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 § 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) 1-2, 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hatta Takeshi (JP 2011245740 A) (hereinafter Takeshi).
Regarding claim 1, Takeshi anticipates a method for manufacturing A method for manufacturing a high pressure tank having a reinforcing layer on an outer surface of a liner provided with dome portions at both end portions of a round tubular shaped body portion, the method comprising: a winding process of winding a fiber bundle containing a curable resin and having a predetermined tension on the outer surface of the liner (¶0002); and a reinforcing layer forming process of forming the reinforcing layer by curing the curable resin contained in the fiber bundle wound around the outer surface (¶0002. ¶0020-¶0026), wherein the winding process is performed so that the tensions of the fiber bundles at the both end portions are lower than a tension of the fiber bundle at a general portion of the body portion defined between the both end portions (¶0038 -note the inner portion is considered as a general portion), the reinforcing layer is composed of a plurality of unit layers laminated ((22) first to fourth or fifth layers) (Fig. 1; ¶0034) on the outer surface of the liner (26), and the unit layer is formed by arranging band-shaped fiber bundles (22) in parallel in an axial direction of the liner (26) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Takeshi anticipates the winding process is performed by a hoop winding of the fiber bundle around the body portion of the liner (Fig. 1-4).
Regarding claim 4, Takeshi anticipates the unit layers are independent of each other, and the tensions of the fiber bundles at both end portions of the body portion are reduced to be lower than the tension of the fiber bundle at the general portion of the body portion(¶0037-¶0038 -note the inner portion is considered as a general portion).
Regarding claim 5, Takeshi anticipates the tensions of the fiber bundles of the plurality of unit layers laminated on the general portion of the body portion in the radial direction are reduced toward an outer circumferential side (¶0038).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that the liner 26 of Takeshi corresponds to the liner 2 of the present invention. In addition, the reinforcing layer 4 of the present invention is composed of a plurality of unit layers 7 laminated on the outer surface of the liner 2 (¶ 0030). Therefore, Takeshi does not disclose a component corresponding to the claimed unit layer of the present invention.
The examiner respectfully disagrees in part. The liner 26 of Takeshi does corresponds to liner (2) of the present invention. Additionally, the multiple layer (22) wrapped around the outer surface of the liner (26) corresponds to reinforcing layers composed of plurality of layers (22) (¶0034).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 VISHAL I PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7660. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at (571) 270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VISHAL I PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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