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:
Paragraphs [0424]-[0425], make reference to cancelled claims 3 & 4,
[0435]-[0436], make reference to cancelled claims 14 & 15,
[0473]-[0474], make reference to claims 52-53 which is inconsistent with those claims, in particular green body layer is claimed in claim 52,
[0487] makes reference to claim 66 which does not exist,
[0490] makes reference to claim 69 which does not exist,
[0491] makes reference to claims 69 or 70, neither of which exist,
[0501]-[0503] make reference to claims 80-81 which do not exist,
[0508]-[0510], make reference to claims 87-88, which do not exist,
[0520] makes reference to claim 99 which does not exist,
[0535]-[0536] makes reference to claim 114, which does not exist,
[0538] makes reference to claim 115, which does not exist,
[0543] makes reference to claims 121-122, which do not exist,
[0549] makes reference to claim 128 which does not exist,
[0563]-[0565] make reference to claim 142 which does not exist,
[0584] makes reference to claims 124-125, which do not exist.
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.
Claims 45 and 47-53 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.
Claim 45 recites the limitation "the CML is configured for more than one tape speed" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 47 recites the limitation "the bilayer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 48 recites the limitation "the bilayer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 49 recites the limitation "the metal layer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 50 recites the limitation "the metal layer" in 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 51 recites the limitation "the green body layer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 52 recites the limitation "the green body layer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 53 recites the limitation "the bilayer" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 33, 35, 37, 38, 40-42, 46 and 54 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita et al (6,336,775). Morita et al discloses a continuous manufacturing line (142) including at least one furnace (170) (SEE Figures 12 & 15) between a front roller and an end roller (Figure 15) including a sintering section (column 13, lines 3-12), three or more speed bumps (13) (SEE column 27, lines 55-65) deposed on a runway (10) and at least one atmospheric controller (column 25, lines 10-30) which controls at least one condition in the at least one furnace selected from the group consisting of gas flow rate, flow direction, gas composition, pressure, and a combination thereof, wherein the gas composition includes an atmosphere of Hydrogen or Nitrogen (column 6, line 64 – column 7, line 16). In re claim 35, Morita et al discloses (in Figure 13) that the runway is flat. In re claim 37, Morita et al implicitly discloses that the at least one furnace includes a binder burn-out section and a bisque section (based on temperature achieved in each furnace section, Figure 12). In re claims 38 & 40, Morita et al further discloses a pressurized gas line (64) which feeds all the sections of the furnace (SEE column 25, lines 16-23). In re claims 41-42, Morita et al discloses at least one atmospheric controller flows gas over an inlet and/or an outlet of the furnace (the pressurized gas is being controlled over every section of the furnace as per Figure 12). In re claim 46, Morita et al discloses that hydrogen gas is present inherently at 1-5% v/v (SEE column 4, lines 29-34). In re claim 54, Morita et al illustrates in Figure 14 that the three or more speed bumps are spaced “at least” one inch between each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34, 36, 39, 43-44, 55 and 56 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY A WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4882. The examiner can normally be reached M-F; 7:00am-4:30pm.
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, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at 571-272-9059. 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.
/GREGORY A WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 August 31, 2026
Prosecution Insights