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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase “a curing process” in line 4 should be written as –the curing process— for consistency in claim language. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harashima (JP 2003194746, see machine translation).
Regarding claim 1, Harashima discloses a tread mold formed for use in a curing process for a green tire, the tread mold comprising: a pattern segment (Fig. 1: 5) comprising a pattern surface (Fig. 1: 5a) disposed to face the green tire during the curing process ([0010]); a back segment (Fig. 1: 6) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Fig. 1: 8) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
Regarding claim 2, Harashima further discloses the back segment (Fig. 1: 6), the middle segment (Fig. 1: 8), and the pattern segment (Fig. 1: 5) are attachable to and detachable from each other (Fig. 1: 9a, 9b, 11b) ([0012]).
Regarding claim 3, Harashima further discloses the pattern segment (Fig. 1: 5) comprises a coupling surface formed on a surface opposite to the pattern surface (Fig. 1: 5a) of the pattern segment, and the middle segment (Fig. 1: 8) comprises an inner surface on a surface facing the pattern segment, and wherein the coupling surface and the inner surface of the middle segment have shapes corresponding to each other (Fig. 1: see interface of surfaces between 5 and 8).
Regarding claim 4, Harashima further discloses the middle segment (Fig. 1: 8) comprises an outer surface formed on a surface opposite to the inner surface, and the back segment (Fig. 1: 6) comprises a fastening surface on a surface facing the middle segment, and wherein the outer surface and the fastening surface have shapes corresponding to each other (Fig. 1: see interface of surfaces between 8 and 6).
Regarding claim 5, Harashima further discloses the pattern surface (Fig. 1: 5a) of the pattern segment (Fig. 1: 5) comprises a curved surface shape corresponding to the green tire along a circumferential direction of the green tire ([0010]), and the fastening surface comprises a flat surface shape (Fig. 1: see interface of surfaces between 8 and 6).
The examiner notes that the claim language merely requires “the fastening surface comprises a flat surface shape” and not that the entirety of the fastening surface is a flat surface shape. Harashima discloses that at least a portion of the fastening surface has a flat surface shape.
Regarding claim 6, Harashima further discloses a pair of middle segments coupled to a pair of pattern segments are coupled to correspond to a piece of back segment (Figs. 1-2) ([0010]-[0012]).
The examiner notes that the claim language does not require that the pair of middle segments and the pair of pattern segments are coupled so as to correspond to a single, common piece of back segment. Rather, each middle segment coupled to a pattern segment may correspond to a respective piece of back segment so long as there is a pair of middle segments and a pair of pattern segments respectively coupled. Moreover, the claim limitation “a piece of back segment” is interpreted under the broadest reasonable interpretation to mean one or more back segment pieces. The use of the indefinite article “a” in the claim does not limit the claim to a single back segment piece, absent express language to the contrary. See MPEP 2111, 2173. Accordingly, the structure disclosed by Harashima satisfies the claim limitation.
Regarding claim 7, Harashima further discloses the pattern segment comprises a plurality of pattern puzzle pieces, and wherein the middle segment comprises a plurality of middle puzzle pieces corresponding to the plurality of pattern puzzle pieces (Figs. 1-4) ([0010]-[0012]: wherein the pattern segments 5 are divided pieces portioned in the tire circumferential direction and arranges in an annular shape so as to surround the tread, i.e., a plurality of puzzle pieces, and wherein the middle segment is formed of spacers fixed between 5 and 6 such that 5 and 6 may open and close in the radial direction, i.e., a plurality of puzzle pieces).
Regarding claim 8, Harashima discloses a tire curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire (Fig. 1) ([0001]), the tire curing mold comprising: a tread mold (Fig. 1: 5) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Fig. 1: 1) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Fig. 1: 2) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold, wherein the tread mold comprises: a pattern segment (Fig. 1: 5) comprising a pattern surface (Fig. 1: 5a) disposed to face the green tire during the curing process ([0010]); a back segment (Fig. 1: 6) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Fig. 1: 8) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
Regarding claim 12, Harashima further discloses the pattern segment comprises a plurality of hollow portions (Fig. 1: 12) and support portions therein ([0014]-[0018]: wherein the vent holes 12 are hollow portions within the pattern segment, and the remaining solid portions of the pattern segment are support portions).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harashima (JP 2003194746, see machine translation) as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Sehm et al. (US 20130099419).
Regarding claim 9, Harashima does not expressly recite the first side mold or the second side mold comprises: a base plate coupled to a container of a curing machine during the curing process; and an inner plate coupled to the base plate to form a profile of a sidewall section of a tire.
