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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I, claims 1-8 and 21-25 in the reply filed on December 29, 2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 7 and 24 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.
The term “substantially greater” in claim 7 and “substantially parallel” in claim 24 are relative terms which render the claims indefinite. The terms “substantially greater” and “substantially parallel” are not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Clarification and/or correction are needed.
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.
Claims 1-8 and 21-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kurihara et al. (5,612,067).
Regarding claims 1-2, 5-6, 8, 21-24, Kurihara et al. discloses a molding apparatus as copied below:
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Bottom surface of the cavity )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Side wall of the cavity )][AltContent: textbox (Top surface of the cavity)][AltContent: textbox (Molds 2, 3 forming a cavity 4)][AltContent: textbox (opening)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Passage - 1st portion
2nd portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Feeding port)][AltContent: arrow]
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Regarding claims 3-4, wherein the feeding port extending perpendicular to the mold cavity and the sidewall as shown above.
Regarding claims 7-8, wherein a first angle between the feeding port and the first portion is a straight line which is 180˚ and is greater than a second angle between the first portion and the second portion as they are perpendicular from each other forming an angle of 90˚.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thu-Khanh T. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)272-1136. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached at 571-270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thu Khanh T. Nguyen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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