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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1-6 are the subject of this NON-FINAL Office Action. This is the first action on the merits.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (claims 1-6) in the reply filed on 01/05/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 5-20 are withdrawn.
Claim Objection
Claim 2 is objected to because it ends in a comma. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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) A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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; or
(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ROMANOV (US20210206037).
As to claim 1, ROMANOV teaches a method for producing a particle foam part from foam particles for sports apparel, sports equipment or a ball using electromagnetic waves, the method comprising the steps of (“A method for producing a particle foam part, the method comprising”; claim 1)
filling a molding space (“heating foam particles, which are formed from an expandable polymer material, in a molding chamber of a molding tool, welding the foam particles into the particle foam part, the foam particles being heated by electromagnetic radiation”; claim 1; paras. 0061-62 & 0071-72, describing the filling of the mold),
heating the foam particles with electromagnetic waves to weld them (“heating foam particles, which are formed from an expandable polymer material, in a molding chamber of a molding tool, welding the foam particles into the particle foam part, the foam particles being heated by electromagnetic radiation”; claim 1), and
demolding (“demolding”; para. 0071),
wherein a parameter characteristic of the absorption of the electromagnetic waves is monitored during the heating of the foam particles, and if this parameter changes by a predetermined amount, the heating of the foam particles is ended (para. 0051, describing controlling supply of heat based on measured power or voltage changes at the capacitor (“it is advisable to control the supply of heat by means of electromagnetic radiation. This control can be carried out, for example, based on a temperature recorded in the molding chamber by means of a temperature sensor. This temperature sensor is preferably a fiber-optic temperature sensor. However, the heat supplied can also be measured based on the electrical power output or voltage changes at the capacitor”)). Further to control (including turning on and off) of the electrical power of the RF heater, the Abstract, paragraphs 0006, 0014-15, 0020, 0036, 0045, 0051 and 0089-90, 0139 discuss controlling the power or voltage supplied to the RF heater based on measured voltage or power at the capacitor plates of the RF heater to prevent overheating. From this discussion of “controlling” the heat of the RF heater, it is immediately clear that shutting off the heat is taught, along with reducing power, reducing voltage, increasing power or increasing voltage. Thus, ROMANOV clearly states that “the heat supplied can also be measured based on the electrical power output or voltage changes at the capacitor” in order to “control the supply of heat by means of electromagnetic radiation” which includes stopping or ending the heating when the heat is too high.
As to claim 2, ROMANOV teaches the electromagnetic waves are generated by means of a capacitor in which the molding space is located, wherein:
the electromagnetic waves are applied to the capacitor with a predetermined voltage amplitude, and the power introduced into the molding space or the first or second derivative thereof over time is measured as a characteristic parameter (para. 0051).
As to claim 3, ROMANOV teaches the electromagnetic waves are generated by means of a capacitor in which the molding space is located, wherein:
the electromagnetic waves are applied to the capacitor with a predetermined power, and the voltage dropped across the capacitor or the first or second derivative thereof over time is measured as a characteristic parameter (para. 0051).
As to claim 5, ROMANOV teaches after heating and before demolding, the particle foam part is cooled in the molding space (paras. 0044-45 & 0068-69).
As to claim 5, ROMANOV teaches RF radiation is used as electromagnetic waves (Abstract, Claim 24, paras. 0014-25, 0049-50 & 0084).
As to claim 6, ROMANOV teaches the electromagnetic waves have a frequency range of 30 kHz to 300 MHz.(paras. 0016-17).
Prior Art
The following prior art also teaches RF heating of foam mold products: WO2022229030; US20210206036; US20140243442; US20180154598 (“Further, a voltmeter may be used for measuring the voltage of the capacitor. This may be helpful for determining the thermal output introduced into the particles 120 because the power is proportional to the square of the voltage”; para. 0148).
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/YUNG-SHENG M TSUI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743