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 Interpretation
Examiner wishes to point out to applicant that claims 1-10 are directed towards a method and that to be entitled to patentable weight in method claims, the recited structural limitations therein must affect the method in a manipulative sense, and not amount to the mere claiming of a use of a particular structure. For processes (methods), the claim limitations will define steps or acts to be performed (see MPEP 2103C). Claim 1 as currently written does not positively recites the structure of “a mold” and “ a plate core”. Examiner recommends applicant to positively recites the mold such as -- A method for forming a PFA coated butterfly plate without flow marks, comprising: providing a mold and a plate core--.
Examiner further acknowledges that the recitations "the bottom of the upper mold" in line 3 of claim 1, and "the top of the lower mold" in line 4 of claim 1, are both recitations which recite "the" to reference subject matter which is not previously recited/introduced; however, per the guidance in MPEP § 2173.05(e), these recitations are not ambiguous because there is inherent basis for both of the recitations above.
Claim Objections
Claims 1,5-6 and 8-9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In Line 12 of claim 1, “channels communicating with each other are formed in the plate core and the shaft, and the channel penetrates through the center of the plate core” should be changed to --channels communicating with each other are formed in the plate core and the shafts, and the channels penetrates through the center of the plate core.
In line 21 of claim 1, “placing the shaft connected on the plate core” should be changed to -- placing the two shafts connected on the plate core --.
In lines 24-25 of claim 1, “the shaft on the plate core being clamped between the upper mold and the lower mold” should be changed to --the two shafts on the plate core being clamped between the upper mold and the lower mold--. Appropriate correction is required.
In line 3 of Claim 5, “the melting point is 305-310° C.” should be changed to
--the melting point is 305-310° C[[.]]--
Claims 6 and 8-9 have the same problem as claim 5 above.
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.
Claims 1-10 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 1 recites the limitation "the outlet of the hopper" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for “the outlet” in the claim.
Claim 1 recites “shafts are connected to the two protruding structures; the two shafts are located on the same straight line” which is indefinite. The scope of the two shafts is unclear. Are the two shafts referring to the shafts recited earlier in the claim or the two shafts are different set of shafts? the limitation is examined below as – two shafts are connected to the two protruding structures; the two shafts are located on the same straight line--.
Claim 1 recites “a plate core is taken” in line 15 which is indefinite. Claim 1 introduced “a plate core” in line 2, so it is not clear if “a plate core” in line 15 similar to the plate core in line 1 or it is different. The limitation is examined below as -- the plate core is taken--.
Claim 1 recites “the first through hole is communicated with a channel in the plate core” in line 17 which is indefinite. Is a channel in line 17 is one of the channels recited in line 12 of claim 1 or it is an additional channel. The limitation is examined below as --the first through hole is communicated with at least one channel of the channels in the plate core--.
Claim 1 recites “the gap between the upper cavity of the upper mold and the plate core and the gap between the lower cavity of the lower mold and the plate core being the thickness of PFA needing to be coated on the surface of the plate core” in lines 25-27. There are insufficient antecedent basis for “the gap” and “the thickness in the claim. The claim contains no earlier recitation or limitation of a gap or a thickness making it unclear as to what elements the limitations are making reference. See MPEP § 2173.05(e).
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the overall structure" in line 29. There are insufficient antecedent basis for “the overall” in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the outer connecting pipe" in line 37. There are insufficient antecedent basis for “the outer connecting pipe” in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the porosity of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene cylindrical block is greater than or equal to 30%”. There are insufficient antecedent basis for “the porosity” in the claim.
Claims 2-10 are also rejected under this section due to their direct or indirect dependency on
claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Claims 2-10 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:
Regarding Independent Claim 1, the closest prior art Yurugi (JP 2004239276 with English machine Translation attached), teaches a method for forming a coated valve seat ring (5) for butterfly valve without flow marks, comprising a mold and a plate core (Abstract; Figs. 3-4); the mold comprises a push mold, an upper mold (C) and a lower mold (B); the bottom of the upper mold is provided with an upper cavity, the top of the lower mold is provided with a lower cavity, the upper mold is internally provided with an injection port, the injection port penetrates through the top of the upper mold and the middle of the upper cavity of the upper mold (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 10; [0028] and [0054] of English Machine Translation Attached); an outlet of the hopper is in communication with the injection port of the upper mold, and the push mold is placed in a material supply and used for pushing the material in the material supply (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 10; [0028] and [0054-0060] of English Machine Translation Attached).
Yang (CN 110722726 with English machine translation attached) teaches method for compressing powders, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, into I-shaped part (1) (see Figs. 1-3; [0004] of English machine translation attached), comprises providing a mold and a core (8) (see Fig. 1;[0040-0042] of English Machine Translation attached), the mold comprises a push mold, an upper mold (6) and a lower mold (7); two symmetrical protruding structures are arranged on the core, shafts (26,27) are connected to the two protruding structures, the two shafts are located on the same straight line, channels communicating with each other are formed in the plate core and the shaft, and the channel penetrates through the center of the core (8) (see Figs. 1-8;[0042], [0045] and [0048] of English Machine Translation attached);
However, none of the prior arts teach the forming method includes the following steps: the plate core is taken, a first through hole penetrating through the upper surface and the lower surface of the plate core is formed in the center of the plate core, the first through hole is communicated with a channel in the plate core, an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene cylindrical block is inserted into the first through hole, and a plurality of second through holes penetrating through the upper surface and the lower surface of the plate core are further formed in other positions of the plate core; placing the plate core into the lower cavity of the lower mold, placing the shaft connected on the plate core outside the lower cavity and connected to the top of the lower mold, placing the upper mold on the lower mold, the plate core being located in the upper cavity of the upper mold, connecting the upper mold to the lower mold, the shaft on the plate core being clamped between the upper mold and the lower mold, and the gap between the upper cavity of the upper mold and the plate core and the gap between the lower cavity of the lower mold and the plate core being the thickness of PFA needing to be coated on the surface of the plate core.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMED K AHMED ALI whose telephone number is (571)272-0347. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 AM-7:30 PM.
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/MOHAMED K AHMED ALI/ Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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