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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over United States Patent Number 4,752,513 (hereinafter “Rau”).Regarding claim 1 Rau teaches resin reinforcing composite mats of continuous strands for use in pultrusion processes (abstract). Rau teaches a finished product (rib-reinforced molded product) comprising an integrally molded product of a reinforcing rib 90, 91, 92 and a part (molded main body) (Figures 3-4, including Annotated Figure 4, shown below, and column 7, lines 35-50). Rau teaches the use of continuous strand mats including a resin component (abstract).
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Rau teaches the reinforcing rib 90, 91, 92 contains strands (reinforcing fibers) 70 and a thermoplastic resin (column 7, lines 10-15 and 26-34). Rau teaches the strands (reinforcing fibers) 70 are continuous (fibers) that are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the rib 90, 91, 92 (Figures 1 and 2; and column 6, lines 39-53). In addition, Rau teaches the reinforcing ribs 90, 91, 92 are made by a pultrusion process, where strands (reinforcing fibers) 70 are saturated with a resin 74, such as a thermoplastic resin (column 5, lines 11-14 and 21-43, column 6, lines 39-53, column 8, lines 35-62, and column 9, lines 41-58), and results in a fiber-reinforced resin member in which strand mats comprising fibers and resin (fiber sheet) 77, 78 are folded or included into an irregular shape and forms a solid product upon curing (Figures 3-4, and column 6, lines 54 through column 7, line 9), and the thermoplastic resin 74 fills an inside of the folded fiber sheet 77, 78 and spaces between overlapping portions of the folded fiber sheet 77, 78 is integrated with said fiber sheet 77, 78 (Figures 1-2).Regarding claim 2 In addition, Rau illustrates the reinforcing rib 90, 91, 92 protrudes from one principal surface of the part (molded main body) (Annotated Figure 4, shown above).Regarding claim 3 In addition, Rau teaches on each side of the strands (reinforcing fiber) 70 two mats 77, 78 comprising a resin component are respectfully applied thereon (column 6, line 54 through column 7, line 9), which corresponds to the molded main body is a laminated base material composed of a plurality of base material layers, each of which contains a resin. Rau illustrates: the rib members 90, 91, 92 extend from a portion of the molded main body (rib member that is disposed inside the laminated base material); and a ridge adjacent to a bend in the rib members 90, 91, 92 that corresponds to a contour of the rib member 90, 91, 92 being formed on one principal surface of the rib-reinforced molded product (Annotated Figure 4, shown above).Regarding claim 6 In addition, Rau teaches the strands (strengthening fibers) 70 are continuous (fibers) (Figures 1 and 2; and column 6, lines 39-53).Regarding claim 7 In addition, Rau teaches the molded main body is composed of mats 77, 78 (multiple layers of fiber-reinforced resin sheets) that are integrated together, each of the mats 77, 78 (fiber-reinforced resin sheets) contain reinforcing (strengthening) fibers (column 3, lines 4-16; and Figures 1-2).Regarding claim 8 In addition, Rau teaches the mats 77, 78 (base material layers) comprise a fiber-reinforced resin sheet containing (strengthening) fibers (column 3, lines 4-16 and 43-48).Regarding claim 9 In addition, Rau teaches the (strengthening) fibers in the mats 77, 78 preferably comprise glass fibers (column 3, lines 10-16).Regarding claim 10 In addition, Rau teaches the strands (reinforcing fibers) 70, which can also be rovings, comprise glass fibers (column 6, lines 43-46, and column 8, lines 35-41).Regarding claim 11 In addition, Rau teaches the reinforcing rib 90, 91 or 92 is at least one type of rod selected from the group consisting of a square rod, a round rod, a flat rod, and a plate-like rod (Figures 3-4).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 24 August 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-4 and 6-11 under 35 USC §102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2016-221885 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-4 and 6-11 under 35 USC §102(a)(1) has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 24 August 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argued Rau, with regards to the strand mats 77, 78 does not include reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic resin, let alone the feature that the thermoplastic resin fills an inside of the folded fiber sheet and is integrated with the fiber sheet, as recited in claim 1. The applicant additionally argued that the mats 77, 78 and strands 70 from Rau form a sandwich structure, so the resin does not constitute the claimed fiber sheets and does not fill the inside of the fiber sheets. The examiner respectfully disagrees and contends that the strand mats from Rau are disclosed as being made from strands (reinforcing fibers), and these strands may be immersed into the same resin used for the other strands 70. See column 6, line 54 through column 7, line 9. Rau additionally shows the presence of the resinous material 74 inside the composite and heated to permit curing, which forms a solid product. At least these teachings correspond to the structure argued by the applicant.
The applicant argued the folded mats are considered to correspond to a regular shape, which does not meet the claimed irregular shape. The examiner respectfully disagrees and contends that Rau is explicit in stating the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 is used to show an orientation of the fibers within the formed material. Figure 2 from Rau was not relied upon by the examiner to meet the claimed irregular shape; but rather, the claimed irregular shape has been met with the structure illustrated in Figures 3-4 from Rau.
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 BRIAN HANDVILLE whose telephone number is (571)272-5074. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, from 9 am to 4 pm.
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, Veronica Ewald can be reached at (571) 272-8519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN HANDVILLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
