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.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 11/20/2023. These drawings are accepted.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-16 are as originally filed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 3, 7, and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishiguro et al (US 2020/0399185 A1).
Ishiguro et al teaches impregnating a structure with metal silicon [0065] as represented below in the annotated drawing:
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The drawing above reads on a firing jig. Ishiguro et al anticipates the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 3, the claimed melting of the granules is an intended use of the claimed apparatus. Ishiguro et al teaches melting [0078].
Regarding Claim 7, the wall structure is 40.
Regarding Claim 9, Ishiguro et al teaches a ratio within the claimed range as represented above in the drawing.
Regarding Claim 10, the molded body 40 is made from graphite [0067], which reads on 80% by mass or more.
Regarding Claim 11, the first and second mounting surfaces are made of graphite [0067]’, which is inert to the metal.
Regarding Claim 12, the molded body has a honeycomb structure [0016] as represented in Figs. 1-10.
Regarding Claim 13, the molded is made of silicon carbide [0006] and the metal is silicon [0071].
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishiguro et al.
Ishiguro et al teaches the firing jig as described above in the drawing and teaches impregnating a structure with metal silicon [0065]. The molded body is made from graphite [0067]. The body is placed on porous supports. Silicon metal is added to the container and melted [0078]. The porous supports have connected pores that are large enough to cause capillarity [0070]. Secondary heating causes molten metal silicon to enter the voids of the molded body via the capillary action [0078]. Ishiguro et al anticipates the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 15, the honeycomb structure is useful as a heat exchanger [0015].
Regarding Claim 16, the metal-impregnated molded body has a porosity of close to 0% [0072].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-6, and 8 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding Claim 2, Ishiguro et al does not suggest an angle of 5-85°; Ishiguro et al teaches an angle of 90°. Regarding Claims 4-6, Ishiguro et al does not suggest a protrusion in the firing jig as in Claim 4. Regarding Claim 8, Ishiguro et al does not suggest the second mounting surface is between the wall surface (container) and the first mounting surface as claimed.
DE 10-2006023561 A1 teaches producing ceramic materials based on silicon carbide with fiber-reinforced porous bodies of carbon on a substrate but does not suggest a second mounting as claimed:
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 4946274 B2, based on the machine translation and original document, teaches using a plugging slurry that is a liquid (page 4) to plug a cell end of a ceramic honeycomb as represented below:
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tima M. McGuthry-Banks whose telephone number is (571)272-2744. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith D. Hendricks can be reached at (571) 272-1401. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tima M. McGuthry-Banks
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1733
/TIMA M. MCGUTHRY-BANKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1733
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