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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12 – 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Additionally, claims 7 – 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/18/2025. Claims 1 – 6 have been considered below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 8/10/2022, 3/23/2023, and 12/5/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1 – 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imai et al. (US 2017/0210333) in view of Lammermann (US 4,056,876) and Spriestersbach et al. (US 2009/0001141).
Regarding claim 1, Imai discloses a sealing structure of a sealed container, comprising:
a metallic cylindrical container having an opening (Fig. 1, “housing main body 10” [0050]; “Housing main body 10 is formed from a member having an elongated cylindrical circumferential wall portion 11 having openings provided at opposing ends in the axial direction” [0051]; “Housing main body 10 may be formed from a member made of a metal such as … iron steel” [0055]); and
a metallic closing member that closes the opening (Fig. 1, “closing member 20” [0050]; “Closing member 20 … [is] formed from a member made of a metal such as stainless steel, iron steel” [0055]), the metallic closing member having an outer surface opposing an inner wall surface of the metallic cylindrical container (Fig. 1).
Imai does not expressly disclose the outer surface of the metallic closing member being plated with metal, wherein the metallic closing member seals the opening of the metallic cylindrical container by melted metal, and wherein the melted metal is a material different from a material of the metallic cylindrical container and the metallic closing member.
Lammermann is directed to a sealed container [Col. 1, lines 8-10]. Lammermann discloses wherein a hot-melt adhesive is applied to a surface of a housing, a closing member is then placed over the adhesive, and the adhesive is melted to secure the housing to the closing member (“A bead of hot-melt adhesive is applied to the rim of the can and the edge of a cover is applied over this bead which may be heated to its softening range. Thereafter the rim of the can is bent over the edge of the cover and this bent-over rim is heated to the melting point of the hot-melt adhesive so as to secure the two together once the hot-melt adhesive has cured” [Abstract]).
Additionally, Spriestersbach directed to a method of welding metallic workpieces [Title], discloses a first metallic member being plated with metal, wherein the first metallic member is welded to a second metallic member by melted metal, and wherein the melted metal is a material different from a material of the first metallic member and the second metallic member (“The invention is directed to a method for arc or beam brazing/welding of workpieces (A) made of steel, cast iron, nickel, cadmium, beryllium, titanium, molybdenum, magnesium, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, tin, hard metal and alloys thereof with workpieces (B) made of steel, cast iron, nickel, cadmium, beryllium, titanium, molybdenum, magnesium, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, tin, hard metal and alloys thereof, wherein said workpieces (A) and (B) may consist of identical or different metals or metal alloys, using a fused additional metal alloy, characterized by the following steps: a) positioning the workpieces to be joined; b) fusing the additional metal alloy containing an SnZn, SnAg, SnZnAg, SnCu, SnCuAg, SnZnCu or SnZnCuAg alloy; c) applying the fused additional metal alloy on the contact surfaces or partial areas of the contact surfaces between the positioned workpieces” [Abstract]).
Given Lammermann’s teaching of sealing a closing member to a housing using a hot-melt adhesive, and given Spriestersbach’s teaching of welding together two metallic members wherein the metallic members are plated with another metal different from that of the metallic members, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the outer surface of the metallic closing member being plated with metal, wherein the metallic closing member seals the opening of the metallic cylindrical container by melted metal, and wherein the melted metal is a material different from a material of the metallic cylindrical container and the metallic closing member. In Imai, the metallic closing member seals the opening of the metallic cylindrical container with caulk (“caulking portions 13 and 14 are provided in circumferential wall portion 11 of housing main body 10 and caulking portions 13 and 14 are in intimate contact with respective annular groove portions 21 and 31b. Thus, a gap is prevented from being provided between housing main body 10 and closing member 20 and between housing main body 10 and igniter assembly 30A, and a space in the housing is sealed” [0054]). The use of melted metal, instead of caulk, between two elements is a known alternative means for joining the two elements and providing a sealed space.
Regarding claim 2, Imai discloses wherein the metallic cylindrical container is made of iron (“Housing main body 10 may be formed from a member made of a metal such as … iron steel” [0055]).
Regarding claim 3, Imai discloses wherein the metallic closing member is made of iron (“Closing member 20 … [is] formed from a member made of a metal such as stainless steel, iron steel” [0055]).
Regarding claim 4, Imai does not expressly disclose wherein the melted metal is copper plated on the outer surface of the metallic closing member.
However, Spriestersbach discloses a metal alloy containing copper that is plated on a contact surface between two workpieces to be joined (see the rejection of claim 1, and in particular, “b) fusing the additional metal alloy containing an SnZn, SnAg, SnZnAg, SnCu, SnCuAg, SnZnCu or SnZnCuAg alloy; c) applying the fused additional metal alloy on the contact surfaces or partial areas of the contact surfaces between the positioned workpieces” [Abstract]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the melted metal is copper plated on the outer surface of the metallic closing member. This is the use of a known material for joining two metallic element, applied to a known device, to achieve predictable results.
Regarding claim 5, Imai does not expressly disclose wherein one end of the metallic cylindrical member is deformed to form an annular deformed part, such that an inner wall surface of the metallic cylindrical member abuts against an end surface of the metallic closing member.
However, Lammermann discloses wherein one end of a housing (“can”) is deformed to form an annular deformed part, such that an inner wall surface of the housing abuts against an end surface of a closing member (“cover”) (Figs. 1-5; “the rim of the can is bent over the edge of the cover and this bent-over rim is heated to the melting point of the hot-melt adhesive so as to secure the two together once the hot-melt adhesive has cured” [Abstract]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein one end of the metallic cylindrical member is deformed to form an annular deformed part, such that an inner wall surface of the metallic cylindrical member abuts against an end surface of the metallic closing member. This result in “a very tight seal” [Col. 2, line 14].
Regarding claim 6, Imai discloses wherein the sealing structure is for an airbag gas generator (“The present invention relates to a gas generator incorporated in an air bag apparatus” [0001]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH KERR whose telephone number is (571)272-3073. The examiner can normally be reached M - F, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
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/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761