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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tokumoto et al (US 3,662,047).
As to claim 1, Tokumoto discloses a method for producing a titanium foil, (Abstract “electrodepostion of titanium…”) the method comprising:
an electrodeposition step (example 1 and 3) of performing electrolysis with electrodes including an anode and a cathode (Example 1 col. 11 lines 72-75, Example 3 col. 13 lines 1-9) using a molten salt bath comprising titanium ions (Example 1 col. 11 lines 69 – col. 12 line 3, Example 3 co.. 12 lines 69-75) and having at least one molten chloride (Example 1 col. 11 lines 61-67, Example 3 lines 69-72) to deposit metal titanium onto an electrolytic surface of the cathode (Abstract and cathode 17 which receives the deposit described in the abstract),
wherein the electrodeposition step comprises maintaining a ratio of a molar concentration of titanium ions to a total molar concentration of metal ions in the molten salt bath at 7% or more (Example 1 col. 11 line 68 titanium dichloride at 13.40 %, Example 3 col. 12 line 74 titanium dichloride at 11.25 %), and
maintaining a temperature of the molten salt bath at 510°C or less (Example 1 col. 11 line 57-58 463-465°C in the vicinity of the electrode 17, Example 3 col. 12 line 62-63 441-443°C in the vicinity of the electrode 17. It is noted that the bath has two temperatures, one at the location of the electrode and one at the bottom of the bath. When averaged, the bath temperature would be 485.75 °C which falls within the claimed range. Thus, the bath of the prior art has a temperature gradient therein, where the average temperature therein is maintained at a temperature below 510°C. Thus, “a temperature of the molten salt bath” is maintained at a temperature of less than 510°C near the electrode for deposition), and
conducing a current to the electrodes under conditions where a continuous stop time of current conduction is less than 1.0 second, a current density is 0.10 A/cm2 or more and 1.0 A/cm2 or less (Example 1 col. 12 lines 4-6 direct current thus the stop time is less than 1.0 second in accordance with the interpretation provided [0065] of the as filed specification, and the current density is 0.3 A/cm2 based on 1.5 amps applied to the surface area of the as described molybdenum plate electrode of 10 mm W, 0.2 mm thick, and immersed 25 mm resulting in a surface area of 512 mm2 or 5.12 cm2, Example 3 col. 13 lines 7-12 intermittent direct current with a stop time of 0.9 thus a continuous stop time is less than 1.0, and the current density is 0.6 A/cm2 based on 3 amps applied to the surface area of the as described molybdenum plate electrode of 10 mm W, 0.2 mm thick, and immersed 25 mm resulting in a surface area of 512 mm2 or 5.12 cm2), and
a time for electrodepositing the metal titanium onto the electrolytic surface of the cathode is 120 minutes or less (Example 1 col 12 lines 16 30 minutes and Example 3 col 13 lines 22 30 minutes).
As to claim 2, Tokumoto discloses an example wherein the anode comprises Ti and the anode is consumed in the electrodeposition step (col. 13 lines 5-11).
As to claim 3, Tokumoto further discloses titanium dichloride (Col. 11 line 68).
As to claim 4, Tokumoto further discloses in the electrodeposition step, the ratio of the molar concentration of titanium ions to the total molar concentration of metal ions in the molten salt bath is maintained at 10% or more (Col. 11 line 68 13.40 %).
As to claim 5, Tokumoto the temperature of the molten salt bath is maintained at 500°C or less (Example 1 col. 11 line 57-58 463-465°C in the vicinity of the electrode 17, Example 3 col. 12 line 62-63 441-443°C in the vicinity of the electrode 17).
As to claim 6, Tokumoto further discloses the current density is 0.20 A/cm2 or more and 0.5 A/cm2 or less (Example 1 col. 12 lines 4-6 direct current thus the stop time is less than 1.0 second in accordance with the interpretation provided [0065] of the as filed specification, and the current density is 0.3 A/cm2 based on 1.5 amps applied to the surface area of the as described molybdenum plate electrode of 10 mm W, 0.2 mm thick, and immersed 25 mm resulting in a surface area of 512 mm2 or 5.12 cm2, Example 3 col. 13 lines 7-12 intermittent direct current with a stop time of 0.9 thus a continuous stop time is less than 1.0, and the current density is 0.6 A/cm2 based on 3 amps applied to the surface area of the as described molybdenum plate electrode of 10 mm W, 0.2 mm thick, and immersed 25 mm resulting in a surface area of 512 mm2 or 5.12 cm2).
As to claim 7, Tokumoto further discloses wherein the molten salt bath does not comprise fluoride ions (see col. 11 lines 62-71 with no F ions in the bath).
As to claim 8, Tokumoto further discloses wherein a surface of the anode and an opposing surface of the cathode have similar shapes to each other. (See electrode section where each are described as boxes with a width, and thickness col. 11 lines 71-col. 12 lines 4, and Fig. 1).
As to claim 9, Tokumoto further discloses wherein a distance between the electrodes of the anode and the cathode is 0.5 cm or more and 10.0 cm or less. (col. 12 line 3 40 mm which is 4 cm thus falling within the instantly claimed range).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS J RUFO whose telephone number is (571)270-7716. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Luan Van can be reached at 571-272-8521. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LOUIS J RUFO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795