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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1 or 2) as being anticipated by Kageyama (US Pub 2016/0072136 newly cited).
In regard to claim 1, Kageyama teaches a fuel cell stack, comprising stacked cells (unit cell C), wherein each of the cells (figure 7) includes:
a plastic support frame member (frame 3 made of resin film, polymers discussed in paragraph [0023]) that supports a membrane electrode (MEA) assembly at a central portion of the support frame member; and two separators (separators 2) that sandwich the support frame member, the support frame member and the two separators each have a through-hole (communication holes 21-23) that defines a passage through which fluid flows, the passage extending in a stacking direction of the cells,
the support frame member includes a protrusion 31 that protrudes from each of the separators 2 in at least one of an outer edge of the support frame member and a peripheral edge of the through-hole of the support frame member, and the protrusion is sandwiched by plastic frames 3 in the stacking direction together with outer edges of the separators, peripheral edges of the through-holes of the separators, or both the outer edges and the peripheral edges (paragraphs [0034-0068], annotated figure 7 below).
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In regard to claim 2, one of two outer surfaces of the plastic frames 3 sandwiching the protrusion in the stacking direction includes a projection (protrusion 30A), and the other one of the two outer surfaces includes a recess (in sealing part 11), and the projection 30A of the plastic frame included in one of two adjacent ones of the stacked cells is fitted to the recess 11 of the plastic frame included in the other one of the two adjacent stacked cells (annotated figure 9a below, paragraphs [0074-0084]).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sano et al. (US Pub 2009/0098434 newly cited) teaches a similar sealing structure for fuel cell frames.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO whose telephone number is (571)270-3635. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm EST.
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/NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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