DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 1-8, in the reply filed on April 8, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-10 are pending of which claims 9 and 10 are now withdrawn and claims 1-8 are now under consideration.
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.
3. Claims 1-8 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 highly thermally conductive composite material comprising: two graphite sheets; a first laminate positioned between the graphite sheets, in which one or more prepregs including polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber and a thermosetting resin are laminated; one or more repeating units laminated between the graphite sheet and the first laminate; and a plurality of pitch-based carbon fibers penetrating the graphite sheet, the first laminate and the repeating unit in the
lamination direction to have both ends protruding, wherein the repeating unit includes, sequentially from a direction adjacent to the first laminate, a graphite sheet having a plurality of through holes, and a second laminate in which one or more prepregs including polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber and a thermosetting resin are laminated; and the protruding both ends of the pitch-based carbon fiber
are bent in a direction of a surface of the highly thermally conductive composite material.”
It is unclear, from both the Specification and the claims, what is meant by “ one or more repeating units laminated between the graphite sheet and the first laminate.” Are the “one or more repeating units” further layers or are they layers that are part of the laminate?
Similarly, it is unclear what is meant by “a plurality of pitch-based carbon fibers penetrating the graphite sheet, the first laminate and the repeating unit in the lamination direction to have both ends protruding.” Are the carbon fibers penetrating the entire structure and hence both ends are protruding or are the carbon fibers only penetrating the graphite sheet, the first laminate and one repeating unit?
Claim 2 recites that the “prepreg included in the first laminate and the prepreg included in the second laminate are each laminated in a number of greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal
to 7”, however it the phrase “each laminated in a number of greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 7” is ambiguous given that it is unclear what the prepegs are laminated to in the structure.
Appropriate correction or clarification is required.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Choi et al. in US 2018/0345623 A1, teaches that a composite material can be stitched with a fiber in the z-direction to improve strength in a lamination direction.
Yu et al., in US 2020/0307153 A1, discloses a carbon fiber reinforced composite structure comprising a plurality of carbon fiber reinforced sheets laminated to each other and stitched together with a stitch member penetrating one or more of the carbon fiber reinforced sheets, such that the carbon fiber reinforced composite structure shows excellent thermal conductivity in a thickness direction.
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
Prosecution Insights