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 § 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) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 3950115 to Euler in view of US 20240084707 to Lieu.
Regarding claim 1:
Euler discloses a method for manufacturing a plastic blade (see abstract), the plastic blade including:
a blade unit (rotor blade, see title) having a mounting end (root 1 end of blade),
a blade tail end (distal end of blade opposite root 1 end of blade) that is opposite to the mounting end in a longitudinal direction (direction from root 1 end towards tail end), and
at least one mounting portion (at least one of bores 4/14 of pivot 2 portion of blade, Figs 1/7) that is adjacent to the mounting end (Fig 1),
the blade unit defining a blade total length in the longitudinal direction from the mounting end to the blade tail end (inherently exists as defined); and
a reinforcing member (roving member 13/20 and thongs 9-12 which form first and second groups 5/6 which form leading and trailing edges, respectively, Col 3 Lns 4-6; Figs 1/7) disposed on the blade unit (Figs 1/7), being adjacent to the mounting end (Figs 1/7), extending toward the blade tail end (Figs 1/7), and being a fiber woven fabric (Col 2 Lns 21-22),
the reinforcing member having one end (distal end furthest from socket 14, Fig 1) that faces the blade tail end and that is closer to the blade tail end than the at least one mounting portions is to the blade tail end (Figs 1/7);
wherein the reinforcing member has a length in the longitudinal direction that is not less than one third of the blade total length (first and second groups 5/6 which form leading and trailing edges, respectively, Col 3 Lns 4-6; i.e. the entire length of the blade from socket 14 to tip of the blade);
wherein
the blade unit includes a blade body (body of rotor blade from root to tip, with root portion shown in Figs 1/7; e.g. skin 8, filling 7/21, etc.) and at least one mounting member (portion of blade proximate bores 4/14, Figs 1/7) fixed to the blade body (Figs 1/7),
the blade body having the mounting end and the blade tail end (as defined above, Figs 1/7),
the at least one mounting member being adjacent to the mounting end and having the at least one mounting portion (Figs 1/7),
the reinforcing member extending from the mounting member toward the blade tail end (Figs 1/7); and
wherein
the at least one mounting member is embedded in the blade body (at least portion of member 13 within skin 8 and thongs 9-12, Figs 2-7),
the reinforcing member being fixedly disposed inside the blade body (at least portion of member 13 within skin 8 and thongs 9-12, Figs 2-7),
the reinforcing member having
an inner end portion (portion of member 13 and thongs 9-12 which wrap around inner ring 15 in socket 14, Figs 1/7) that is wound around the at least one mounting member (Figs 1/7),
an outer end portion (distal end portion of reinforcing member furthest from socket 14) that faces the blade tail end and that is opposite to the at least one mounting member (inherent as defined, Figs 1/7), and
an extension portion that interconnects the inner end portion and the outer end portion (portions of reinforcing member between inner and outer end portions, inherent as defined);
the method for manufacturing the plastic blade comprising:
winding the reinforcing member around the at least one mounting member (Figs 1/7); and
placing the reinforcing member and the at least one mounting member together into a mold (necessary to be “pressure moulded”, Col 3 Lns 57-59) to form the blade body (Col 3 Lns 57-59) so as to allow the at least one mounting member to be embedded inside the blade body (Figs 2-5/7), and the reinforcing member to be fixedly mounted in an inner portion of the blade body (Figs 2-7).
Euler suggests (“pressure moulded”, Col 3 Lns 57-59) does not disclose wherein the mold is an injection mold nor the method step of injecting a plastic material into the injection mold.
Lieu is also in the field of polymer blades (see title) and teaches a method of pressure molding a plastic blade comprising injecting a plastic material into an injection mold (resin transfer molding, Pars 0095-0096; injection molding, Pars 0097-0098).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of pressure molding to include injecting plastic material into an injection mold as taught by Lieu for the purpose of forming a fiber reinforced plastic blade (see abstract, Par 0001).
The Examiner notes that the preamble limitation “plastic ceiling fan blade”, without further structural limitations requiring the plastic blade to be used in a ceiling fan, is merely intended use carrying little patentable weight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20160153295 to Pautard teaches forming a composite blade using a injection-compression technique (Par 0025).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Justin A Pruitt whose telephone number is (571)272-8383. The examiner can normally be reached T-F 8:30am - 6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN A PRUITT/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745