Ex Parte Pieper et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Sep 13, 2017

13537169 (P.T.A.B. Sep. 13, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www.uspto.gov
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
13/537,169 06/29/2012 Witold PIEPER 707470-00064 4479
35161 7590 09/13/2017
DTrKTNSON WRIGHT PT T C EXAMINER
1825 Eye St., NW YANG, JIE
Suite 900
WASHINGTON, DC 20006 ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
1733
MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE
09/13/2017 PAPER
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte WITOLD PIEPER, NIKLAS VOLBERS, and
JOACHIM GERSTER
Appeal 2016-006617
Application 13/537,1691
Technology Center 1700
Before ROMULO H. DELMENDO, JENNIFER R. GUPTA, and
MERRELL C. CASHION, JR., Administrative Patent Judges.
DELMENDO, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
The Applicants (hereinafter “Appellants”) appeal under 35 U.S.C.
§ 134(a) from the Primary Examiner’s final decision to reject claims 1, 5—7,
and 10-32.2 We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We affirm.
1 The real party in interest is identified as “Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Co.
KG” (Appeal Brief filed December 14, 2015, hereinafter “Appeal Br.,” 2).
2 Appeal Br. 4—24; Reply Brief filed June 23, 2016, hereinafter “Reply Br.,”
2—12; Non-Final Action entered November 14, 2014, hereinafter “Non-Final
Act. 3—9, 11—12; Final Office Action entered April 15, 2015, hereinafter
“Final Act.,” 2—5; Examiner’s Answer entered April 27, 2016, hereinafter
“Ans.,” 2-8.
Appeal 2016-006617
Application 13/537,169
I. BACKGROUND
The subject matter on appeal relates to soft magnetic alloys, which in
their annealed states, are described as having high yield strengths and
magnetic properties suitable for rotating electrical devices (Specification
filed June 29, 2012, hereinafter “Spec.,” 4,11. 12—19). Representative
claim 1 is reproduced from the Appeal Brief (Claims Appendix 1)
(emphases and some indentations added), as follows:
1. A soft magnetic alloy consisting essentially of
47 weight percent < Co < 50 weight percent,
1 weight percent < V < 3 weight percent,
0 weight percent < Ni < 0.2 weight percent,
0.08 weight percent < Nb < 0.12 weight percent,
0 weight percent