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 .
Priority
This application is 371 of PCT/EP2023/057005 filed on March 20, 2023.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 23, 2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
“the thermoplastic material M” on page 3 line 8 and page 20 line 19 should be “the thermoplastic composition Z”.
“C) at least 2% by weight of phosphorus-containing flame retardant, wherein …. B1) an organophosphate….b2) a phosphazene…..”. The applicant should consider relabeling b1) and b2) to c1) and c2) since B) is already used to label the anti-drip agent on pages 3 line 24-27 and page 21 lines 7-11.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: “the thermoplastic material M” in line 7 should be “the thermoplastic composition Z”. 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 1-13 is 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 1 recites the limitation " the thermoplastic material M “ in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 reads “a first electrical conductor L1 and a second electrical conductor L2 at a first distance d1 and a second distance d2 to one another, which are connected via a thermoplastic material M”. The term “connected via thermoplastic” is unclear as to whether the conductors are mechanically connected through molded or embedded together or if they are electrically connected. The examiner suggests using the phrase “separated by a thermoplastic composition Z”.
Claim 1 reads “C) at least 2% by weight of phosphorus-containing flame retardant, wherein …. B1) an organophosphate….b2) a phosphazene…..”. The applicant should consider relabeling b1) and b2) to c1) and c2) since B) is already claimed as the anti-drip agent in the claim.
Clam 1 the term “free of” is ambiguous without a stated threshold. The examiner suggests the applicant to amend the claim from “free of” to “excludes any amount of”.
Claims 1 and 13 recites “at least 80% by weight of aromatic polycarbonate based on bisphenol A”. The terms “polycarbonate based on bisphenol A” is unclear if the polycarbonate is based on the whole composition of bisphenol A or it the amount is calculated based on bisphenol A. The examiner suggests amending the claim to be “at least 80% by weight of aromatic polycarbonate based on the total weight of the bisphenol A composition”.
Claim 13 reads “the phosphorus-containing flame retardant is b1) an organophosphate, the amount of phosphorus-containing flame retardant is 2% to 12% by weight, and, when the phosphorus-containing flame retardant is b2) a phosphazene, the amount of phosphorus-containing flame retardant is 2% to 9% by weight”. As written, the
Dependent claims 2-12 do not cure the deficiencies of independent claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Guo et al. (US2014/0353544) teaches a polycarbonate polymer powder and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant. Albright (US 4,083,826) teaches a polymeric compositions containing a flame retardant
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTAL ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9258. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Dole can be reached on (571)-272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRYSTAL ROBINSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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