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 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.
(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.
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.
Claim(s) 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Scarfe et al. (US 2021/0206125 A1).
Regarding claim 23, Scarfe et al. teach a preform composite formed in a mold (see [0051]), including preform (156) is dry cloth (158) will be infused with resin after forming. In some embodiment the preform is prepreg (160), when the preform is prepreg, the prepreg is heated prior to forming preform to forming surface of first tool (see [0051]). Scarfe et al. discloses vacuum bagging to form the composite structure, and exemplifies that composite structure (200) has cross-section in Z-shaped (204) (see [0068]-[0069]) and further states that the three-dimensional shape of the composite is not limited and may have curvature, twist, or other three-dimensional complex shapes as composite structure ([0069]). Claim 23 recites additional process limitation including “heating a first area of a dry fiber composite blank material; compacting the first area of the dry fiber composite blank material; stop heating the first area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of a first contour along the first area; cooling the first area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of the first contour while continuing compaction of the first area to set a profile of the first contour; stop compacting the first area after cooling the first area of the dry fiber composite blank; heating a second area of the dry fiber composite blank material; compacting the second area of the dry fiber composite blank material; stop heating the second area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of a second contour along the second area; cooling the second area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of the second contour while continuing compaction of the second area to set a profile of the second contour; and stop compacting the second area after cooling the second area of the dry fiber composite blank.” The examiner notes “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process; determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 598, 227 USPQ 954, 955 (Fed. Cir. 1985). Also see MPEP section 2113 Product-by-process [R- 1]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-22 and 24-26 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 1, the closest prior art Scarfe et al. (US 2021/0206125 A1) fails to teach a method of forming a composite preform, the method comprising: transforming a composite blank material into the composite preform via a two-stage process, which comprises: connecting together a first mold body and a second mold body for a first stage, wherein the first mold body and the second mold body cooperate to transform a composite blank material into the composite preform having a first radius; disposing the composite blank material between a first membrane and a second membrane during the first stage, wherein the first membrane and the second membrane are disposed across the first mold body and the second mold body in the first stage; activating a vacuum to expel a gaseous fluid out of a space between the first membrane and the first mold body and the second mold body to cause the composite blank material to form a first radius during the first stage; removing the second membrane at the end of the first stage; disconnecting the first mold body and the second mold body from each other for a second stage, wherein the first mold body transform the composite blank material into the composite preform having a second radius; disposing a third membrane at least partially over the composite blank material during the second stage; and activating the vacuum to expel a gaseous fluid out of an area between the third membrane and the first mold body to cause the composite blank material to form the second radius during the second stage, wherein the second stage occurs after the first stage.
Regarding claim 22 and 24, the closest prior art Scarfe et al. (US 2021/0206125 A1) fails to teach
a method of forming a composite preform, the method comprising: transforming a composite blank material into the composite preform via a two-stage process, which comprises: connecting together a first mold body and a second mold body at a first stage, disposing a composite blank material between a first membrane and a second membrane during the first stage; expelling a gaseous fluid out of a space between the first membrane and the first mold body and the second mold body to cause the composite blank material to form a first radius during the first stage; heating the composite blank material along a first zone to set a profile of the first radius during the first stage; removing the second membrane at the end of the first stage; disconnecting the first mold body and the second mold body from each other such that the first mold body transforms the composite blank material at a second stage; disposing a third membrane at least partially over the composite blank material having the formed first radius during the second stage; expelling a gaseous fluid out of an area between the third membrane and the first mold body to cause the composite blank material to form a second radius during the second stage; and heating the composite blank material along a second zone to set a profile of the second radius during the second stage.
a method of forming a dry fiber composite preform, the method comprising: heating a first area of a dry fiber composite blank material; compacting the first area of the dry fiber composite blank material; stop heating the first area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of a first contour along the first area; cooling the first area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of the first contour while continuing compaction of the first area to set a profile of the first contour; stop compacting the first area after cooling the first area of the dry fiber composite blank; heating a second area of the dry fiber composite blank material; compacting the second area of the dry fiber composite blank material; stop heating the second area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of a second contour along the second area; cooling the second area of the dry fiber composite blank after formation of the second contour while continuing compaction of the second area to set a profile of the second contour; and stop compacting the second area after cooling the second area of the dry fiber composite blank.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2015/0097313 A1; US 8,911,651 B2; US 5,252,165; US 2009/0074905 A1; and US 2004/0070109 A1 are all pertaining to method of making composite either via mold and/or vacuum.
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NAHIDA SULTANA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/NAHIDA SULTANA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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