Detailed Office Action
The communication dated 7/22/2026 has been entered and fully considered. Claims 5 and 7-9 are withdrawn from examination. Claims 1-9 remain pending.
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 and Species A in the reply filed on 7/22/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 5 and 7-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B and Group II.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 4 is 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.
Claims 4, in line 3, recites the limitation “both end portions”. However, it is not clear whether this limitation refers to the both end portions of laminate or to the both end portions of the tension generating member. As such this claim is indefinite and rejected. For the purpose of examination, the Examiner replace this limitation with “both end portions of the tension generating member”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by SEKIGUCHI (JP-2001038752-A and its English translation), hereinafter SEKIGUCHI. Note that the italicized text below are the instant claims.
Regarding claim 1, SEKIGUCHI discloses A composite material molding method for molding a composite material by shaping {[0001]},
by using a molding die {[FIG. 1] mold 11 is the molding die},
a laminate in which a plurality of fiber sheets are laminated into a shape including a bent portion having a bent shape {[0016] note plurality of fiber prepreg is the laminate, note the curved molding surface provides the bent portion/shape},
and curing a resin impregnated into the fiber sheets {[0017] note curing process of the uncured resin},
wherein the composite material includes the bent portion having the bent shape {[FIG. 1] note 30 is the composite material having the bent portion/shape},
the molding die has a molding surface for molding the composite material and a recess formed in a portion other than the molding surface {[FIG. 1] 12b is the lamination area of the molding surface for the prepreg laminate 30 and 16 is the recess that is outside 12b},
and the composite material molding method comprises: disposing the laminate on the molding surface of the molding die {[FIG. 1] note 30 is disposed on 11};
covering the laminate with a tension generating member that generates tension in the laminate at a time of shaping {[FIG. 1] 19 is the tension generating member that together with 18 covers the laminated 30, [0037] note that 19 together with 15 provides the tensioning},
and disposing a part of the tension generating member to face the recess {[FIG. 3(a)] note 19 faces the recess 16};
covering the laminate covered with the tension generating member with a covering member to hermetically seal between the covering member and the molding die {[FIG. 1] note 21 is the covering member that covers both the laminate and the tensioning member, [0039] note the sealant};
sucking atmosphere between the covering member and the molding die to draw in a part of the tension generating member into the recess to shape the laminate {[0016] note drawing vacuum inside the bag film, [FIG. 2] note that as the result of suction, tip of 19 is sucked into the recess 16 with additional help from 17, [FIG. 3(a)] note 17 is smaller than the recess 16, thus there is air in-between that will be sucked out and thus causing 19 to be sucked into 16};
and curing the laminate after shaping to mold the composite material {[0017], [0043]/[0044]}.
Regarding claim 2, SEKIGUCHI discloses wherein the covering member is a bag film that accommodates the laminate together with the molding die {[0016]}.
Regarding claim 3, SEKIGUCHI discloses wherein the molding die is long in a longitudinal direction, and the step of covering the laminate with the tension generating member includes winding the tension generating member around the molding die in a circumferential direction of the molding die with the longitudinal direction as an axial direction of a central axis to cover the laminate with the tension generating member {[FIG. 1] note that mold or die 11 longitudinal axis is from left to right (along 17) and the tensioning member 19 is wrapped or wound (partially) around the circumferential direction of the die 11}.
Regarding claim 6, SEKIGUCHI discloses wherein the step of hermetically sealing between the covering member and the molding die includes disposing on the laminate a pressing member for pressing the laminate to follow the molding die {[FIG. 5(a)] note 18 with the arrow P on it reads on this pressing member that presses 30 against the molding die}.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
Regarding claim 4, SEKIGUCHI cannot be modified to have its tensioning member 19 wrapped completely around molding die 11 with both the end portions overlapping each other. There is no motivation for such modification. Furthermore, no other prior art was found to read on this limitation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to S. BEHROOZ GHORISHI whose telephone number is (571)272-1373. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-(alt Fri) 7:30-5:00.
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/S. BEHROOZ GHORISHI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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