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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang et al (JP 2021134092). Kang et al discloses a setter (lightweight kiln tool) for firing a ceramic (used in the heat treatment of powdered raw material, the setter is used for placing and firing a ceramic component on it, comprising: a base including therein a porous layer (30-80%) porosity where inorganic fibers (alumina fibers, mullite fibers, silica-alumina fibers) are bonded to form a porous body. In re claim 4, Kang et al describes the porous layer includes the inorganic fibers and a solidified inorganic portion formed by solidification of a powdery inorganic material, and the inorganic fibers are bonded in a network form (Kang et al discloses using a mixture obtained by dry mixing the inorganic powder, heat resistant inorganic fibers, and shaping materials then the compound is pressurized and molded and thereafter, fired). In re claim 5, Kang et al discloses that the inorganic fibers include ceramic fibers (alumina, mullite etc). In re claim 6, Kang et al discloses that the porous layer of the base has a porosity of about 60% (Kang et al discloses between 30-80%).
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kumazawa (EP 1184637). Kumazawa discloses a setter (Figure 1) for firing a ceramic (SEE Abstract), the setter is used for placing and firing a ceramic component on it, comprising: a base (3) including therein a porous layer (Figure 1) where inorganic fibers are bonded to form a porous body (alumina, SEE [0013]). In re claim 2, Kumazawa discloses that the base includes a dense layer ([0013]) on an outer circumferential surface, the dense layer being denser than the porous layer (coated with stabilized Zirconia or magnesia). In re claim 4, Kumazawa discloses wherein the porous layer includes the inorganic fibers (alumina) and a solidified inorganic portion formed by solidification of a powdery inorganic material, and the inorganic fibers are bonded in a network form (zirconia, SEE [0034]). In re claim 5, Kamazawa discloses that the inorganic fibers include ceramic fibers (alumina fibers). In re claim 6, Kamazawa discloses that the porous layer of the base has a porosity of about 60% (Kamazawa discloses a porosity of 70% which reads on the claimed about 60%).
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe et al (WO 2018047784). Watanabe et al discloses a setter (10) for firing a ceramic ([0001]), the setter is used for placing and firing a ceramic component on it, comprising: a base including therein a porous layer (honeycomb, SEE Figures 1-3) where inorganic fibers are bonded to form a porous body (SEE [0003]-[0004]). In re claim 2, Watanabe et al discloses that the base includes a dense layer on an outer circumferential surface, the dense layer being denser than the porous layer (Watanabe et al discloses the outer layers having a porosity of 5%-50% while the porous layer is 50%-95% porosity, SEE [0018]). In re claim 3, Watanabe et al discloses that the base includes a sheet-like base material formed in a planar shape and a corrugated base material formed by bending, and the sheet-like base material and the corrugated base material are integrated in a laminated state to form a honeycomb structure (implicitly discussed in [0065]). In re claim 4, Watanabe et al discloses that the porous layer includes the inorganic fibers and a solidified inorganic portion formed by solidification of a powdery inorganic material, and the inorganic fibers are bonded in a network form (SEE [0017] solidification of pulverized fine mullite, fine alumina, fine zirconia). In re claim 5, Watanabe et al discloses that the inorganic fibers include ceramic fibers (SEE [0017]). In re claim 6, Watanabe et al discloses that the porous layer of the base has a porosity of about 60% (Watanabe et al discloses 50-95% porosity, SEE [0018]). In re claim 7, Watanabe et al discloses a setter structure for firing a ceramic, the setter is used for placing and firing a ceramic component on it (SEE [0001]), wherein a sheet formation step of forming a structure by sheet formation, the structure including a porous layer in which inorganic fibers are contained to form a porous body; a shaping step of shaping the structure obtained in the sheet formation step into a predetermined shape; a coating step of impregnating the structure formed into the predetermined shape in the shaping step with an impregnation liquid to form a dense layer on an outer surface of the porous layer, the dense layer being denser than the porous layer; and a firing step of firing, at a predetermined temperature, the structure that has been subjected to the coating step (implicitly disclosed in [0065]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY A WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4882. The examiner can normally be reached M-F; 7:00am-4:30pm.
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/GREGORY A WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 June 27, 2026
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