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 .
Claims 1-20 are 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.
The step of injecting (cl 1:4) is indefinite because it is unclear whether or not it is related to the step of providing (cl 1:2-3). If they are related, it should be clearly and positively recited as such.
The step of forming (cl 1:5) is indefinite because it is unclear whether or not it is related to the steps of providing and injecting a first material . If they are related, it should be clearly and positively recited as such.
The step of replacing (cl 1:6) is indefinite because it is unclear whether or not it is related to the steps of providing; injecting a first material; and forming . If they are related, it should be clearly and positively recited as such.
The step of injecting a second material (cl 1:7-8) is indefinite because it is unclear whether or not it is related to the steps of providing; injecting a first material; forming; and replacing . If they are related, it should be clearly and positively recited as such.
The step of injecting a second layer (cl 1:9) is indefinite because it is unclear whether or not it is related to the steps of providing; injecting a first material; forming; replacing; and injecting a second material . If they are related, it should be clearly and positively recited as such.
Claim 3 is indefinite because it conflicts with the phrase “the first material is same as the second material” of claim 1:11.
Claim 4 is indefinite because it conflicts with the phrase “the first material is same as the second material” of claim 1:11.
Corrections are required.
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) 1,2,7,8,17,18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishida et al (USPN 6036908). Nishida et al teach the claimed process as evidenced at col 2:48-57; col 3:20-24; col 8:30-col 10:6; and col 11:44-13:21; and figs 1-4 and 9-12.
1. An injection molding method, comprising:
providing a molding device including a first mold (Nishida et al: movable mold 2), a second mold (Nishida et al: the mold containing the first molding split cavity portion 1a) over the first mold and a first mold cavity (Nishida et al : split cavity portion 2a) defined by the first mold and the second mold:
injecting a first material into the first mold cavity (Nishida et al: figs 1-4 and 9-12);
forming a first layer (Nishida et al : primary molded piece A0) from the first material;
replacing the second mold by a third mold (Nishida et al: the mold containing the second molding split cavity portion 1b);
injecting a second material into a second mold cavity defined by the first mold and the third mold (Nishida et al: figs 1-4 and 9-12); and
forming a second layer from the second material, wherein the second layer at least partially contacts the first layer (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12),
wherein the first material is same as the second material (Nishida et al: col 3:20-24).
2. The injection molding method of Claim 1, wherein the second layer is adhered to the first layer directly (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12).
7. The injection molding method of Claim 1, wherein the replacement of the second mold includes disengaging the second mold from the first mold, disposing the third mold over the first mold, and moving the first mold towards the third mold to form the second mold cavity (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12; mold 2, which is the claimed first mold, is movable).
8. The injection molding method of Claim 7, wherein the first mold is moved in a predetermined speed to allow the first layer stably disposed in the first mold cavity and temporarily adhered to the first mold (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12; mold 2, which is the claimed first mold, is moved at a speed towards the stationary mold 1 with the primary molded piece A0 is within the mold 2).
17. The injection molding method of Claim 1, wherein after injecting the first material into the first mold cavity, the molding device is idle for a predetermined period of time for cooling of the first material (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12; col 9:45-62; step 4).
18. The injection molding method of Claim 1, further comprising continuously applying a first clamping force over or around the molding device during the injection of the first material and the formation of the first layer (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12; col 9:45-62; step 1 and 5).
19. The injection molding method of Claim 18, further comprising continuously applying a second clamping force over or around the first mold and the third mold during the injection of the second material and the formation of the second layer (Nishida et al: figs 3-4 and 11-12; col 9:45-62; step 8 and 12).
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Byma et al (USP 2003/0017224).
1. An injection molding method, comprising:
providing a molding device including a first mold (Byma et al: lower section 28), a second mold (Byma et al: first section 20) over the first mold and a first mold cavity defined by the first mold and the second mold (Byma et al: fig 2);
injecting a first material into the first mold cavity (Byma et al: fig 2);
forming a first layer (Byma et al: first foam 43 forms the first layer) from the first material;
replacing the second mold by a third mold (Byma et al: fig 3; second section 22);
injecting a second material into a second mold cavity defined by the first mold and the third mold (Byma et al: fig 3); and
forming a second layer (Byma et al: fig 3; second foam 45 form the second layer) from the second material, wherein the second layer at least partially contacts the first layer,
wherein the first material is same as the second material (Byma et al: para 0025; first and second foam material have the same base material PU foam).
