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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: paragraph [0043] mentions Exemplary Steel B and C, however, neither are listed in Table 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 30-35, 40-45, and 47-52 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pelz (2004/0214654). Claim 30, Pelz discloses a golf club head comprising a stainless-steel material having a material composition such that:(a) an Iron content by weight is highest of all constituents;(b) a Chromium content of 16 % by weight; and (c) a Nickel content is 0.35 % by weight [0022]. Claim 31, the material comprises stainless steel [0022]. Claim 32, wherein the material composition comprises a Carbon content of 1.6% by weight [0022]. Claim 33, wherein the Nickel content is no greater than 0.35% by weight [0022]. Claim 34, the Chromium content is no less than 16% by weight [0022]. Claim 35, further comprising a striking face; a rear portion; a hosel portion; and a unitary component comprising the material, the unitary component including a first portion forming at least a portion of the striking face (fig 1) [0022]. Claims 40-41, Pelz discloses a golf club head comprising a material having a stainless steel material composition such that:(a) an Iron content by weight is highest of all constituents;(b) a Chromium content is 16% by weight; (c) the material is capable of being quenched to achieve a material hardness of at least 50 HRC; and(d) the material is capable of being quenched and tempered to achieve a hardness of no more than 90 HRB is an inherent feature since the material composition is identical. Claim 42, the material comprises stainless steel [0022]. Claim 43, the material composition comprises a Carbon content is 1.6% by weight. Claim 44, the material composition comprises a Nickel content no greater than 0.35% by weight. Claim 45, the Chromium content is no less than 16% by weight [0022]. Claim 47-48, Pelz discloses a golf club head comprising a stainless-steel material having a material composition such that: (a) an Iron content by weight is highest of all constituents;(b) a Chromium content is 16% by weight; and(c) a ratio of a maximum quenched hardness, in HRC, and a minimum quenched and tempered hardness, in HRB, is at least 0.5 HRC/HRB is an inherent feature since the material composition is identical. Claim 49, the material comprises stainless steel. Claim 50, the material composition comprises a Carbon content of 1.6% by weight. Claim 51, the material composition comprises a Nickel content of 0.35% by weight. Claim 52, the Chromium content is 16% by weight.
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.
Claim(s) 36-38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pelz (2004/0214654) in view of Issertell et al. (2022/0118321). Claim 36, Pelz does not disclose the stainless steel outside the face. Issertell teaches a stainless-steel material made for a face insert or the entire club head [0102]. Claim 37, a head mass Mh, wherein the unitary component further comprises a component mass Mc such that Mc/Mh is greater than 0.5 is satisfied because Issertell teaches the club head is once piece and made from one material. Claim 38, Issertell teaches the entire club head is formed of the unitary component [0102]. One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the club head material for enhanced performance.
Claim(s) 39, 46, and 53 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pelz (2004/0214654) in view of Sasmoto et al. (6,193,614). Sasmoto teaches a nitride face surface. One of ordinary skill in the art would have included a nitride face surface for increased durability.
Conclusion
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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
June 18, 2026
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