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 .
This non-final Office action is in response to Applicant’s patent application number 18/881,726 filed on 1/6/2025.
Currently, claims 1-14 are pending and examined.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 4/6/2026 and 1/6/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: page 6, last line; a heading “Description of Drawings” should be read as --Brief Description of Drawings--. And a “Detailed Description of Drawings” heading is missing?
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 1-14 are 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.
Re claim 1, line 8; a phrase “which” renders the claim indefinite and confusing because it’s unclear whether “which” referring to which structure? Clarification is required. Claims 2-14 depending upon the rejected claim 1 are also rejected. Claim 8, line 2; claim 9, line 4; having the same issues as mentioned are also rejected.
Re claim 1, line 9; a citation “the width direction” does not have a proper antecedent basis. Correction is required.
Re claim 3, line 2; a citation “the bent portions” (in plural) does not have a proper antecedent basis. Correction is required. Claim 9, last line; have the same issues as mentioned is also rejected.
Re claims 6, 14, line 2; a conditional phrase “when” renders the claim indefinite and confusing because "when" is language that suggests or makes optional the subsequent limitation or limitations. Language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed or does not limit a claim to a particular structure does not limit the scope of a claim or claim limitation. See § MPEP 2103 (C). Correction is required. Claim 7 depending upon the rejected claim 6 is also rejected.
Note, the claims are sole draw to a sub-combination of “a lightweight structure made of a composite material”; any relations with a building or building structures are functional or intended use of a device and are not being given any patentable weight.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US No. 5,992,923 to Wycech.
Re claim 1: Wycech discloses a lightweight structure made of a composite material (Fig. 2), comprising a multi-structural material including a plurality of unit structure bodies 10 arranged sequentially in a width direction, wherein each unit structure body 12 includes a metallic first plate 18, a metallic second plate 28 disposed apart from the first plate 18 by a predetermined gap (i.e. between 18/28), and a core layer 44 (col. 3, lines 24-25) formed between the first plate 18 and the second plate 28 and made of non-foaming polymer, and the unit structure body 12 includes a bending structure in which both ends 16/30 along the width direction are bent toward one side (col. 4, line 60).
Re claim 2: wherein the unit structural body 12 includes a flat plate part (i.e. wherein 18 points to) formed in a horizontal direction and a bent portion bent 16/16 toward one side from both ends of the flat plate part (Fig. 2).
Re claim 3: wherein the bent portions 16/16 of the adjacent unit structural bodies 12 are structurally coupled to each other through bolting 26 or welding (Fig. 2).
Re claim 4: wherein the adjacent unit structural bodies 12 are disposed apart from each other by the predetermined gap (i.e. between 18/28), and finishing construction is performed on a space between the adjacent unit structural bodies 12.
Re claim 5: (see also Note above) wherein the multi-structural material (Fig. 2) along form a floor structure 14 or ceiling structure of the building.
Re claim 6: (see also Note and 112 2nd ) wherein when forming the floor structure 14 of the building, the multi-structural material (Fig. 2) is disposed with a gap from a concrete slab forming a basic frame of the building to form a double floor structure.
Re claims 7, 14: (see also Note above) wherein a vibration-absorbing buffer structure including a vibration-reducing buffering material (i.e. wherein P points to, Fig. 3), spring, or hydraulic device is applied to a connection area between the multi-structural material (Fig. 2) and the wall of the building.
Re claims 8, 12: further comprising an overlapping structural material 27 in which the multi-structural materials (Fig. 2) are disposed to be overlapped.
Re claim 9: wherein a first multi-structural material (Fig. 2) and a second multi-structural material constituting the overlapping structural material 27 are disposed in a direction in which the bent portions 16/16, 30/32 face each other.
Re claim 10: wherein modularization is performed by constructing an insulating material (near 42) in a space between the first multi-structural material and the second multi-structural material (Fig. 2).
Re claim 11: wherein a fireproof material 22 is additionally constructed between the insulating material and the multi-structural material (Fig. 2).
Re claim 13: (see also Note above) wherein both ends 20/20 of each of a first multi-structural material and a second multi-structural material (Fig. 2) constituting the overlapping structural material (i.e. at 22) along the longitudinal direction are fixed to the wall of the building.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see attached PTO-892).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to CHI Q. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-6847. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7AM-5PM or email: chi.nguyen@uspto.gov. If attempt to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pairdirect.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197.
/CHI Q NGUYEN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
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