13. The injection molding method of Claim 1, wherein providing the molding device includes:
providing a first carrier (Byma et al: fig 2; surface 16 carries the first section/second mold) and a second carrier (Byma et al: fig 2; surface 18 carries the second section/third mold) disposed adjacent to the first carrier, wherein the second mold is held by the first carrier, and the third mold is held by the second carrier;
conveying the first mold to the first carrier to dispose the first mold adjacent to the second mold (Byma et al: fig 2); and
engaging the first mold with the second mold to form the first mold cavity defined by the first mold and the second mold (Byma et al: fig 2);
wherein replacing the second mold by the third mold includes:
disengaging the first mold from the second mold (Byma et al: figs 2-3); and
conveying the first mold and the first layer in a recess of the first mold from the first carrier to the second carrier to dispose the first mold and the first layer adjacent to the third mold and away from the second mold (Byma et al: figs 2-3),
wherein an entirety of a top surface of the first layer is exposed (Byma et al: figs 2-3; the entire top surface of the first molding is exposed until it is placed adjacent to the second section to form the second foam layer).
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) 3,4,6,9,14,15,16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishida et al (USPN 6036908) as applied to claim 1 above. The above teachings of Nishida et al are incorporated hereinafter.
Regarding claims 3-4 and 6, Nishida et al do teach using the claimed materials. Since the use of a specific material is a mere obvious matter of choice dependent on the desired final product, and the claimed materials are well-known in the encapsulating art for its protection, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the claimed materials in the process of Nishida et al in order to produce articles having different characteristics.
Regarding claim 9, Nishida et al do not teach the first layer being firmly attached to the first mold by a predetermined friction between the first layer and an inner sidewall of the first mold. Since it is well-known in the composite molding art to prevent movement of a molded substrate within a mold by using friction, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use friction between the primary molded piece A0 of Nishida et al and the movable mold of Nishida et al in order to prevent the primary molded piece A0 from moving.
Regarding claims 14-16, Nishida et al do not teach applying a force on the first mold or second mold to press the first material using the claimed force or for a predetermined time. Since injection-compression molding is well-known in the composite molding art for higher dimensional accuracy and less shrinkage, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate a compressive force onto the first or second molds of Nishida et al at the claimed force or for the claimed time in order to produce higher quality products.
Regarding claim 20, Nishida et al do not teach the second clamping force being less than the first clamping force. Since it is well-known in the composite molding art to apply less clamping force during a second molding step in order to prevent damaging the first molding, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to apply substantially less clamping force during the second clamping of Nishida et al than the first clamping in order to prevent damaging the primary molded piece A0 of Nishida et al.
Claim(s) 5, 10, 11, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishida et al (USPN 6036908) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of JP56069138. The above teachings of Nishida et al are incorporated hereinafter.
Regarding claim 5, Nishida et al do not teach the first layer including a plurality of first protrusions and the second layer covers the surface and surrounds the first protrusions of the first layer. JP56069138 teach molding a composite, wherein a primary molding product has a plurality of protrusions that are surrounded by a secondary molding (JP56069138: English abstract; figs 1-3). Since Nishida et al and JP56069138 are analogous with respect to molding composites, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the protrusions of JP56069138 into the primary molded piece A0 of Nishida et al in order to bind the layers of Nishida et al together through a mechanical bond.
Regarding claims 10-12, Nishida et al do not teach a second mold including a plurality of protrusions. JP56069138 teach molding a composite, wherein a primary molding product has a plurality of protrusions formed by recesses with a second mold that are surrounded by a secondary molding that covers an entirety of the protrusions (JP56069138: English abstract; figs 1-3). Since Nishida et al and JP56069138 are analogous with respect to molding composites, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the protrusions of JP56069138 into the primary molded piece A0 of Nishida et al by using a second mold having a plurality of recesses in order to bind the layers of Nishida et al together through a mechanical bond via the hidden protrusions.
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.
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, 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.
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.
EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
Prosecution Insights