Sehm discloses a curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire comprising: a tread mold (Figs. 5-6: 350) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Figs. 5-6: 330) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Fig. 5-6: 340) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold. Sehm further discloses the first or second side mold comprises: a base plate (Figs. 5-6: 310) coupled to a container of a curing machine during the curing process (Fig. 5-6: see top plate of container bolted to 310); and an inner plate (Figs. 5-6: 330 or 340) coupled (Figs. 5-6: 391, 392) to the base plate (Figs. 5-6: 310) to form a profile of a sidewall section of a tire (Figs. 5-6: 346, 336) ([0038]-[0046]). This allows for the sidewall mold plates to be removable and interchangeable ([0041]-[0042], [0044], [0047]). It is thereby also possible to change information on a sidewall mold plate without loss of mold dimension ([0047]). One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the first or second side molds of Harashima in order to provide a base plate coupled to a container of a curing machine during the curing process and an inner plate coupled to the base plate to form a profile of a sidewall section of a tire as is generally known in the tire curing mold art for the advantages as discussed above, as taught by Sehm.
Regarding claim 10, Sehm further discloses the base plate (Figs. 5-6: 310) and the inner plate (Figs. 5-6: 330 or 340) are attachable to and detachable from each other (Figs. 5-6: see 391, 392) ([0041]).
Regarding claim 11, Sehm further discloses the inner plate (Figs. 5-6: 330 or 340) comprises a plurality of hollow portions and support portions therein (Fig. 5-6: see holes for receiving 391, 392 in plate 330, 340 that are hollow portions, and the rest of the solid plate around the holes are support portions).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stevens (US 5494551) discloses a tread mold formed for use in a curing process for a tire (Figs. 8-9: 14) (Col. 1 lines 8-11; Col. 3 lines 1-5), the tread mold comprising: a pattern segment (Figs. 1-12: 16) comprising a pattern surface (Figs. 1, 3, 9: 22) disposed to face the tire during the curing process (Col. 3 lines 8-11); a back segment (Figs. 1-9: 52; Figs. 10-12: 68) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Figs. 1-12: 26, 36) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment. The limitation “formed for use in a curing process for a green tire” is a recitation of intended use that does not require any additional structure to the tread mold that differentiates it from the tread mold disclosed by Stevens. The recitation does not result in structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art because Stevens discloses a tread mold for use in a curing process comprising all of the claimed structural components, as discussed above, which is capable of being formed for use in a curing process for a green tire.
Marchini et al. (US 20090008024) discloses a tire curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire, the tire curing mold comprising: a tread mold (Figs. 1-3: 134a) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Figs. 1-3: 130a) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Figs. 1-3: 130b) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold, wherein the tread mold comprises: a pattern segment (Figs. 1-3: 133a, 134a) including a pattern surface disposed to face the green tire during the curing process; a back segment (Figs. 1-3: 151a) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Figs. 1-3: 140a) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
Cantarutti et al. (US 3460197) discloses a tire curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire, the tire curing mold comprising: a tread mold (Figs. 1-3: 4) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Figs. 1-3: 2) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Figs. 1-3: 3) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold, wherein the tread mold comprises: a pattern segment (Figs. 1-3: 5) including a pattern surface disposed to face the green tire during the curing process; a back segment (Figs. 1-3: 7) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Figs. 1-3: 6) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
Cantarutti (US 3479693) discloses a tire curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire, the tire curing mold comprising: a tread mold (Fig. 2: 10) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Fig. 2: 1) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Fig. 2: 2) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold, wherein the tread mold comprises: a pattern segment (Fig. 2: 49) including a pattern surface disposed to face the green tire during the curing process; a back segment (Fig. 2: 19) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Fig. 1-3: 15) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
JP H01101815 discloses a tire curing mold formed to perform a curing process for a green tire, the tire curing mold comprising: a tread mold (Fig. 1: 45) disposed to face one surface of the green tire during the curing process; a first side mold (Fig. 1: 34) disposed on one side of the tread mold; and a second side mold (Fig. 1: 25) disposed on another side of the tread mold to face the first side mold, wherein the tread mold comprises: a pattern segment (Fig. 1: 45) including a pattern surface disposed to face the green tire during the curing process; a back segment (Fig. 1: 46) disposed outside the pattern segment; and a middle segment (Fig. 1: 44) arranged between the pattern segment and the back segment.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEDEF PAQUETTE (née AYALP) whose telephone number is (571) 272-5031. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:00 AM EST - 4:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KATELYN SMITH (née WHATLEY) 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. The fax phone number for the examiner is (571) 273-5031.
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/SEDEF E PAQUETTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749