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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “Arrangement of Carbon Nanotubes”.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-14 were withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/10/2025.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yilmazoglu, US 10444084.
Regarding Claim 1, Yilmazoglu discloses; An arrangement of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), comprising: a substrate (100) (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 65; substrate 2, 3); a first CNT block (110) (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 49, 65-66; main block 10 rising from substrate 2, 3) rising up from the substrate (100); a second CNT block (120) (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 49, 65-66; secondary block 20 rising from substrate 2, 3) rising up from the substrate (100), the first CNT block (110) and the second CNT block (120) being spaced apart from each other (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 50-51; the secondary block 20 is a defined distance away from the main block); and a CNT link (130) (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 55-56; intermediate block 8 forms a lateral connection between the CNT blocks 10, 20) connecting the first CNT block (110) to the second CNT block (120), wherein CNTs of the CNT link (130) are oriented in a same direction (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 52-53; the intermediate block 8 with vertical alignment) as CNTs of the first CNT block (110) and the second CNT block (120), and wherein the CNT link (130) is configured as a CNT bridge (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 55-57; intermediate block 8 forms a lateral connection between the CNT blocks 10, 20, designed in the form of a bridge).
Regarding Claim 2, Yilmazoglu discloses; the CNT link (130) includes a CNT wall (Fig. 4 and Col. 4; Ln. 42-43; the carbon nanotubes are designed with one or more walls).
Regarding Claim 3, Yilmazoglu discloses; an adhesion-reducing layer (105) (Fig. 4 and Col. 6; Ln. 54-56; intermediate layer 7 prevents intermediate block 8 from adhering to the substrate 2,3) in an area on the substrate (100) that is below the CNT bridge (130).
Regarding Claim 4, Yilmazoglu discloses; the CNT link (130) comprises at least one of: - a predetermined thickness (D), - a predetermined width (B) (Fig. 4 and Col. 5; Ln. 55-56; intermediate block 8 forms a lateral connection between the CNT blocks 10, 20 has a width), - a predetermined distance (H) above the substrate (100).
Regarding Claim 5, Yilmazoglu discloses; the predetermined thickness (D) or the predetermined width (B) or the predetermined distance (H) changes (Fig. 1b, 4 and Col. 2; Ln. 63-66; the height H of a CNT block results from the length L of the carbon nanotubes 6 and their alignment angle α, where H=L*sin(α), therefore examiner interpret the height H changes as alignment angle α changes) along the connection between the first CNT block (110) and the second CNT block (120) in a predetermined manner.
Regarding Claim 6, Yilmazoglu discloses; at least one electrical contact of the first CNT block (110) and the second CNT block (120) selected from the group consisting of: a first contact layer (115) (Fig. 4 and Col. 7; Ln. 18-19; electric contact 61) for contacting the first CNT block (110), the first contact layer (115) being formed adjacent to (Fig. 4 and Col. 7; Ln. 18-19; electric contact 61 is adjacent to main block 10 and made of Ni) or partially below the first CNT block (110) on the substrate (100) and comprising a metal, a second contact layer (125) (Fig. 4 and Col. 7; Ln. 18-19; electric contact 60) for contacting the second CNT block (120), the second contact layer (125) being formed adjacent to or partially (Fig. 4 and Col. 8; Ln. 22-23; the secondary block 20 is situated entirely or partially on electric contact 60 and made of Ni) below the second CNT block (120) on the substrate (100) and comprising a metal, a first broadening (117) (Fig. 2-3 and Col. 3; Ln. 32-40; two CNT blocks are directly adjacent to one another) of the first CNT block (110) on a side facing the substrate (100), and a second broadening (127) (Fig. 2-3 and Col. 3; Ln. 32-40; two CNT blocks are directly adjacent to one another) of the second CNT block (120) on a side facing the substrate (100).
Regarding Claim 11, Yilmazoglu discloses; A sensor, comprising: the arrangement of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) according to claim 1; and an evaluation unit (200) (Col. 4; Ln. 48-50; measurement of the electric resistance of a CNT block 10, 20, 30, 40 provides information about the electric properties of the individual carbon nanotubes) configured to determine electrical characteristics of the arrangement and, based thereon, to perform at least one of: - a power measurement of electromagnetic waves, - a force measurement, - an acceleration measurement (Col. 1; Ln. 4-5; a novel spring sensor element for measuring forces and/or accelerations), - a flow measurement.
Regarding Claim 12, Yilmazoglu discloses; a method, comprising: applying the arrangement according to claim 1 - as a bolometer, - as a power meter for THz signals, - as a force meter, or - as an accelerometer (Col. 1; Ln. 4-5; a novel spring sensor element for measuring forces and/or accelerations).
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.
Claims 7 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yilmazoglu, US 10444084 as applied to claims 1-6 and 11-12 above, and further in view of official notice.
Regarding Claims 7 and 9, Yilmazoglu substantially discloses the claimed invention, including a CNT link connecting the first CNT block to the second CNT block, wherein CNTs of the CNT link are oriented in a same direction as CNTs of the first CNT block and the second CNT block and also at least one further CNT block (151, 152) (Fig. 2; 30 and Fig. 3; 40) rising up from the substrate (100), but silent about at least one further CNT link (135), wherein the at least one further CNT link (135) connects the first CNT block (110) to the second CNT block (120) and CNTs of the at least one further CNT link (135) are aligned in a same direction as the CNTs of the first CNT block (110) or the second CNT block (120) in claim 7 and the CNT link (130) or the at least one further CNT link (135) connects the first CNT block (110), the second CNT block (120), and the at least one further CNT block (151, 152) in claim 9. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yilmazoglu by providing at least one further CNT link wherein the at least one further CNT link connects the first CNT block to the second CNT block and CNTs of the at least one further CNT link are aligned in a same direction as the CNTs of the first CNT block or the second CNT block in claim 7 and the CNT link or the at least one further CNT link connects the first CNT block, the second CNT block, and the at least one further CNT block in claim 9, as the examiner is taking official notice of facts that the modification reflects a mere duplication of parts because providing at least one further CNT link, which has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced (See MPEP 2144.04, VI, B).
Regarding Claim 10, Yilmazoglu discloses; a coating (Col.8; Ln. 55-56; the carbon nanotubes here are provided with a very thin, electrically nonconductive and chemically inert coating) on at least one of:- the CNT link (130),- the at least one further CNT link (135),- the first CNT block (110),- the second CNT block (120),wherein the coating is configured to enhance or cause at least one of: a thermoresistive effect, a pyroelectric effect, a thermochromic effect, and a piezoelectric effect.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AZM PARVEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1447. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6 EST.
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/AZM PARVEZ/
Examiner
Art Unit 2892
/NORMAN D RICHARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2892