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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 02/17/2026 has been entered. Claim 1 has been amended. Claim 6 has been cancelled. Claims 1-5 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2, 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanfant et al. (US 2025/0144868 A1 - of record as WO 2023/017222 A1), in view of Witt et al. (US 2024/0290313 A1 – of record), in view of Butler et al. (US 2015/0027629 A1 – of record), in view of at least one of Lin (DE 10024681 A1), or Usui et al. (US 6,174,488 B1).
Regarding claims 1-2, Lanfant discloses a method for making an acoustic component 120 – (construed as an intermediate resistive membrane) having acoustic elements 121 – (construed as tubular guides), the acoustic component 120 being part of an acoustic attenuation structure 100 – (construed as an acoustic panel). The method to include forming the acoustic elements 121/tubular guides in a thermoforming tool – (construed as a stamping press used in a hot stamping process). The thermoforming tool having two complementing parts of a mold 210 with cavities – (construed as second parts as a plurality of cavities) and counter-mold 220 with teeth – (construed as first parts as a plurality of protuberances). And where a thermoplastic material 10 – (construed as a substrate, the substrate comprising a thermoplastic material) is disposed within the mold and counter-mold to thereby form the acoustic component with acoustic elements/tubular guides, see at least Figs. 1-4, [0049] - [0050] – (construed as forming an intermediate resistive membrane with tubular guides by hot stamping a substrate, the substrate being placed between two parts of a stamping press, wherein one of the two parts of the stamping press comprises a plurality of protuberances each having a surface form complementing an inner surface of the tubular guides and the other of the two parts of the press comprises a plurality of cavities each having a surface form complementing an outer surface of the tubular guides).
Lanfant does not explicitly disclose the use of an additional layer, the additional layer and substrate being pre-perforated prior to hot stamping, or the use of air intake channels.
Witt discloses a material beneficial for damping of undesired vibrations and noise in mechanical structures and components of manufactured articles, see [0012], [0014]. The material is formed as a vibration and noise damping element 1 with a damping layer 2 – (construed as a substrate) and adhesive layer 4 – (construed as a thermoplastic film), see FIG. 1. Additionally, both the damping layer and adhesive layer are formed of thermoplastic materials, see [0114], [0133].
Butler discloses an acoustic liner as septa insert 46 formed of a sheet material. The septa being formed by stamping in a die; is perforated to allow soundwave energy to passthrough the septa; and is perforated prior to forming by stamping, see [0035] - [0036], [0041], FIG. 12. As Lanfant discloses the hollow acoustic elements advantageously enables acoustic frequencies to be lowered, see Lanfant [0024]; it is considered one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate Butler’s pre-perforated sheet material being formed as a septum which provides a benefit of allowing soundwaves to passthrough.
Furthermore, as to the air intake channels: Lanfant discloses the shape of the mold cavities of the mold defines the shape of hollow complex acoustic elements/tubular guides of the acoustic component/intermediate resistive membranes to include forming the counter-mold teeth 221/protuberances such that the cavities therefrom can be reasonably construed as intake channels is formed due to the hollowness, see [0049], [0059]. And further where, the shaping of the acoustic elements is formed by thermoforming where the tool temperature is controlled. Thus, one would have good reason to form “the first part of the stamping press includes air intake channels which apply hot air directly to the intermediate resistive membrane which is placed within the stamping press” as a matter of routine experimentation. And where doing so allows for heating the film to a desirable temperature for enabling better positioning of the film in the thermoforming tool.
To the extent Lanfant does not disclose air intake channels, it is well-known in the shaping arts to provide male molds parts with channels for dispersing heated fluids. And one of ordinary skill in the art looking to enhance Lanfant’s heating method would look to the shaping arts for exemplary mold designs.
Lin discloses a method of deforming a film to include the use of mold 152 having projections – (corresponds to first parts as a plurality of protuberances) wherein the projections have channels 153 – (construed as air intake channels) disposed therein. The projections are configured to mate with press holes 151 – (construed as second parts as a plurality of cavities) and the channels 153 are configured to supply hot air to the film to deform the film, see FIG. 6, page 10 paragraph 10. Lin discloses such an arrangement allows for deforming films in a smooth manner, see, page 10 paragraph 10.
Likewise, in the shaping arts, Usui discloses the use of an upper die 40 having a plurality of protuberances which are matched with a lower die 30. The upper die having air blow holes 43 which are configured to supply hot air to a laminate disposed between the molds to thereby soften the laminate for shaping, see at least FIG. 3, Col 3 lines 17-26.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lanfant’s method to include the use of a substrate with an additional layer comprising a thermoplastic film as taught by Witt and pre-perforated the materials and form as a septum as reasonably suggested by Butler and provide the counter-mold with air intake channels for supplying hot air as reasonably suggested by Lin or Usui to provide Lanfant’s method with the aforementioned benefits.
Regarding claim 4, while modified Lanfant discloses the adhesive layer/thermoplastic film has a maximum thickness in a range of 0.5 mm – 3 mm, see Witt; it does not explicitly disclose a thickness of the thermoplastic film is less than or equal to 0.2 mm. However, the applicant has not provided a conclusive showing of unexpected results to establish a criticality for the claimed thickness range. And as Lanfant contemplates forming the acoustic component 120 – (construed as an intermediate resistive membrane) to have a thickness less than 1 mm, see Lanfant [0049]. It is considered the thickness are sufficiently close such that it has been held that obviousness exists where the claimed ranges and prior art ranges do not overlap but are close enough that one skilled in the art would have expected them to have the same properties, see MPEP 2144.05 (I), Titanium Metals Corp. of America v. Banner, 778 F.2d 775, 227 USPQ 773 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Regarding claim 5, as previously discussed, modified Lanfant discloses the use of a substrate with an additional layer, see discussion of Witt; and the acoustic liner is formed by stamping in a die, perforated to allow soundwave energy to passthrough, and is perforated prior to forming by stamping. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust modified Lanfant’s method to include supplying the substrate and additional layer as pre-perforated thermoplastic materials, the materials being mutually and independently formed before stamping as part of routine experimentation. Since, modified Lanfant discloses the requisite structure and general conditions of the claim.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanfant et al. (US 2025/0144868 A1 - of record as WO 2023/017222 A1), in view of Witt et al. (US 2024/0290313 A1 – of record), in view of Butler et al. (US 2015/0027629 A1 – of record), in view of at least one of Lin (DE 10024681 A1), or Usui et al. (US 6,174,488 B1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lanfant et al. (WO2023079233A1, hereinafter ‘233 – of record).
Regarding claim 3, modified Lanfant does not explicitly disclose the use of fibers. ‘233 discloses an acoustic attenuation structure 100 – (construed as an acoustic panel). The structure is configured to have an intermediate acoustic skin 102 – (construed as an intermediate resistive membrane) which is formed as a composite of thermoplastic material with fibers – (construed as substrate is filled with short fibers, long fibers, or continuous fibers) and to include being formable by stamping, see [0096] - [0099]. And one of ordinary skill would appreciate the use of fibers in a thermoplastic layer as Lanfant discloses its use as part of an inventive acoustic attenuation structure suitable for reduction of noise. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust modified Lanfant’s thermoplastic material to include fibers as taught by ‘233 to enhance the thermoplastic sheet in its performance of reducing noise.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CEDRICK S WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571) 272-9776. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Katelyn Smith can be reached on (571) 270-5545. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/CEDRICK S WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749
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