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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s)10-13 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by “Thermally-induced phase transformations in KNNS-BNKZ lead-free piezoceramics" Tangsritrakul et al.
Regarding claims 10-11, Tangsritrakul et al. discloses a piezoelectric ceramic composition, a perovskite phase composite oxide comprising the main constituent composition formula (K, Na, Sb) NbO3-(Bi, Na, K) ZrO3( (Bi. Na, K) ZrO3 as the main constituent, and the A-site comprising Bi and the B-site comprising Zr). Tangsritrakul et al. discloses that the piezoelectric composition comprises region 2, which is read on segregation part within crystal grains, and at least one of Zr and Bi is distributed in the region 2. See Figures 2 and 3.1 Microstructure section.
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segregation parts containing higher concentrations of Bi and Zr, thus lower mass% of Bi and Zr at the grain boundary.
Regarding claim 12, Figure 2 shows the plurality of segregation portions located within one or more grains comprises a first segregation portion having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.05 µm or more.
Regarding claim 13, Figure 2 shows a plurality of first segregating portions at more than one ratio per 5 µm2.
Regarding claim 16, Figure 2 shows that an area ratio of one or more of the segregation portions in a 5 µm2 cross section of the piezoelectric ceramic composition is 1% or more.
Regarding claims 17. Tangsritrakul et al. discloses a piezoelectric ceramic composition, a perovskite phase composite oxide comprising the main constituent composition formula (K, Na, Sb) NbO3-(Bi, Na, K) ZrO3( (Bi. Na, K) ZrO3 as the main constituent, and the A-site comprising Bi and the B-site comprising Zr). Tangsritrakul et al. discloses that the piezoelectric composition comprises region 2, which is read on segregation part within crystal grains, and at least one of Zr and Bi is distributed in the region 2. See Figures 2 and 3.1 Microstructure section.
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segregation parts containing higher concentrations of Bi and Zr, thus lower mass% of Bi and Zr at the grain boundary. Figure 2 shows the plurality of segregation portions located within one or more grains comprises a first segregation portion having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.05 µm or more. Figure 2 shows a plurality of first segregating portions at more than one ratio per 5 µm2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3 - 8 are allowed.
Claims 14-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/21/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that Tangsritrakul does not measure the mass percent of Bi or Zr at a grain boundary. The Office asserted that Region 2 discussed in Tangsritrakul corresponds to the recited "segregation portion." However, even assuming that Region 2 corresponds to the segregated portion as asserted by the Office, Region 2 merely means that Bi or Zr is segregated in a specific region within a crystal grain. Therefore, Tangsritrakul does not disclose that the mass percentage of Bi or Zr at a grain boundary is lower than the mass percentage of Bi or Zr in a portion other than the segregation portion within a crystal grain.
The Examiner respectfully submits that the prior art discloses mixing, milling, and sintering the powder to make a ceramic product. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the ceramic product has a relative unform microstructure and morphology. Therefore, the Figure 2 microstructure can represent the whole ceramic product’s microstructure and morphology. Tangsritrakul et al. discloses that the piezoelectric composition comprises region 2, which is read on segregation part within crystal grains, and at least one of Zr and Bi is distributed in the region 2. See Figures 2 and 3.1 Microstructure section.
The applicant argues that Figure 2(b) of Tangsritrakul shows an analysis conducted on a specific area having structures identified as the core, shell, region 1, and region 2. Figure 2(b) does not appear to represent a randomly selected area, nor does it appear to represent a typical area. Rather, it is a specific local region selected for EDS analysis. Even if region 2 is shown in Figure 2(b), there is no disclosure that, throughout the entire 3BNKZ microstructure shown in Figure 1(c), regions corresponding to region 2 are present as first segregation portions having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.05 µm or greater at a density of at least one per 5 µm2. Tangsritrakul neither counts the number of such regions, nor calculates their equivalent circle diameters, nor determines their number density per 5 µm2.
The Examiner respectfully submits that the prior art discloses mixing, milling, and sintering the powder to make a ceramic product. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the ceramic product has a relative unform microstructure and morphology. Therefore, the Figure 2 microstructure can represent the whole ceramic product’s microstructure and morphology. Figure 2 shows the plurality of segregation portions located within one or more grains comprises a first segregation portion having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.05 µm or more. Figure 2 shows a plurality of first segregating portions at more than one ratio per 5 µm2.
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.
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/SHUANGYI ABU ALI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1731
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