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 III, claims 8-12 in the reply filed on 12/17/25 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 7/15/25 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance (for official communication for corresponding Chinese patent application 202380063357), as it is presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Na (KR 10-2200641 B1).
Re Claim 8: Na teaches a mold (Fig. 4) comprising:
a fixed mold (item 110); and
a movable mold (item 120) movable to approach, or to be separated from, the fixed mold;
the mold being configured such that a pipe (item 160) is in a molding space (item 111) defined by the movable mold and the fixed mold, the pipe including a first straight portion (item 161a) that includes an injection opening into which an incompressible fluid is injectable (functional limitation), a second straight portion (item 161b) that includes a discharge opening from which the incompressible fluid is dischargeable (functional limitation) and is parallel to the first straight portion, and a main portion (item 161) that is located between the first straight portion and the second straight portion and includes a flow path through which the incompressible fluid is capable of flowing (functional limitation);
the mold further comprising:
a first holding portion (Fig. 4, portion of item 110 where item 161a pass through) through which the first straight portion is insertable, the first holding portion holding the first straight portion; and
a second holding portion (portion of item 110 where item 161b pass through) through which the second straight portion is insertable, the second holding portion holding the second straight portion.
Since the mold of Na and the claimed mold are structurally indistinguishable, the mold of Na is capable of performing all the claimed functions.
While features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function. A claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114.
Re Claim 9: Na teaches wherein the first holding portion and the second holding portion are provided in the fixed mold (Fig. 4).
Re Claim 10: Na teaches wherein, in a state where the first straight portion of the pipe is held by the first holding portion and the second straight portion of the pipe is held by the second holding portion, a gap is provided between the main portion of the pipe and the fixed mold and between the main portion of the pipe and the movable mold (Fig. 4).
Re Claim 11: Na teaches wherein the first holding portion and the second holding portion have lengths such that, in a state where the first straight portion of the pipe is held by the first holding portion and the second straight portion of the pipe is held by the second holding portion, the first straight portion and the second straight portion are exposed outside from the mold (Fig. 4).
Re Claim 12: Na teaches wherein the fixed mold including the first holding portion and the second holding portion includes at least one of a first pressing portion (Fig. 4, portion of item 110 contacting item 161a) pressing the first straight portion sideways and a second pressing portion (portion of item 110 contacting item 161b) pressing the second straight portion sideways.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood from the texts. Only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out to emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, however, each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN E YOON whose telephone number is (571)270-5932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 AM- 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN E YOON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
12/31/2025