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 Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 14 recites “the old cavity” that is a typo error of “the mold cavity”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 14 recites the limitation of “the thermal curing region” in 2nd line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because even though prior to the cited limitation, claim 13 recites “a thermal curing region”. However, neither claim 1 nor claim 14 recites “a thermal curing region”.
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) 1-8 and 10-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baranda et al. (US 2003/0092524).
As to claim 1, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) discloses an apparatus for fabricating a composite structural member, the apparatus comprising:
- a polymer mold (¶ [0045]: a molding device 70 for applying the jacket 44 to the cords 42) with a mold cavity (¶ [0046]: a mold housing 72 having an input side 74) and an inlet (¶ [0046]: one or more openings 79), wherein the inlet (¶ [0046]: one or more openings 79) is fluidly coupled to the mold cavity (¶ [0045]: a molding device 70) and receives a fluid that includes a polymer;
[AltContent: textbox (A mold housing (72) )][AltContent: textbox (Fiber-positioning plate (76))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fiber inlets (78))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (An inlet (79))][AltContent: textbox (A polymer mold (70))][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A tensioner (54))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fiber strands (42))]
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- fiber inlets (¶ [0046]: openings 78) that is disposed on a first end of the mold cavity (¶ [0045]: a molding device 70) and includes a fiber-positioning plate (¶ [0046]: a cord positioning device 76); and
- a tensioner (¶ [0034]: a tensioning device 54) that exerts a tensile force on one or more fiber strands (¶ [0034]: cords 42) that are routed through the fiber positioning plate ((¶ [0046]: a cord positioning device 76).
As to claim 2, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) discloses the fiber-positioning plate (¶ [0046]: a cord positioning device 76) includes a different opening (¶ [0046]: a plurality of openings 78, figure 5) for each fiber strand included in the one or more fiber strands (¶ [0046]: cords 42).
As to claim 3, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach each opening (¶ [0046]: a plurality of openings 78, figure 5) corresponds to a location within the mold cavity (¶ [0046]: a mold housing 72) that resides between an inner surface of the mold cavity (¶ [0046]: a mold housing 72) and a center axis of the mold cavity (¶ [0046]: a mold housing 72, see Fig. 5).
As to claim 4, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose a first fiber strand that is included in the one or more fiber strands (¶ [0046]: cords 42) and is routed through the fiber-positioning plate (¶ [0046]: a cord positioning device 76) does not contact a second fiber strand that is included in the one or more fiber strands (¶ [0046]: cords 42) and also is routed through the fiber-positioning plate (¶ [0046]: a cord positioning device 76, see Fig. 5).
As to claim 5, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach the mold cavity comprises a cooling cavity (¶ [0054]: a pre-cooling device 86) that forms at least a portion of the composite structural member (¶ [0048]: a belt assembly 40) via an extrusion process (¶ [0048]: through an extrusion opening 80).
As to claim 6, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the mold cavity includes a fiber-infusion region (¶ [0046]: within a mold housing 72) and a curing region (¶ [0046]: a curing cold water bath).
As to claim 7, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the mold cavity includes a partial curing zone (¶ [0054]: the cooling fluid assists in at least slightly curing and shrinking the jacket material as it exits the molding device 70 so that it is more readily removed from the opening 80) for initiating polymerization of the fluid in a region of the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72).
As to claim 8, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach the region of the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72) corresponds to a core region of the composite structural member (¶ [0048]: a belt assembly 40).
As to claim 10, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the mold cavity includes a thermal curing region (¶ [0046]: a curing cold water bath) for causing polymerization of the fluid.
As to claim 11, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach the thermal curing region (¶ [0046]: a curing cold water bath) includes one or more heat-generators (¶ [0047]: pressure injection can be used for molding materials such as polyurethane when the material is suitably heated).
As to claim 12, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72) includes a casting region for receiving the fluid.
As to claim 13, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach the casting region corresponds to a thermal curing region (¶ [0046]: a curing cold water bath) of the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72).
As to claim 14, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the casting region corresponds to different regions of the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72) than the thermal curing region (¶ [0046]: a curing cold water bath) of the mold cavity (¶ [0048]: the mold housing 72).
As to claim 15, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) teach the tensioner (¶ [0034]: a tensioning device 54) exerts the tensile force on the one or more fiber strands (¶ [0034]: cords 42) by exerting the tensile force on a cured segment (¶ [0042]: a curing cold water bath) of the composite structural member (¶ [0042]: the formed belt assembly 40) that is adjacent to the mold cavity.
As to claim 16, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the tensioner (¶ [0034]: a tensioning device 54) comprises at least one of a pulling roller (¶ [0039]: rollers 59 are included as part of or immediately after the jacket application station 56) coupled to each of the one or more fiber strands (¶ [0034]: cords 42).
