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 of claims 1-3 in the reply filed on 12/18/25 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katano (U.S. Pub. No. 20220034450).
Regarding Claim 1, Katano discloses a high-pressure tank 100 (Figure 1) comprising: a liner 10 (Figure 1) having a hollow interior (figure 1); and a reinforcement layer 221/222 (Figure 1) formed on an outer surface of the liner (figure 1), wherein the reinforcement layer includes a band-shaped fiber bundle which includes a curable resin and which is wound around the liner (paragraph 31), and wherein a first width of the band-shaped fiber bundle closer to an outer peripheral portion of the reinforcement layer is wider than a second width of the band-shaped fiber bundle closer to an inner peripheral portion of the reinforcement layer (figure 1).
Regarding Claim 2, Katano discloses the reinforcement layer further includes unit layers stacked on the outer surface of the liner 221/222 (figure 1), wherein a unit layer includes the band-shaped fiber bundle wound around the liner such that the band-shaped fiber bundle is disposed in line along a width of the unit layer (figure 1), and wherein the band-shaped fiber bundle widens as the unit layers are stacked from the inner peripheral portion of the reinforcement layer to the outer peripheral portion of the reinforcement layer (figure 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Katano discloses the liner 10 (figure 1) includes dome portions (ends of liner, figure 1) and a body portion (middle portion of liner, figure 1) which has a cylindrical shape (figure 1), wherein the dome portions are disposed on opposite ends of the body portion (figure 1), and wherein the unit layers are disposed only on the body portion and not disposed on the dome portions (Figure 1).
Applicant is duly reminded that a complete response must satisfy the requirements of 37 C.F. R. 1.111, including: “The reply must present arguments pointing out the specific distinctions believed to render the claims, including any newly presented claims, patentable over any applied references. A general allegation that the claims “define a patentable invention” without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the references does not comply with the requirements of this section. Moreover, “The prompt development of a clear Issue requires that the replies of the applicant meet the objections to and rejections of the claims.” Applicant should also specifically point out the support for any amendments made to the disclosure. See MPEP 2163.06 II(A), MPEP 2163.06 and MPEP 714.02. The ''disclosure'' includes the claims, the specification and the drawings.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J VOLZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5430. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm est.
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, NATHAN JENNESS can be reached at (571)270-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J VOLZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3733
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