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 .
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) 1,3,4, 5, and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPH1199536 (machine English translation provided herewith).
1. A molding die (JPH1199536: fig 3), comprising one die (JPH1199536: fig 3; male mold 25) and an other die (JPH1199536: fig 3; female mold 12) arranged opposing the one die, the other die having a cavity (JPH1199536: fig 3; cavity C) where a release film (JPH1199536: fig 3; sheet S) is arranged, wherein
the other die comprises a main surface member forming a main surface of the cavity and a side surface member forming a side surface of the cavity (JPH1199536: fig 3; cavity C has a main bottom surface and a side surface);
on an opposing surface of the side surface member that opposes the one die, a release film adsorption hole (JPH1199536: fig 3; groove 16 constitutes the film adsorption hole) that adsorbs the release film is formed comprising a plurality of first suction holes (JPH1199536: fig 2; portions of groove 16 that are perpendicular to the side surface of the cavity constitute the first suction hole) and a second suction hole connecting adjacent ones of the first suction holes (JPH1199536: fig 3; portions of groove 16 that are parallel to the side surface of the cavity constitute the second suction hole);
on the opposing surface, the first suction hole is larger than the second suction hole in terms of a length in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the second suction hole extends to connect adjacent ones of the first suction holes (JPH1199536: fig 3; the portion of groove 16 that is perpendicular to the side surface of the cavity has a larger length in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the second suction hole extends to connect adjacent ones of the first suction holes),
the first suction hole is formed to protrude to at least one of a side closer to the cavity and a side opposite to the cavity with respect to the second suction hole (JPH1199536: figs 2 and 4; the portion of groove 16 that is perpendicular to the side surface of the cavity has a portion that is closer to the cavity and an opposing portion that is farther or opposite to the cavity),
; and
the first suction hole and the second suction hole are through holes that each open at the opposing surface and extend in an up-down direction from the opposing surface to a suction channel formed inside the side surface member (JPH1199536: figs 3 and 5; groove 16, which constitutes the claimed release film adsorption hole, constitutes a through-hole since both ends of the groove, top and bottom, are open with the bottom end opening to vacuum suction hole 17).
3. The molding die according to claim 1 [[ or 2]], wherein the release film adsorption hole is formed to be continuously connected and surround a periphery of the cavity (JPH1199536: fig 3).
4. The molding die according to claim 3, wherein
the side surface member comprises:
an inner member constituting a portion closer to the cavity side than the release film adsorption hole (JPH1199536: fig 3; the portion comprising groove 43/46 constitute the inner member); and
an outer member composed of a different member from the inner member, and constituting a portion closer to a side opposite to the cavity than the release film adsorption hole (JPH1199536: fig 3; the portion comprising groove 16 constitutes the outer member).
5. The molding die according to claim 4, wherein the first suction hole is formed in the outer member (JPH1199536: fig 3).
11. The molding die according to claim 1, wherein adjacent ones of the first suction holes are arranged to be spaced apart by a distance of 0.05 mm or more (JPH1199536: fig 4 clearly shows the distance between the first suction holes being more than 0.05mm).
12. The molding die according to claim 1, wherein the first suction holes and the second suction hole are formed to be connected in an alternate manner in plan view (JPH1199536: figs 2 and 4 clearly show the first and second suction holes being arranged in an alternating manner).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPH1199536 (machine English translation provided herewith) as applied to claim 1 above. The above teachings of JPH1199536 are incorporated hereinafter.
7. A resin molding apparatus, comprising the molding die according to claim 1 (JPH1199536: figs 1-3).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPH1199536 (machine English translation provided herewith) as applied to claim 1 above. The above teachings of JPH1199536 are incorporated hereinafter.
8. A method for producing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus according to claim 7, comprising:
arranging the release film on the other die (JPH1199536: fig 3; sheet S is placed on the female mold); and
performing resin molding using the other die on which the release film is arranged (JPH1199536: fig 3; resin is injected into the mold onto sheet S).
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 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH1199536 as applied to claim 1 above. The above teachings of JPH1199536 are incorporated hereinafter.
Regarding claim 9, JPH1199536 does not teach the claimed width of the second suction hole. The width of a vacuum channel is well-known in the vacuum molding art as an important molding parameter and the desired width would have been obviously and readily determined through routine experimentation by one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention. Since the claimed width is
generally well-known in the molding art and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to design the second suction hole of JPH1199536 to have the claimed width in order to ensure sufficient suctioning of the film.
Regarding claim 10, JPH1199536 does not teach the area of the first suction hole. The area of a vacuum channel is well-known in the vacuum molding art as an important molding parameter and the desired area would have been obviously and readily determined through routine experimentation by one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention. Since the claimed area is
generally well-known in the molding art and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to design the first suction hole of JPH1199536 to have the claimed area in order to ensure sufficient suctioning of the film.
Claims 6 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record including the closest prior art JPH1199536neither teaches nor renders obvious every claimed limitation including the molding die, on the opposing surface of the side surface member, on the cavity side of the release film adsorption hole, a concave part and a third suction hole capable of suctioning air inside the concave part are formed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Applicant's arguments filed 7/30/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues JPH1199536 does not teach first and second suction holes being a through hole that extend from the opposing surface to a suction channel inside the side surface member. This argument is misplaced since groove 16 of JPH1199536, which constitutes the claimed release film adsorption hole, constitutes a through-hole since both ends of the groove, top and bottom, are open with the bottom end opening to vacuum suction hole 17.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP2009272398 teaches a mold having vacuum holes.
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 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 EDMUND H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1204. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao (Sam) Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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