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Claims 1-4, 7-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected claims to Fig. 2-Fig. 4, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/3/26.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/27/23 is considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings submitted on 1/27/23 has been considered.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US Publication 20050282051).
Regarding claim 1, the Zhou reference discloses an electrical interconnecting device comprising manifolds solid oxide fuel cells (P22). The electrical interconnecting device comprising a body having a first interface surface connected to the first cell, and a second interface surface connected to the second cell, on distinct sides of the body (Fig. 6 and 7, components 56, 70, 82, 95 on each end). The first interface surface comprises at least one anode exhaust input and at least one cathode exhaust input in a distance to the at least one anode exhaust input (the right side of the components 56, 70, 82, 95 in which the oxidant and fuel are exiting and inputting to the next cell), wherein the second interface surface comprises at least one fuel supply port and at least one oxidant supply port in a distance to the at least one fuel supply port (the left side of component 56, 70, 82, 95 in which inputs the oxidant and fuel to the cell), wherein the at least one anode exhaust input is in fluid communication with at least one of the at least one fuel supply port or at least one anode exhaust outlet arranged at a distance to the first interface surface and the second interface surface, wherein the at least one cathode exhaust input is in fluid communication with the at least one of the at least one oxidant supply port or at least one cathode exhaust outlet arranged at a distance to the first interface surface and the second interface surface. The Zhou reference discloses that each cell comprises a positive terminal (Applicant’s first port) and a negative terminal (Applicant’s second port) are connected (Fig. 3; claimed wherein the at least one first electrical port is electrically connected to the at least one second electrical port). The Zhou inherently teaches that the anode side of the cell comprises a negative terminal and the cathode comprises a positive terminal (Fig. 3). The Zhou et al. reference is silent in specifying on wherein at least one first electrical port is arranged at or in the at least one cathode exhaust input and is connectable from the first interface surface, wherein at least one second electrical port is arranged at or in the at least one fuel supply port and is connectable from the second interface surface, however, this combination would be obvious as there are limited numbers of combinations in which one of ordinary skill in the art would conceive since the Zhou reference discloses the manifold may provide electrical interconnections made of continuous electrode lead (P35). That is, the electrical interconnector can connect the cells at either the right or left side of the cathode interface of the interconnector resulting in the first port and the other at the anode right or left side interface of the interconnector resulting in the second port. A patent for a combination, which only unites old elements with no change in their respective functions, obviously withdraws what is already known into the field of its monopoly and diminishes the resources available to skillful men. Where the combination of old elements performed a useful function, but it added nothing to the nature and quality of the subject matter already patented, the patent failed under §103. When a patent simply arranges old elements with each performing the same function it had been known to perform and yields no more than one would expect from such an arrangement, the combination is obvious. KSR v. Teleflex
Regarding claim 2, the Zhou reference discloses wherein the first interface surface and the second interface surface are arranged on opposed sides of the body (Fig. 6 discloses the first surface which is on the left side and the second surface on the right side of the interconnector).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, the Zhou reference disclose the claimed invention above and further incorporated herein. The Zhou reference discloses discloses the interconnecting device of further comprising at least one inlet arranged on a side of the body that does neither comprise the first interface surface nor the second interface surface, wherein the at least one inlet is in fluid communication with the at least one supply port (Fig. 4c, flow 3). The Zhou reference is silent in specifying if the inlet arranged on a side of the body is a fuel and/or oxidant, however, since the Zhou reference discloses a generic teaching of the flow inlet, it would have been obvious that it can be for an oxidant and/or fuel inlet arranged on a side of the body. If a person of ordinary skill in the art can implement a predictable variation, and would see the benefit of doing so, §103 likely bars its patentability. KSR v. Teleflex
Regarding claim 7, the Zhou reference discloses the interconnecting device of wherein the first interface surface comprises at least one pair of anode exhaust input and cathode exhaust input (left side of the interconnector), and wherein the second interface surface comprises at least one pair of fuel supply port and oxidant supply port (right side of the interconnector).
Regarding claim 8, the Zhou reference discloses wherein the at least one cathode exhaust input and the at least one oxidant supply port comprise an opening, which has a rectangular, round or otherwise regular shape (Fig. 4a-k).
Regarding claim 9, the Zhou reference discloses the interconnecting device comprises manifolds, the Zhou reference also discloses the first electrical port and the second electrical port surround the respective opening of the at least one cathode exhaust input and at least one oxidant supply port at least in the respective interface surface (manifold comprises continuous leads, P35).
Regarding claim 10, the Zhou reference discloses the body has a cuboid shape having a width, height, and depth (Fig. 4a), wherein the first interface surface and the second interface surface are opposed in a depth-wise direction, and wherein the width and height of the body exceeds the depth of the body (as can be seen by Fig. 5 and 6) .
Regarding claim 11, the Zhou reference discloses the interconnecting device comprises the body is made from a ceramic or metallic material (P37).
Regarding claim 12, the Zhou reference discloses the a fuel cell stack, comprising a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells and at least one interconnecting device according to claim 1 arranged between two consecutive solid oxide fuel cells (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 13, the Zhou reference discloses the fuel cells comprise at least one column with at least one pair of an anode channel and a cathode channel arranged in an alternating manner in a block (Fig. 3).
Claim(s) 14, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US Publication 20050282051) in view of Dunn (US Publication 2003/0075643).
Regarding claims 14 and 15, the Zhou reference dislcoes the claimed invention above and further incorporated herein. The Zhou reference is silent in disclosing that the fuel cell is for an aircraft, however, the Dunn reference discloses fuel cells can be used for aircrafts. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the fuel cell disclosed by the Zhou reference for an aircraft disclosed by the Dun reference. A patent claim can be proved obvious merely by showing that the combination of elements was obvious to try. When there is a design need or market pressure to solve a problem and there are a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, a person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product is not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense. KSR v. Teleflex
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HELEN OI CONLEY whose telephone number is (571)272-5162. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Smith can be reached at 5712728760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Helen Oi K CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752