Figures 1-4).
Regarding Claim 6: Takahashi teaches that each of the first and second layers may be provided in terms of multiple layers to provide for certain thicknesses. This is accomplished by multiple coating and drying steps. Thus the first and second layer as claimed may be separated by an intermediate layer, wherein said intermediate layer may have a composition and function that is the same as the first or second layer (See Paragraph beginning “Since it is important that the high elasticity coating layer 5”).
Regarding Claim 8: Takahashi teaches that the emission wavelength comprises a wavelength detectable by UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometer. As is set forth above, the fluorescent pigment of Takahashi may emit light at around 450 nm (See evidentiary document to Mothudi). Takahashi teaches that this emission is detectable with a CCD camera (See Paragraph beginning “As a means of diagnosis method, for example, an excitation”). Such a light would also be capable of being detected by the claimed UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometer as claimed.
Regarding Claim 9: The second layer (layer 6) of Takahashi forms a topcoat layer (See Figure 1-4).
Regarding Claim 10: Takahashi teaches that the shielding material may be pigments such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide (See paragraph beginning “The low elastic coating layer 6 needs to contain a shielding agent”). Takahashi teaches that these pigments block radiation corresponding to the excitation and emission of the fluorescent pigment by scattering (reflecting) it. Those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that both of these oxides are also capable of absorbing excitation and emission radiation.
Regarding Claim 11: Takahashi teaches that a polyurethane resin may be used as the film forming resin of the first coating composition (See paragraph beginning “The undercoat layer 2, the sheet layer 3, and the low elastic coating layer 6 are the same”).
Regarding Claim 12: Takahashi teaches that the first coating composition may comprise an additive that improves weather resistance, heat resistance, flame retardancy, water resistance (See paragraph beginning “The highly elastic coating layer 5 is highly elastic with large ductility,), or salt resistance (See paragraph beginning “The undercoat layer 2, the sheet layer 3, and the low elastic coating”). These additives are corrosion inhibitors as claimed.
Regarding Claim 13: Takahashi does not teach the addition of tinting pigments to the first coating composition.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW E HOBAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3585. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30am-6:00pm.
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, Jonathan Johnson can be reached at 571-272-1177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Matthew E. Hoban/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734
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