CTNF 18/908,509 CTNF 79244 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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, without traverse, of Group I, claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 05/26/26 is acknowledged. Claims 16-26 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claim 14 is 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. Claim 14 is rendered indefinite because it is unclear as to what the carbon fiber diameter is in that the range includes a symbol. Paragraph 0030 of Applicant’s published specification discloses that the diameter of the fiber ranges from about 4 µm to about 25 µm. For purposes of examination, Examiner is interpreting the claims to recite a diameter ranging from about 4 µm to about 25 µm. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujisawa et al., U.S. Patent Number 5,037,697 . Regarding claims 1, 6-7 and 15, the abstract of Fujisawa discloses a carbon fiber having an outer circumferential part [outer portion] constituted by an optically isotropic component and a central part [inner portion] constituted of an anisotropic component. Column 1, lines 46-47 discloses that anisotropic optically refers to mesophase pitch. Column 7, lines 9-10 discloses that the anisotropic component is the mesophase component. Figure 3 shows an inner portion and an outer portion. PNG media_image1.png 795 625 media_image1.png Greyscale Fujiwara discloses that the proportion of optically isotropic pitch to the anisotropic pitch is varied [column 3, lines 28-38] having a carbon fiber that shows no cracks at all. The limitation “up to 70 wt%” can include 0%. With the inner region being constituted of anisotropic mesophase, the limitation includes 100% anisotropic mesophase pitch. Fujisawa discloses an outer circumferential part [outer portion] constituted by an optically isotropic component and a central part [inner portion] constituted of an anisotropic component. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would optimize the inner region to comprise 70 wt% or greater mesophase pitch that has been carbonized, and the outer sheath to comprise up to 70 wt% mesophase pitch that has been carbonized and an amount of mesophase pitch in the outer sheath is lower than in the inner region for the benefit of having no cracks on the carbon fiber. Regarding claims 2 and 8, Figure 3 shows a circular cross-section. Regarding claims 3 and 9, Figure 3 shows that the inner and outer regions are concentric. Regarding claims 4 and 10, Figure 3 shows that the inner and outer regions are concentric. The limitation “at least partially concentric” can include completely concentric as shown in Figure 3. Regarding claims 5 and 11, Fujisawa is silent to the inner region being exposed to an outer surface of the bicomponent fiber. Fujisawa discloses in column 1, lines 38-48 discloses that the performance of the carbon fiber is affected by the anisotropic optical pitch. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date would expose the inner region of the fiber to the outer surface of the carbon fiber to obtain a carbon fiber having enhanced performance. Regarding claim 12, Fujisawa is silent to the bicomponent carbon fiber having a Young’s modulus of about 300 GPa to about 500 GPa, as measured by ASTM C1557-20. Example 1 discloses a process that provides for an elastic modulus of the carbon fiber. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would modify the process in Fujisawa to obtain a carbon fiber having a Young’s modulus of about 300 GPa to about 500 GPa, as measured by ASTM C1557-20 for the benefit of obtaining a carbon fiber that has enhanced resistance to being deformed. Regarding claim 13, Fujisawa teaches the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the bicomponent carbon fiber has a compressive strain to failure ratio of about 0.1% to about 0.6%, as measured by ASTM D3410. It is reasonable to presume that the bicomponent carbon fiber has a compressive strain to failure ratio of about 0.1% to about 0.6%, as measured by ASTM D3410 is inherent to Fujisawa. Said presumption is based on Fujisawa’s disclosure of a carbon fiber having an outer circumferential part [outer portion] constituted by an optically isotropic component and a central part [inner portion] constituted of an anisotropic component. Column 7, lines 9-10 discloses that the anisotropic component is the mesophase component. Figure 3 shows an inner portion and an outer portion. Burden is upon Applicant to prove otherwise. Fitzgerald, In re, 619 F.2d 67, 205 USPQ 594 (CCPA 1980). Regarding claim 14, Fujisawa discloses a carbon fiber diameter of 9.2 µm [Example 2]. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMIE S THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1530. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. 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, Jennifer Boyd, can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786 Application/Control Number: 18/908,509 Page 2 Art Unit: 1786 Application/Control Number: 18/908,509 Page 3 Art Unit: 1786 Application/Control Number: 18/908,509 Page 4 Art Unit: 1786 Application/Control Number: 18/908,509 Page 5 Art Unit: 1786 Application/Control Number: 18/908,509 Page 6 Art Unit: 1786
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