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 II, claims 11-17, in the reply filed on September 12, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-10 have been withdrawn from consideration as being directed towards a non-elected invention.
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.
Claims 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2015/0252160 to Teranishi.
Regarding claims 11-17, Teranishi teaches a prepreg (claim 16) comprising reinforcing fibers, such as carbon fiber (claim 14), and a matrix resin (sheet of polymer) the impregnates the reinforcing fibers (encapsulated within the sheet of polymer), and a protective film (backing film) of polyvinyl alcohol (water-soluble, claims 12-13) placed on the prepreg precursor (backing film attached to an exterior surface of the sheet of polymer) (Teranishi, abstract, para 0065-0102, 0222-0223, 0314-0316, 0325-0330, 0339, 0407).
Regarding claim 15, Teranishi teaches the matrix resin comprising epoxy that is cured (Teranishi, abstract, para 0160, 0175, 0410, 0065-0102), reading on the polymer comprising a thermoset polymer matrix.
Regarding claim 17, Teranishi teaches the polymerization can be carried out by pressing a heated plate using a thermal polymerization initiator that generates a radical by heat (Teranishi, para 0190, 0197, 0065-0102), reading on the polymer being a heat curable polymer that is uncured or at most partly cured.
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.
Claims 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 2015/0252160 to Teranishi, remaining as applied to claims 11-17 above.
Regarding claims 11-17, in the event it is shown that Teranishi does not disclose the claimed invention with sufficient specificity, the invention is obvious because Teranishi discloses the claimed constituents and discloses that they may be used alternatively or in combination. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to form the prepreg, such as to have the matrix be thermoset epoxy or heat curable epoxy, with carbon fiber, and protective film of polyvinyl alcohol, motivated by the desire of using disclosed predictably suitable component by Teranishi and by the desire of practicing the invention of Teranishi based on the totality of the teachings of Teranishi.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Pub. No. 2014/0248814 to Handermann teaches a composite comprising a woven or nonwoven fiber sheet with a binder agent that is a polymeric film or water-soluble binder and an outer laminar material that include polyvinyl alcohols.
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/JENNIFER A GILLETT/Examiner, Art Unit 1789
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