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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group II (i.e., claim(s) 14-22) without traverse in the reply filed on 07/07/2026 is acknowledged. Claim(s) 1-13 is/are withdrawn as being drawn to the nonelected Group. Accordingly, claim(s) 14-22 is/are examined herein.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujioka (US 20210016549 – of record) in view of Takano (US 20150273742) and Fujioka (US 20210016549 – of record) as evidentiary reference.
As evidenced by Fujioka (US 20210016549 – of record), a porous body comprising continuous voids, a matrix resin, and isotropically or randomly oriented short carbon fibers in the form of a nonwoven fabric/mat has a flexural modulus of more than 10 MPa based on the ISO 178 method (1993) (P0024-0026, 0032, 0036-0037, 0052, 0119, Table 1).
Regarding claim 14, Fujioka discloses a method of producing a resin molded body (P0002), the method comprising, in the order mentioned:
a preform forming step of forming a preform using a resin porous body that has continuous voids (forming a specimen using a continuous porous body: P0135; wherein the continuous porous body comprises continuous voids, a matrix resin, and isotropically or randomly oriented short carbon fibers in the form of a nonwoven fabric/mat with desirable mechanical characteristics: P0021-0023; 0032-0034, 0038-0039, P0119-0129) and a flexural modulus of 10 MPa or more based on the ISO 178 method (1993) (Since the resin porous body of Fujioka is substantially identical in terms of structure and composition to Applicant’s resin porous body disclosed in at least paragraphs [0061-0064] of Applicant’s published application, the resin porous body of Fujioka is expected to intrinsically have a flexural modulus of 10 MPa or more based on the ISO 178 method: See §§ MPEP 2112.01 I-II and evidentiary reference above);
a sealing step of forming a closed space that encloses the preform with a molding die and/or a film (inserting the specimen into a cavity of an injection mold which is a closed space when the injection mold closed: P0075, 0135);
an injection step of injecting a … resin composition into the closed space (P0075, 0135; injection molding requires this step); and
a curing step of curing/solidifying the resin (P0075, 0135; injection molding requires this step).
Fujioka differs from the claimed invention in that Fujioka discloses a thermoplastic resin in the applied example whereas the claimed invention requires a thermosetting resin.
However, Fujioka envisions the usage of a thermosetting resin composition instead of the thermoplastic resin in his generic disclosure (P0053-0054) and curing the thermosetting resin composition at a temperature equal to or higher than a curing temperature of the thermosetting resin composition containing a thermosetting resin as a main component (P0074).
In the same field of endeavor, methods of producing a resin molded body via injection molding, Takano discloses the technique of using a thermosetting resin for the benefit(s) of increasing the strength of the resin molded article and a curing step of holding a fabric preform at a temperature equal to or higher than a curing temperature of the thermosetting resin (P0055-0060).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Fujioka in view of Takano by using a thermosetting resin composition instead of the thermoplastic resin and providing a curing step of holding the preform at a temperature equal to or higher than a curing temperature of the thermosetting resin composition as for the benefit(s) of increasing the strength of the resin molded article as suggested by Takano.
Regarding claim 15, Fujioka or the combination, as applied above, implicitly discloses wherein the resin porous body contains a resin that does not melt at the curing temperature of the thermosetting resin composition (implicit disclosure of Fujioka because Fujioka does not disclose or suggest that the matrix resin melts during the curing step; furthermore, when the matrix resin is polyether ether ketone and the thermosetting resin composition comprises epoxy resin, the polyether ether ketone does not melt at the curing temperature of the epoxy resin: P0035 and 0054 of Fujioka and P0058 of Takano).
Regarding claim 16, Fujioka further discloses wherein the continuous voids of the resin porous body have a porosity of 10% by volume to 97% by volume (P0039, 0043).
Regarding claim 17 and 18, Fujioka fails to disclose a step of pressurizing the preform after the injection step but before the curing step such that the curing step does not involve pressurization.
However, Takano further discloses the technique of including a step of pressurizing the preform after the injection step but before the curing step such that the curing step does not involve pressurization of the preform (including mold clamping pressurization after resin injection but before curing) for the benefit(s) of controlling cure shrinkage (P0065, claim 1 and 7).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to further have modified the method of Fujioka in view of Takano by including a step of pressurizing the preform after the injection step but before the curing step such that the curing step does not involve pressurization of the preform for the benefit(s) of controlling cure shrinkage as suggested by Takano.
Claim(s) 19-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujioka (US 20210016549 – of record) in view of Takano (US 20150273742) and Fujioka (US 20210016549 – of record) as evidentiary reference as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Fujioka (US 20170326820).
Regarding claims 19 and 20, Fujioka or the combination, as applied above, fails to disclose wherein, in the preform forming step, the preform is formed by arranging the resin porous body in a plural number adjacent to one another and the adjacently arranged resin porous bodies are fitted and fixed to each other.
In the same field of endeavor, methods of producing a resin molded body via injection molding, Fujioka ‘620 discloses the technique of forming a preform by arranging a resin porous body (porous pre-preg sheets) in a plural number adjacent to one another such that the resin porous bodies are fitted and fixed to each other before the injection molding step for the benefit(s) of increasing the thickness and/or properties of the resin molded body (P0209-0212, Fig. 7).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to further have modified the method of the combination in view of Fujioka ‘620 by arranging the resin porous body in a plural number adjacent to one another such that the resin porous bodies are fitted and fixed to each other before the injection molding step for the benefit(s) of increasing the thickness of the resin molded body as suggested by Fujioka ‘620.
Regarding claim 21, Fujioka or the combination, as applied above, fails to disclose wherein, in the preform forming step, a preform in which a reinforcing fiber substrate is further arranged on the surface of the resin porous body is formed.
Fujioka ‘620 discloses the technique of forming a preform by arranging a reinforcing fiber substrate (1) on a surface of a resin porous body (4) for the benefit(s) of increasing the thickness and properties of the resin molded body (P0209-0212, Fig. 7).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to further have modified the method of the combination in view of Fujioka ‘620 by arranging a reinforcing fiber substrate on a surface of the resin porous body for the benefit(s) of increasing the thickness and properties of the resin molded body as suggested by Fujioka ‘620.
Regarding claim 22, Fujioka further discloses wherein, in the injection step, the thermosetting resin composition is impregnated into the reinforcing fiber substrate and forms a fiber-reinforced resin layer on the surface of the resin porous body (Abstract, P0075, 0135).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0625. The examiner can normally be reached 1:00-10:00 PM PT.
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JERZI H. MORENO HERNANDEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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