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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102/ 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over WO’186 (WO 2017/065186).
Regarding claim 1, WO’186 teaches a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, a pair of bead portions 48 including a bead core and bead apex 68, a first carcass 72 and second carcass 74, and fillers 62 (a bead reinforcing layer). The first carcass has a main portion 72a and a pair of turn up portions 72b. Page 8 of the machine translation discloses the absolute value of the angles α1 and α2 formed by the carcass cords of the first and second carcass is 80°-90° with respect to the equator plane.
Each filler 62 is provided with an inner-side part 92 and an outer-side part 94 (abstract) and composed of a large number of filler cords 100 and a topping rubber 102 arranged in parallel (page 6 of the machine translation). The filler cords are inclined at an angle β that is formed with respect to the radial direction ranging between 30° to 60° (page 7 of the machine translation), which means the fillers are inclined between 30° to 60° with respect the circumferential direction. Note: the radial direction and the circumferential direction of the tire are orthogonal to each other. And, an angle of 60° anticipates the claimed range of 60-90 degrees. In the alternative, the claimed range of 60-90 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction for the cords of the bead reinforcing layer (filler 62) in the tire of WO’186 would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because the disclosed range of WO’186 overlaps with the claimed range. FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 each shows the radially outer end 98 of the filler 62 located axially outside the bead apex rubber 68 and on the radially inside of the radially outer end of the bead apex rubber 106.
Regarding claim 2, FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 each shows the radially outer end of the second portion radially inside a radially outer end of the first portion.
Regarding claim 3, FIG. 3 teaches DS = 3-10% of the cross-sectional height H of the tire (page 10 of the machine translation). Page 14 of the machine translation teaches a tire size of 225/40R18 which has a cross-sectional height H = 90 mm (90 mm = 225 mm x 0.40).
Regarding claims 4-7, HU is 35%-70% of cross-sectional height H (pages 7-8 of the machine translation).
Regarding claims 11-12, FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 each shows a belt layer comprising an inner layer 88 and an outer layer 90 inclined at 10-35 degrees with respect to the equator plane and a band 54 inclined 5° or less (page 5 of the machine translation). The inner layer 88 and outer layer 90 of 35 degrees with respect to the equator plane anticipates the claimed range of 24-45 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction. In the alternative, providing the inner layer and the outer layer of WO’186 with a belt angle within the claimed range would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because WO’186 teaches a suitable range which overlaps with the claimed range.
Regarding claim 13-20, see FIG. 5 with the second carcass 148 being a down ply having a radially inner end 152.
Claims 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO’186 (WO 2017/065186) in view of Watanabe (US 2021/0061013).
Regarding claims 8-10, WO’186 is silent to a complex elastic modulus of a bead apex. However, providing the bead apex of WO’186 with a complex elastic modulus in a range of 55 to 70 MPa measured at 70°C would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because the claimed complex elastic modulus for a bead apex is known, typical, and expected as evidenced by Watanabe which teaches a tire comprising a bead apex rubber 10 with a complex elastic modulus E*2 in the range of 35-70 MPa [0080].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/10/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 10 of the remarks, Applicant argues there is no motivation to change WO’186 to an angle closer to radial (over 60 degrees) given the actual disclosure in the reference.
Claim 1 does not require an angle over 60 degrees; accordingly, Applicant’s argument is not commensurate in scope with the claimed invention. Claim 1 recites “an angle of 60 to 90 degrees with respect the tire circumferential direction” and WO’186 teaches a suitable angle may be 60 degrees which overlaps with the claimed range.
On page 11 of the remarks, Applicant argues WO’186 does not disclose that its drawings, e.g. FIG. 3, is to scale and WO’186 fails to disclose the claimed dimension.
Applicant is incorrect because dimension DS shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the claimed minimum distance and page 10 of the machine translation states DS = 3-10% of the cross-sectional height of the tire and page 14 of the machine translation discloses a tire size of 225/40R18 having a cross-sectional height H= 90 mm (90 mm = 225 mm x 0.40); accordingly, for said tire size, distance DS ranges 2.7 mm–9 mm (2.7 mm = 3% of 90 and 9 mm = 10% of 90) which is fully encompassed by the claimed range.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 KENDRA LY whose telephone number is (571)270-7060. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00PM.
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, Katelyn B Smith can be reached at 571-270-5545. 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.
/KENDRA LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749