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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hartmann et al (USPN 7244497) in view of CN101845675.
Regarding claim 1, Hartmann et al teach:
A system for making a microfiber including biomass (Hartmann et al: col 9:25-col 10:24; col 26:34-47; col 28: 7-17; fig 3, specifically core/sheath fibers), the system comprising:
a coaxial spinneret having an inner conduit and an outer conduit (Hartmann et al: col 26:34-47; col 28: 7-17; fig 3, specifically core/sheath fibers);
a coagulation bath opposite the coaxial spinneret, the coagulation bath including one or more solvents (Hartmann et al: col 26:34-47; col 28: 7-17; fig 3, specifically core/sheath fibers);
a source of biomass in communication with the outer conduit (Hartmann et al: col 26:34-47; col 28: 7-17; fig 3, specifically core/sheath fibers); and
a source of a phase-change material (PCM) in communication with the inner conduit (Hartmann et al: the core material is a temperature regulating material such as a phase change material; col 26:34-47; col 28: 7-17; fig 3, specifically core/sheath fibers).
However, Hartmann et al do not teach a grounded bath; and a potentiostat positioned to provide a voltage between the spinneret and the coagulation bath. CN101845675 teaches a wet electrospinning process and system to produce long cellulosic fibers with simple operation, good orientation effect, easy control and low cost, wherein the wet electrospinning includes a grounded bath having an earthing device and a step of applying a voltage that inherent must include a potentiostat (paras. 0003, 0005, 0006, 0008, 0010, 0013, 0015-0024; and fig 1). Since Hartmann et al and CN101845675 are analogous with respect to spinning cellulosic fibers, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the grounded coagulation bath and potentiostat of CN101845675 in order to simplify the operation, achieve good orientation effect, obtain easy control and lower costs.
Regarding claim 2, Hartmann et al teach the inner conduit having a first flow diameter and the outer conduit having a second flow diameter, wherein the first/inner member 43 can have a much smaller diameter than the second/outer member (figs 3), but does not teach the claimed ratio. Since the claimed ratio is well-known in the core/sheath fiber art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to design the claimed conduits of Hartmann et al to have the claimed diameter ratio in order to form diverse fiber having desired characteristics.
Regarding claim 3, such is taught by the above combination of Hartmann et al and CN101845675 since CN101845675 teaches the distance between the spinneret and bath being 8-30cm (CN101845675: para. 0005).
Regarding claim 4, such is taught by Hartmann et al (col 28:20-22).
Regarding claim 5, such is taught by Hartmann et al (col 3:20-32).
Regarding claim 6, such is taught by Hartmann et al (col 13:66-col 14:38).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDMUND H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1204. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-4PM.
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EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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