Appeal No. 2000-1646
Application 08/467,425
REPRESENTATIVE CLAIM
Claim 1, which is illustrative of the subject matter on appeal, reads as follows:
1. A method for improving the integrity of a thermoplastic weld along a bondline
joining fiber-reinforced resin composites along faying surfaces defining the bondline, the
weld including resin surrounding a metal susceptor for heating the weld, the resin on
either side of the susceptor being reinforced with fiber extending across the bondline,
independent from fiber in the composites, the composites having reinforcing fiber at a
fiber volume fraction in a resin, the resin in each composite and in the weld being
substantially the same material, the welding method comprising the step of:
incorporating in the thermoplastic weld at least one layer of fiber reinforcement
along the bondline on each side of the susceptor in the resin surrounding the susceptor,
the reinforcement being in sufficient amount to alleviate residual tensile strain in the
resin of the thermoplastic weld, being independent from fiber in the composites, and
extending substantially the width of the bondline and the susceptor.
THE REFERENCES
In rejecting the appealed claims, the Examiner relies on the following references:
Christensen et al (Christensen) 5,717,191 Feb. 10, 1998
(filed Jun. 06, 1995)
Murray et al. (Murray) 5,338,497 Aug. 16, 1994
(filed April 3, 1992)
Nakamura et al. (Nakamura) JP 3-248832 Jun. 11, 1991
(Japanese Patent Application)1.
THE REJECTIONS
Claims 1-8, 10-13, 15, and 19-20 stand rejected under the judicially created
doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20
of U.S. Patent No. 5, 717,191.
1 All citations herein are to the translation of record.
2
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