As to claim 17, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose a fluid distribution system (¶ [0038]: a supply 58 provides the chosen material to the jacket application station 56) that provides the fluid to the inlet (¶ [0047]: one or more openings 79) for the fluid.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baranda et al. (US ‘524) in view of Kerschbaum (WO 2021/244750), the prior art recorded by Applicant.
Baranda et al. (US ‘524) disclose the partial curing zone (¶ [0054]: the cooling fluid assists in at least slightly curing and shrinking the jacket material as it exits the molding device 70 so that it is more readily removed from the opening 80) initiates the polymerization of the fluid. Further, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) recites it is also desirable to select a material so that ultraviolet radiation resistance is maximized (¶ [0024]), however, is silent on disclosing the partial curing zone initiates the polymerization of the fluid via at least one of microwaves directed towards a center region of the mold cavity, ultra-violet rays directed towards the center region of the mold cavity, or infra-red rays directed towards the center region of the mold cavity, as claimed in claim 9.
In the analogous art, Kerschbaum (WO ‘750) disclose an apparatus (10) for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced UV-cured polymer matrix profile (24), the apparatus (10) comprising a die (12) having an inlet (12A) and an outlet (12B), an injector (16) of UV-curable polymer (18), a fiber positioning part (14) comprising a core (14A) and configured to position fibers (28), the fiber positioning part (14) being disposed upstream of the die (12), a UV-light source (20) disposed downstream of the die (12) and configured to polymerize a UV-curable polymer (18) to form the UV-cured polymer matrix. See claim 1.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A UV light source (20))]
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As to claim 9, Kerschbaum (WO ‘750) disclose the curing initiates the polymerization of the fluid via ultra-violet rays by a UV- light source (20) directed towards a center region of the mold cavity. See claim 1.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the time of Applicant’s invention, to modify the polymerization of the polymer fluid, as taught by Baranda et al. (US ‘524), through employing ultra-violet rays directed towards the center region of the mold cavity in order to improve the workability of the apparatus through decreasing the pulling force, as suggested by Kerschbaum (WO ‘750), ¶ [0005].
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baranda et al. (US ‘524) in view of Biland et al. (US 2018/0222132).
Baranda et al. (US ‘524) anticipates an apparatus for fabricating a composite structural member, as claimed in claims 1-8 and 10-17, however, fails to disclose a mixing system that combines a first part of a thermo-setting resin included in the fluid with a second part of the thermo-setting resin included in the fluid before the fluid enters the mold cavity, as claimed in claim 18. Also, Baranda et al. (US ‘524) fail to disclose a cutting device for cutting a cured segment of the composite structural member that is outside the polymer mold, as claimed in claims 19-20.
[AltContent: textbox (A resin metering-mixing device (80))] In the analogous art, Biland et al. (US ‘132), as to claim 18, disclose a mixing system (a resin metering-mixing device 80, ¶ [0028]) that combines a first part of a thermo-setting resin included in the fluid with a second part of the thermo-setting resin included in the fluid before the fluid enters the mold cavity (¶ [0028]: the resin is prepared in a resin metering-mixing device 80, that feeds into a resin injector with a resin viscosity stabilizer 50).
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A polymer mold (90, 120))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A composite structural member (140))][AltContent: textbox (Cutter (150))][AltContent: arrow]
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Further, as to claim 19, Biland et al. (US ‘132) disclose a cutting device (¶ [0028]: cutter 150) for cutting a cured segment of the composite structural member (¶ [0029]: bundle 140) that is outside the polymer mold (¶ [0028]: a first tunnel curing station 90 and a second tunnel curing station 120), and as to claim 20, the cutting device comprises a mechanical shear cutter (150). ¶ [0028]: cutter 150.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the time of Applicant’s invention, to modify the apparatus for fabricating a composite structural member, as taught by Baranda et al. (US ‘524), through providing a mixing system that combines a first part of a thermo-setting resin with a second part of the thermo-setting resin before the fluid enters the mold cavity in order to improve the workability of the apparatus to control a viscosity of the resin fluid so to be capable of saturating the texturized fibers, as suggested by Biland et al. (US ‘132): ¶ [0011] and [0024].
Further, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the time of Applicant’s invention, to modify the apparatus for fabricating a composite structural member, as taught by Baranda et al. (US ‘524), through providing a cutting device for cutting a cured segment of the composite structural member in order to improve the workability of the apparatus to be capable of cutting the pultruded cured composite structural member to fragments of a specified length, as suggested by Biland et al. (US ‘132), ¶ [0010].
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754 01/24/2026