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 § 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.
Claim(s) 14-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong (CA 2807851).
Wong is directed to a tire composition designed for a wirecoat or a plycoat (recognized as including a carcass and a belt) (Paragraph 40). Wing further teaches that such a composition can include 100 phr of natural rubber (isoprene), 10-60 phr of pyrolysis carbon black, sulfur (claimed crosslinking system), and an antioxidant (Paragraphs 31, 33, and 38). Additionally, Table 1 provides the general order of antioxidant loadings (6PPD). One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to use these components in a single composition designed for a wirecoat or plycoat given the general disclosure detailed above. Additionally, a carcass rubber composition is recognized as being arranged on an inside of carcass reinforcing elements or cords and thus between a tire cavity and said carcass reinforcing elements. It is emphasized that the claims as currently drafted fail to exclude viewing the carcass ply rubber or topping rubber as the claimed rubber mixture.
With respect to claims 15 and 16, as noted above, a fair reading of Wong suggests a rubber composition formed entirely of natural rubber.
Regarding claims 17-19, Wong teaches contents in accordance to the claimed invention (Table 4).
As to claims 20 and 21, the exemplary compositions of Wong have sulfur loadings in accordance to the claimed invention (see Tables 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19).
With respect to claim 22, the exemplary compositions of Wong have accelerator loadings (e.g. MBTS and CBS) in accordance to the claimed invention (see Tables 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19).
Regarding claim 23, the general disclosure of Wong (Paragraph 38) would have bee recognized as encompassing any number of conventional additives at conventional loadings, including activators. One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to include an activator in the rubber composition of Wong absent a conclusive showing of unexpected results (contributes to efficient processing).
As to claim 24, Wong teaches a multitude of additives that satisfy the claimed invention (Paragraph 38).
With respect to claim 25, cobalt salts are well recognized as being conventional additives in tire compositions including reinforcing elements, such as the carcass of Wong (promotes adhesion). One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to include a cobalt salt at conventional loadings, such as that required by the claims, in the rubber composition of Wong for the benefits detailed above.
Regarding claim 26, the tire of Wong includes a conventional innerliner and thus two layers are positioned inside the carcass reinforcing elements (carcass ply rubber and innerliner).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN R FISCHER whose telephone number is (571)272-1215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 5:30-2:00.
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 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.
Justin Fischer
/JUSTIN R FISCHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749 September 2, 2026
