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 .
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 –
Claim(s) 1-5, 11, 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sako, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0305697.
Sako discloses a mounting member which suppresses scattering of the inorganic fiber material making up a pollution control element. See paragraph 0006. The mounting member wraps and mounts the pollution control element. See paragraph 0016. The mounting member is a mat which includes an organic and inorganic fine particle which are distributed into the mounting member along with the fibers making up the mounting member, and form a plurality of intersection points, designated as element 5 in the figures, which hold the fibers of the mounting member in place and which form junction points. See figure 2. The junction points are larger than the diameter of the fibers. See figure 2. The fibers extend from the junction points in various directions. See figure 2. The mat which forms the mounting member can be made up of inorganic fiber material as the fibers. See paragraph 0026. The inorganic fibers can be alumina, silica, glass, bentonite, vermiculite, or graphite fibers. See paragraph 0027. The fibers can have a diameter of 2-7 microns. See paragraph 0028. The fibers would necessarily have a higher Tg than the organic binder material which can have a Tg of -70- 50 degrees Celsius. See paragraph 0034. Note that glass and ceramic fibers would necessarily have much higher Tg than 50 degrees Celsius. The fibers are three dimensional and extend in three dimensions and include inorganic fibers as set forth above. The mat can be disposed and wrapped around an exhaust gas treatment body and disposed within a casing. See figures.
Claim(s) 6-10, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kumar, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0150715.
Kumar discloses combining a mounting mat and a catalytic converter by using a powdered binder to bond the mat after compressing. See paragraph 0049. Kumar teaches combining the fibers of the mounting mat by entangling such as by needling or hydroentangling. See paragraphs 0060-0061. Kumar teaches intertwining and entangling some of the fibers which is equated with the claimed fiber bundles and single fibers, wherein the entangled fibers are equated with the fiber bundles and the non-entangled fibers are equated with the single fibers. See paragraphs 0058, 0061. The structure of the mat can comprise a plurality of layers.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mitani, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0081455. Mitani discloses an inorganic fiber mat which includes aggregated inorganic fibers wherein at least a part of the inorganic fibers located on a surface of the inorganic fiber body are fused to each other. See paragraph 0011. Mitani teaches heat treating the surface of a fiber mat comprising inorganic fibers wherein portions of the surface are melted and crosslinked to form aggregates between fibers exposed on the surface of the mat. See paragraph 0030. The surface is treated by a laser which cuts the fibers to a predetermined length and melts portions of the fibers to form larger fused areas to form a crosslinked structure comprising melted junction points from which the fibers extend in different directions. See paragraphs 0068, 0092. Mitani does not teach that the fibers comprising the melted regions include an organic component or that they are in a separate web.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH M IMANI whose telephone number is (571)272-1475. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Wednesday 7AM-7:30; Thursday 10AM -2 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marla McConnell can be reached at 571-270-7692. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH M IMANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1789
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