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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-14 & 18-20 in the reply filed on 5/21/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the claims are linked together to form a single general inventive concept. Applicant’s amendment makes the claims form a single general inventive concept and the 3/31/2026 restriction requirement is hereby withdrawn. Claims 1-20 will be examined below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4 & 6-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Federl et al. (US patent application publication 2013/0145971) (hereinafter Federl).
Regarding claim 1, Federl discloses a board comprising: a wood-based core ([0034]) comprising a front surface, a top surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface (all shown in Fig. 1); and a reinforcing material ([0050]) adhered to at least a portion of at least one of the front surface, the top surface, the rear surface, and the bottom surface with a binder composition ([0050]).
Regarding claim 2, Federl discloses a board wherein the binder composition is a polymer composition that binds the reinforcing material to the wood-based core at least partially due to interaction with water in the wood-based core ([0051]).
Regarding claim 3, Federl discloses a board wherein the binder composition comprises a polyurea resin composition or a polyurethane resin composition ([0033]).
Regarding claim 4, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material is crushed glass, fibers selected from glass, basalt, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, a fabric reinforced with such materials, or combinations thereof ([0050]).
Regarding claim 6, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material extends to substantially the entire front surface of the wood-based core (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material extends to at least one additional fork-lift engaging surface (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Federl discloses a board wherein the at least one additional fork-lift engaging surface is at least one of a portion of the bottom-surface, a portion of the top surface (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material extends to and covers substantially the entire front surface and substantially the entire top surface of the wood-based core (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Federl discloses a board wherein the wood-based core is a board made from natural or composite wood materials ([0034]).
Regarding claim 11, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material extends from and covers the front surface over the top surface to the rear surface (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material covers a portion of each of the front surface, top surface, and rear surface of the wood-based core (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Federl discloses a board wherein the reinforcing material covers substantially all of each of the front surface, bottom surface, and rear surface of the wood-based core (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Federl discloses a board wherein substantially all surfaces of the board are covered with the reinforcing material (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it gives a general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J ROHRHOFF whose telephone number is (571)270-7624. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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, Dan Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL J ROHRHOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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