DETAILED ACTION
Examiner’s Note
This office action is in response to applicants’ amendments to the claims and remarks filed May 30, 2026. Claims 1-4 are pending.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kesti et al. (PGPub 2023/0235420).
Regarding applicants’ claims 1, Kesti et al. disclose a hot-rolled steel strip comprising elements including (in weight percent): 0.025 to 0.080% carbon, 0.50 to 2.0% manganese, 0 to 0.15% aluminum, 0.020 to 0.15% titanium, 0 to 0.050% niobium, 0 to 0.6% chromium and in addition to silicon and other optional elements, a balance of iron, and inevitable impurities. Kesti et al. further disclose an average ferrite grain size of 10 micrometers of less and a yield strength in the rolling direction of 660MPa or greater (paragraphs 0005-0027).
While Kesti et al. do not appear to disclose the exact composition and grain size ranges claimed, it would be within the ordinary level of skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicants’ claimed invention to select from within the prior art ranges, including values which fall within the claimed ranges.
Regarding applicants’ claim 2, Kesti et al. do not appear to disclose the impact toughness of the steel strips however substantially identical materials would be expected to exhibit substantially identical properties. Kesti et al. disclose a hot-rolled steel strip having proportions overlapping applicants’ disclosed ranges where it would be within the ordinary skill in the art to select values within those disclosed by applicants’. The thickness and yield strength of Kesti et al. fall within applicants’ disclosed values, and Kesti et al. disclose a ferritic microstructure where the grain size overlaps with applicants’ disclosed range. Given that Kesti et al. disclose a hot-rolled steel strip substantially identical to applicants’ hot-rolled steel strip, the hot-rolled steel strip of Kesti et al. would be expected to have substantially identical properties to applicants hot-rolled steel sheet, including an impact toughness value satisfying applicants’ claimed range.
Regarding applicants’ claim 3, Kesti et al. disclose a thickness of up to, and including, 10mm (paragraph 0057).
Regarding applicants’ claim 4, Kesti et al. disclose a yield strength in the rolling direction of greater than or equal to 700 MPa or 820 MPa (paragraph 0041).
Response to Arguments/Amendments
Applicants’ amendments to the claims and supporting arguments filed May 30, 3026 have overcome the rejections based on Wang et al. but introduced new limitations not previously considered. Following further search and consideration new grounds of rejections have been identified and are set forth above. This action is final.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM C KRUPICKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7086. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Humera Sheikh can be reached at (571)272-0604. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Adam Krupicka/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1784
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