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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on 12/22/2025. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 5 recites "the end edge to which the round chamfer is connected is provided on the shoulder land" in the last two lines. Claim 2, upon which claim 5 depends, recites the round chamfer is connected to a land and "the land being shaped like a rib extending entirely and continuously around the tire in the tire circumferential direction" in lines 3-6. Thus, amended claim 5 appears to require the shoulder land and inner land to both have the round chamfer and thus both be ribs. The shoulder lands disclosed in the application as originally filed are formed as adjacent shoulder blocks 60, 61, 62, and 63 with lug grooves 50 and 51. The instant application fails to provide support for the shoulder land being shaped like a rib extending entirely and continuously around the tire.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 8, and 9 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.
Claim 3 recites "0.4 £ L1/(L1+L2) £ 0.9" in line 1. It is unclear what relationship is required. It appears the "£" symbols should be "≤".
Claim 8 recites "the inner land" in lines 1-2 and "the shoulder groove" in the last line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations.
Claim 9 recites "the inner land," the round chamfer," and "the dimple round chamfer" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations.
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 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshimura (US 2017/0210175) in view of Ochi (JP2008-149995, with English machine translation).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshimura discloses a pneumatic tire ([0005]) with a
tread including a plurality of lands and a plurality of grooves (see Fig. 1), wherein
a chamfer that is connected to at least one end edge located on one end of a ground contacting surface of at least one of the lands in a tire axial direction and extending along a tire circumferential direction, the land being shaped like a rib extending entirely and continuously around the tire in the tire circumferential direction (see Fig. 1 wherein axially inner first middle land subsection 4Bb is a land portion shaped like a rib and is provided with a plurality of first inside middle chamfer portions 22, [0168], see Fig. 5).
Yoshimura illustrates flat chamfers and does not disclose the chamfers as a round chamfer that is arc-shaped in cross section; however, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the chamfers as round / arc-shaped since Ochi discloses the curved chamfer surfaces are art recognized alternatives to flat chamfered surfaces with Ochi further disclosing that rounded chamfers can reduce impact noise and improve drainage ([0037]).
Yoshimura discloses on the land, a first circumferential end edge extending as the at least one end edge along the tire circumferential direction and at least one second circumferential end edge extending along the tire circumferential direction are provided on one end of the ground contacting surface in the tire axial direction, the second circumferential end edge is formed as an edge to which the round chamfer is unconnected (see Fig. 5 wherein corner edge 21 is provided with chamfered and non-chamfered portions).
Yoshimura discloses first and second circumferential end edges as alternately provided in the tire circumferential direction (see Fig. 5 wherein chamfered and non-chamfered edges alternate along land portion 4Bb).
Regarding claim 3, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the ratio of the length of the first circumferential end edge to the total first and second end edge length as 0.4 to 0.9 since Yoshimura clearly depicts the chamfered edge length as about half the total chamfered+nonchamfered edge lengths in Fig. 5 and discloses the chamfered edge length L3c as equal to length L3b, which is 35% to 60^ of the maximum block length (slightly larger than the chamfered+nonchamfered edge length; see Fig. 3, [0144,0175]).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshimura discloses a shoulder land (see land 4D in Fig. 1) and an inner land portion (see 4Ba) and a shoulder main groove disposed therebetween (see 3C). Yoshimura discloses a third end edge with a chamfer (see chamfer 10) on the shoulder land. Yoshimura illustrates flat chamfers and does not disclose the chamfers as a round chamfer; however, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the chamfers as round / arc-shaped since Ochi discloses the curved chamfer surfaces are art recognized alternatives to flat chamfered surfaces with Ochi further disclosing that rounded chamfers can reduce impact noise and improve drainage ([0037]).
Claims 2-4, 6, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanematsu (US 2017/0050470) in view of Ochi (JP2008-149995, with English machine translation).
Regarding claim 2, Kanematsu discloses a pneumatic tire ([0042-0043]) with a
tread including a plurality of lands and a plurality of grooves (see Fig. 1), wherein
a chamfer that is connected to at least one end edge located on one end of a ground contacting surface of at least one of the lands in a tire axial direction and extending along a tire circumferential direction, the land being shaped like a rib extending entirely and continuously around the tire in the tire circumferential direction (see Fig. 1 wherein outboard middle land zone 7B is a land portion shaped like a rib and is provided with a plurality of chamfer portions 21f, [0163], see Fig. 8).
Kanematsu illustrates flat chamfers and does not disclose the chamfers as a round chamfer that is arc-shaped in cross section; however, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the chamfers as round / arc-shaped since Ochi discloses the curved chamfer surfaces are art recognized alternatives to flat chamfered surfaces with Ochi further disclosing that rounded chamfers can reduce impact noise and improve drainage ([0037]).
Kanematsu discloses on the land, a first circumferential end edge extending as the at least one end edge along the tire circumferential direction and at least one second circumferential end edge extending along the tire circumferential direction are provided on one end of the ground contacting surface in the tire axial direction, the second circumferential end edge is formed as an edge to which the round chamfer is unconnected (see Fig. 8 wherein corner edge is provided with chamfered 21f and non-chamfered 22f portions).
Yoshimura discloses first and second circumferential end edges as alternately provided in the tire circumferential direction (see Fig. 8 wherein chamfered and non-chamfered edges alternate along land portion).
Regarding claim 3, Kanematsu discloses the length of the chamfered portions as 40-60% of the total chamfered+nonchamfered length ([0165,0099]).
Regarding claim 4, Kanematsu discloses a shoulder land (see land 8B in Fig. 8) and an inner land portion (see 7B) and a shoulder main groove disposed therebetween (see 4B). Kanematsu discloses a third end edge with a chamfer (see chamfer 21h) on the shoulder land. Kanematsu illustrates flat chamfers and does not disclose the chamfers as a round chamfer; however, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the chamfers as round / arc-shaped since Ochi discloses the curved chamfer surfaces are art recognized alternatives to flat chamfered surfaces with Ochi further disclosing that rounded chamfers can reduce impact noise and improve drainage ([0037]).
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Kanematsu discloses a shoulder land (see land 8B in Fig. 8) and an inner land portion (see 7B) and a shoulder main groove disposed therebetween (see 4B). Kanematsu discloses the first and second circumferential edges on the inner land portion near the shoulder main groove (see chamfered/nonchamfered edges 21f, 22f in Fig. 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 has not been indicated as allowable subject matter due to the new matter issues under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) identified above.
Claims 8-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Examiner notes the antecedent basis is unclear for a number of terms in claims 8 and 9. For the purpose of examination, it is assumed that claim 9 depends from claim 8 and that claim 8 includes limitations regarding the shoulder groove and inner land as recited in claims 4, 6, or 7. As to claim 8, The prior art of record fails to further teach or suggest a dimple round chamfer and dimple recessed from the ground contacting surface, the dimple having a smaller depth than the shoulder groove.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 2-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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 ROBERT C DYE whose telephone number is (571)270-7059. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Momper can be reached at (571) 270-5788. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT C DYE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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