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 without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6, in the reply filed on 8/25/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 7-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
As Applicant did not traverse the restriction requirement, it is hereby deemed proper and made FINAL.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Cheng et al. (CN 116640943).
Regarding claims 1-6, Qi discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (p. 1, ¶ 2):
Claims 1+2
Claims 3+4
Claim 5
Claim 6
Cheng (p. 1, ¶ 6 – p. 2, ¶ 7)
Fe
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-1.4%
1.81%-2.0%
1.81%-2.0%
0.5%-2.0%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
≤0.5%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.3%-1.0%
Ti
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
≤0.05%
Zn
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
≤0.3%
B
-
-
0.0001%-0.06%
0.0001%-0.06%
-
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
The prior art alloy overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Qi et al. (CN 112921209).
Regarding claims 1-6, Qi discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (p. 2, ¶ 10):
Claims 1+2
Claims 3+4
Claim 5
Claim 6
Qi (p. 1, ¶¶ 5-8)
Fe
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-1.4%
1.81%-2.0%
1.81%-2.0%
1.0%-2.5%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.05%-0.5%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.03%-0.15%
Ti
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0-0.09%
Zn
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.1%-0.5%
B
-
-
0.0001%-0.06%
0.0001%-0.06%
-
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
The prior art alloy overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Apelian et al. (US 2013/0199680).
Regarding claims 1-6, Apelian discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (¶ 1):
Claims 1+2
Claims 3+4
Claim 5
Claim 6
Apelian, ¶¶ 13-25
Fe
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-1.4%
1.81%-2.0%
1.81%-2.0%
≤2%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
≤0.5%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
≤2%
Ti
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
≤1%
Zn
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
≤0.5%
B
-
-
0.0001%-0.06%
0.0001%-0.06%
-
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
The prior art alloy overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Miyazaki et al. (JP 4328927).
Regarding claims 1-6, Miyazaki discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (¶ 8):
Claims 1+2
Claims 3+4
Claim 5
Claim 6
Miyazaki, ¶¶ 7-11
Fe
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-1.4%
1.81%-2.0%
1.81%-2.0%
0.05%-2.5%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.1%-4.0%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.05%-1.0%
Ti
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
≤0.1%
Zn
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
0.1%-4.0%
B
-
-
0.0001%-0.06%
0.0001%-0.06%
0.002%-0.08%
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
The prior art alloy overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Miki et al. (JP S56-166359).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Miki discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (¶ 1):
Claim 1
Claim 3
Miki, abstract
Fe
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-1.4%
0.4%-2.5%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.3%-1.2%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.2%-1.2%
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
The prior art alloy overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Claims 2, 4 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Miki et al. (JP S56-166359) as applied to claims 1 and 3, further in view of Miyazaki et al. (JP 4328927).
Regarding claims 2 and 4, the limitations of claims 1 and 3 have been addressed above. Miki does not expressly teach the claimed amounts of Ti or Zn. Miyazaki teaches including 0.1%-4.0% Zn to an aluminum alloy for die casting in order to provide a sacrificial anode effect for aluminum fin materials (¶ 9). Miyazaki also teaches including ≤0.1% Ti to improve other properties such as crack resistance, formability, and corrosion resistance (¶ 11). It would have been obvious at the effective time of filing for the claimed invention for one of ordinary skill in the art to include Zn, as taught by Miyazaki, to the aluminum alloy of Miki to obtain an aluminum alloy suitable as a fin material. It would also have been obvious at the effective time of filing for the claimed invention for one of ordinary skill in the art to include Ti, as taught by Miyazaki, to improve properties of the aluminum alloy of Miki.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, Miki discloses the following aluminum alloy for die casting (¶ 1):
Claim 5
Claim 6
Miki, abstract
Fe
1.81%-2.0%
1.81%-2.0%
0.4%-2.5%
Si
0.1%-0.8%
0.4%-1.2%
0.3%-1.2%
Mg
0.1%-1.0%
0.1%-0.9%
0.2%-1.2%
Ti
0.005%-0.3%
0.005%-0.3%
-
Zn
0.001%-0.7%
0.001%-0.7%
-
B
0.0001%-0.06%
0.0001%-0.06%
-
Al
Balance
Balance
Balance
Miki does not expressly teach the claimed amounts of Ti, Zn, or B. Miyazaki teaches including 0.1%-4.0% Zn to an aluminum alloy for die casting in order to provide a sacrificial anode effect for aluminum fin materials (¶ 9), including ≤0.1% Ti to improve other properties such as crack resistance, formability, and corrosion resistance (¶ 11), and including 0.002%-0.08% B to improve conductivity of the aluminum alloy (¶ 5). It would have been obvious at the effective time of filing for the claimed invention for one of ordinary skill in the art to include Zn, as taught by Miyazaki, to the aluminum alloy of Miki to obtain an aluminum alloy suitable as a fin material. It would also have been obvious at the effective time of filing for the claimed invention for one of ordinary skill in the art to include Ti and B to the aluminum alloy of Miki in order to improve properties of the alloy as suggested by Miyazaki. The alloy composition of the prior art combination overlaps the claimed ranges, creating a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.05 I.
Conclusion
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/XIAOBEI WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1784
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