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 .
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 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.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 17 March 2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “the second portion” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2 & 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umemoto et al. (US 2011/0019341) in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US 2011/0051321) and Ohata et al. (US 2002/0001168).
In regards to claim 1,
Umemoto ‘341 discloses a solid electrolytic capacitor comprising:
a porous sintered body (3 – fig. 4; [0042]) comprising a valve metal and having a first surface and a second surface connected to the first surface (fig. 4);
an anode wire (2 – fig. 4; [0042]) protruding from the first surface and comprising a valve metal ([0047-0048] – noting as the dielectric is formed on the anode lead via anodization, the anode lead will be a valve metal);
a dielectric layer (4 – fig. 4; [0048]) formed on the porous sintered body;
a solid electrolyte layer (5 – fig. 4; [0049]) formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises a first layer (5) formed on the dielectric layer;
a cathode layer (6 – fig. 4; [0057]) formed on the solid electrolyte layer, wherein the cathode layer comprises a carbon (6a – fig. 4; [0057]) layer formed on the solid electrolyte layer and a metal layer (6b – fig. 4; [0057]) formed on the carbon layer; and
wherein the solid electrolytic capacitor comprises a protective layer (10 – fig. 4; [0051]) covering at least a portion of the first surface through the first layer, wherein the protective layer has a first portion formed on the first surface, wherein the first portion of the protective layer has a thickness from the first surface to the surface of the first portion of the protective layer (fig. 4), and the thickness of the first portion of the protective layer is thicker towards the anode wire (seen in fig. 4), and wherein the protective layer covers a portion of the anode wire via the dielectric layer (seen in fig. 4). Umemoto ‘341 fails to disclose wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises a second layer formed on the first layer; wherein the carbon layer is a graphite layer.
Yamaguchi ‘321 discloses wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises a second layer (13a – fig. 2; [0033]) formed on the first layer (13b – fig. 2; [0033]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the solid electrolyte layer of Umemoto ‘341 to have a second layer as taught by Yamaguchi ‘321 to obtain a capacitor with good ESR and short circuit characteristics.
Ohata '168 discloses a carbon layer for use in a solid electrolytic capacitor comprising graphite ([0046]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the clamed invention to use graphite as taught by Ohata '168 in the carbon layer of Umemoto ‘341 to obtain a layer with high electrical conductivity.
In regards to claim 2,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the protective layer is directly in contact with the first layer (fig. 4 of Umemoto ‘341).
In regards to claim 4,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses the protective layer is in contact with the graphite layer (fig. 4 of Umemoto ‘341).
In regards to claim 5,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the protective layer is in contact with said metal layer (fig. 4 of Umemoto ‘341).
In regards to claim 6,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the second surface is separated from the anode wire and the cathode layer is formed on the second surface (fig. 4 of Umemoto ‘341).
In regards to claim 7,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses wherein a first thickness, which is a maximum thickness from the second surface to the surface of the second portion, is thinner than a second thickness, which is the maximum thickness from the second surface to the surface of the metal layer (fig. 4-5 of Umemoto ‘341).
In regards to claim 8,
Umemoto ‘341 as modified by Yamaguchi ‘321 and Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of a fluororesin, a silicone resin and an acrylic resin ([0051] of Umemoto ‘341).
Claim(s) 1 & 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umemoto et al. (US 2010/0246100) in view of Ohata ‘168.
In regards to claim 1,
Umemoto ‘100 discloses a solid electrolytic capacitor comprising:
a porous sintered body (1 – fig. 4; [0040]) comprising a valve metal and having a first surface and a second surface connected to the first surface (fig. 1);
an anode wire (2 – fig. 1; [0040]) protruding from the first surface and comprising a valve metal;
a dielectric layer (3 – fig. 4; [0041]) formed on the porous sintered body;
a solid electrolyte layer (4 – fig. 1; [0042]) formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises a first layer formed on the dielectric layer and a second layer formed on the first layer ([0052] – when plurality of layers formed);
a cathode layer (5 – fig. 1; [0043]) formed on the solid electrolyte layer, wherein the cathode layer comprises a carbon (5a – fig. 1; [0043]) layer formed on the solid electrolyte layer and a metal layer (5b – fig. 1; [0043]) formed on the carbon layer; and
wherein the solid electrolytic capacitor comprises a protective layer (10 – fig. 1; [0038]) covering at least a portion of the first surface through the first layer, wherein the protective layer has a first portion formed on the first surface, wherein the first portion of the protective layer has a thickness from the first surface to the surface of the first portion of the protective layer (fig. 1), and the thickness of the first portion of the protective layer is thicker towards the anode wire (seen in fig. 1), and wherein the protective layer covers a portion of the anode wire via the dielectric layer (seen in fig. 1). Umemoto ‘100 fails to disclose wherein the carbon layer is a graphite layer.
Ohata '168 discloses a carbon layer for use in a solid electrolytic capacitor comprising graphite ([0046]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the clamed invention to use graphite as taught by Ohata '168 in the carbon layer of Umemoto ‘100 to obtain a layer with high electrical conductivity.
In regards to claim 4,
Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 further discloses the protective layer is in contact with the graphite layer (fig. 1 & 3 of Umemoto ‘100).
In regards to claim 5,
Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the protective layer is in contact with said metal layer (fig. 1 & 3 of Umemoto ‘100).
In regards to claim 6,
Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 further discloses wherein the second surface is separated from the anode wire and the cathode layer is formed on the second surface (fig. 1 of Umemoto ‘100).
In regards to claim 7,
Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 further discloses wherein a first thickness, which is a maximum thickness from the second surface to the surface of the second portion, is thinner than a second thickness, which is the maximum thickness from the second surface to the surface of the metal layer (fig. 1 & 3 of Umemoto ‘100).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kikuchi et al. (US 2009/0128997).
In regards to claim 3,
Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 fails to disclose wherein the second layer is interposed between the first layer and the protective layer.
Kikuchi ‘997 discloses disclose wherein the second layer (4b – fig. 1; [0026]) is interposed between the first layer (4a – fig. 1; [0026]) and the sealing resin layer (10 – fig. 1; [0027]) at the first surface (fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the clamed invention to form the plurality of conductive polymer layers of Umemoto ‘100 as modified by Ohata '168 as taught by Kikuchi ‘997 thus obtaining wherein the second layer is interposed between the first layer and the protective layer to obtain a capacitor with low ESR and excellent preservation characteristics under high-temperature conditions.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2006/0082951 – fig. 1 US 2014/0293512 – fig. 1
US 2014/0063691 – fig. 1-2 US 5,349,496 – fig. 1
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M SINCLAIR whose telephone number is (571)270-5068. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-4PM.
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/David M Sinclair/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848