DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
This is in response to Application filed on May 26, 2026 in which claims 1-9 and 11-17 are presented for examination. Claims 10, and 19-20 have been cancelled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(d)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 17 recites “in a method according to claim 17”, which does not include additional limitations of the claim from which it depends, because claim 17 depends from itself.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9, 11-16 and 18 are allowed.
Independent claim 1 is allowable because the prior art does not disclose the structure regarding the claimed combination of An apparatus for bonding a fiber structure by means of a fluid, comprising: a fluid jet fiber entanglement head having a plurality of nozzles for emitting the fluid, a manipulator, and a fiber receptacle for arranging the fiber structure, wherein the fluid jet fiber entanglement head is arranged as an effector on the manipulator, and wherein the manipulator is provided in such a way that the fluid jet fiber entanglement head arranged thereon is movable therewith relative to the fiber receptacle, wherein the fluid jet fiber entanglement head comprises at most 500 nozzles for emitting the fluid, and wherein the plurality of nozzles on the fluid jet fiber entanglement head collectively occupy a total area of at most 5 cm2.
Claims 2-9, 11-16 and 18 are allowable for the same reasons as claim 1.
The prior art does not disclose or teach these structures. The closest prior art appears to be PG Pub 2001/0018786 by Greenway and does not disclose or teach these elements.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed May 26, 2026, with respect to the objections to the drawings have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objections to the drawings has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JILLIAN PIERORAZIO whose telephone number is (571)270-0553. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-4:30.
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/Jillian K Pierorazio/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3732
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