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 .
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.
Claim 8 is 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.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the surface of the solid joining agent" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the surface of the resin molded body" in lines 2-3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 3-4, 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kanbayashi et al. (English translation of JPS63312818).
Regarding claim 1, Kanbayashi et al. discloses a method for producing a joined body, comprising:
An injection molding step of injecting a thermoplastic rein composition into a cavity of a mold in a state where a solid joining agent 2 containing a thermoplastic resin containing no epoxy group is placed on a wall surface in the cavity to obtain a first base material in which a resin molded body 1 made of the thermoplastic resin composition and the solid joining agent are integrated; and
A joining step of melting and then solidifying the solid joining agent in a state where the solid joining agent of the first base material is in contact with a second base material (see abstract, claim 1, fig. 1-2, page 2, line 63-104).
Regarding claim 3, Kanbayashi et al. discloses wherein the thermoplastic resin contained in the solid joining agent is an amorphous thermoplastic resin, and the amorphous thermoplastic resin has a heat of fusion of 15 J/g or less (polycarbonate, see page 2, line 63-104).
Regarding claim 4, Kanbayashi et al. discloses wherein the joining step, the solid joining agent is melted and then solidified by high-frequency induction (abstract), hot-plate welding, infrared-rays (see page 2, line 103-page 3, line 5).
Regarding claim 8, Kanbayashi et al. discloses wherein in the first base material, the surface of the solid joining agent is flush with the surface of the resin molded body (see fig. 1-2).
Regarding claim 9, Kanbayashi et al. discloses wherein the solid joining agent placed on the wall surface in the cavity is a film (see fig. 1-2, page 2, line 100-102).
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanbayashi et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ono et al. (English translation of JPH0992040).
Regarding claim 2, Kanbayashi et al. does not teach wherein the thermoplastic resin contained int eh solid joining agent contains at least one selected from a thermoplastic epoxy resin and a phenoxy resin. However, Ono et al. teaches an adhesive layer comprising a phenoxy resin (see abstract, claim 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanbayashi et al. with the teaching of Ono et al. since Ono et al. teaches that the use of a thermoplastic phenoxy resin as a component of a thermoplastic adhesive is a well-known and common feature.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanbayashi et al (English translation of JPS63-312818).
Regarding claim 5, Kanbayashi et al. does not teach wherein a softening point of the solid joining agent is lower than a melting point of the resin molded body. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to set a softening point of the solid joining agent to be lower than a melting point of the resin molded body in order to prevent the resin molded body from melting.
Regarding claim 6, Kanbayashi et al. does not teach wherein the second base material is a metal. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to join the first base material to a metal since Kanbayashi et al. teaches that the invention can be widely used in the automobile industry, the light electrical equipment industry, the home appliance industry, and others (page 1, line 13-page 2, line 32, page 3, line 105-137).
Regarding claim 7, Kanbayashi et al. does not teach wherein the joining step is performed under conditions of pressures of the first base material and the second base material of 0.01 to20 MPa. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effecting filing date of the claimed invention to optimize the pressure since Kanbayashi et al. teaches that the high pressure ensures hat the adhesive becomes almost integrated with the resin and the adhesion is strong and reliable (see page 3, line 105-137).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanbayashi et al (English translation of JPS63-312818) in view of Ono et al. (English translation of JPH0992040).
Regarding claim 10, Kanbayashi et al. discloses a method for producing a base material, the method comprising: injecting a thermoplastic resin composition into a cavity of a mold in a state where a solid joining agent 2 is placed on a wall surface in the cavity, to thereby obtain a base material in which a resin molded body 1 made of the thermoplastic resin composition and the solid joining agent are integrated (see abstract, claim 1, fig. 1-2, page 2, line 63-104), where the solid joining agent contains an amorphous thermoplastic resin having an epoxy equivalent of 1,600 or more or containing no epoxy group (polycarbonate, see page 2, line 63-104).
Kanbayashi et al. does not teach wherein the thermoplastic resin contained int eh solid joining agent contains at least one selected from a thermoplastic epoxy resin and a phenoxy resin. However, Ono et al. teaches an adhesive layer comprising a phenoxy resin (see abstract, claim 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanbayashi et al. with the teaching of Ono et al. since Ono et al. teaches that the use of a thermoplastic phenoxy resin as a component of a thermoplastic adhesive is a well-known and common feature.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XUE H LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-5522. The examiner can normally be reached 1PM - 10PM.
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/X.H.L/Examiner, Art Unit 1742 /CHRISTINA A JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1742