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 .
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 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishida et al. (US 20190157690 A1) in view of Kumagai et al. (JP 2014194877 A).
Regarding claim 1, Ishida discloses a manufacturing method of a fuel cell separator (paragraph 0007), comprising: an overlaying step of overlaying a first metal separator and a second metal separator together (paragraphs 0028-0029, figure 3, first separator 30 and second separator 32), the first metal separator and the second metal separator each including a flat portion and a bead portion protruding from the flat portion (paragraphs 0040-0044, 0054-0056, figures 3-4); and a welding step of welding along the bead portion overlaid flat portions (paragraphs 0068-0069). Ishida is silent regarding wherein in the welding step, a weld meeting point where welded portions meet is formed at an area which is away from the bead portion and/or which is to be a high stiffness part with a high stiffness on a welding path.
Kumagai discloses a manufacturing and welding method for fuel cell parts including separators to reduce thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0014-0015). Kumagai further discloses that weld marks form a closed loop shape and intersect at points curved outward from the closed loop shape (Kumagai paragraphs 0032-0034, 0055, figures 5 and 9-10, intersecting region R1). The reference teaches that this configuration ensures airtightness and balances thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0055 and 0060). Kumagai and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the manufacturing method disclosed by Ishida to include forming the weld meeting point at an area away from the closed loop as disclosed by Kumagai. Doing so would ensure airtightness and balance thermal distortion.
Regarding claim 2, modified Ishida discloses the limitations of claim 1. Ishida further discloses that the bead portion of each of the first metal separator and the second metal separator includes a linear portion with a linear shape and a curved portion with a curved shape (figures 3-5, beads 53 and 63). Ishida is silent regarding the weld meeting point is formed at the high stiffness part formed at a position along the curved portion of the bead portion and on the welding path.
Kumagai discloses a manufacturing and welding method for fuel cell parts including separators to reduce thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0014-0015). Kumagai further discloses that weld marks form a closed loop shape and intersect at points curved outward from the closed loop shape on a curved portion of the loop (Kumagai paragraphs 0032-0034, 0055, figures 5 and 9-10, intersecting region R1). The reference teaches that this configuration ensures airtightness and balances thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0055 and 0060). Kumagai teaches that the intersection is formed on a curves section and the curved shape of the weld marks allows for smooth welding and uniform strength (Kumagai paragraphs 0033, 0057). Kumagai and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the manufacturing method disclosed by Ishida to include forming the weld meeting point at an area away from the closed loop along the curved portion as disclosed by Kumagai. Doing so would ensure airtightness and balance thermal distortion.
Regarding claim 5, Ishida discloses a fuel cell separator comprising a first metal separator and a second metal separator which are joined together by welding (paragraphs 0028-0029, figure 3, first separator 30 and second separator 32), the first metal separator and the second metal separator each including a flat portion and a bead portion protruding from the flat portion (paragraphs 0040-0044, 0054-0056, figures 3-4). Ishida is silent regarding wherein the fuel cell separator has a weld meeting point where welded portions formed by using welding meet, the weld meeting point being formed at an area which is away from the bead portion and/or is to be a high stiffness part with a high stiffness on a welding path.
Kumagai discloses a manufacturing and welding method for fuel cell parts including separators to reduce thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0014-0015). Kumagai further discloses that weld marks form a closed loop shape and intersect at points curved outward from the closed loop shape (Kumagai paragraphs 0032-0034, 0055, figures 5 and 9-10, intersecting region R1). The reference teaches that this configuration ensures airtightness and balances thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0055 and 0060). Kumagai and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the manufacturing method disclosed by Ishida to include forming the weld meeting point at an area away from the closed loop as disclosed by Kumagai. Doing so would ensure airtightness and balance thermal distortion.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishida et al. (US 20190157690 A1) in view of Kumagai et al. (JP 2014194877 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Masaka et al. (WO 2020095817 A1, US 20210039205 A1 used as English equivalent).
Regarding claim 3, modified Ishida discloses the limitations of claim 1. Ishida further discloses wherein the first metal separator and the second metal separator each include a rib coupled to the bead portion (paragraphs 0046-0050, 0060-0062, figure 4, bridge sections 80, 82, 90, 92). Ishida is silent regarding wherein the weld meeting point is formed at the high stiffness part formed at a position along the rib and on the welding path.
Kumagai discloses a manufacturing and welding method for fuel cell parts including separators to reduce thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0014-0015). Kumagai further discloses that weld marks form a closed loop shape and intersect at points curved outward from the closed loop shape (Kumagai paragraphs 0032-0034, 0055, figures 5 and 9-10, intersecting region R1). The reference teaches that this configuration ensures airtightness and balances thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0055 and 0060). Kumagai and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the manufacturing method disclosed by Ishida to include forming a weld meeting point at an area away from the closed loop as disclosed by Kumagai. Doing so would ensure airtightness and balance thermal distortion.
Ishida in view of Kumagai is silent regarding wherein the weld meeting point is formed at the high stiffness part formed at a position along the rib.
Masaka discloses welding a pair of bipolar plates together for preventing surface pressure drop (Masaka paragraphs 0029-0030). Masaka further discloses that the welding area is performed in a region overlapping and between high rigidity structures including channels (Masaka paragraphs 0041-0042, figure 2, rectangular area R, structures S). The reference teaches that welding points in this region on or near the higher rigidity structures can prevent surface pressure drop (Masaka paragraphs 0041-0042). Masaka and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell plates.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method disclosed by modified Ishida to include the welding meeting point on the higher rigidity bridge portion as disclosed by Masaka. Doing so would prevent surface pressure drop.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishida et al. (US 20190157690 A1) in view of Kumagai et al. (JP 2014194877 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Masaka et al. (WO 2020095817 A1, US 20210039205 A1 used as English equivalent), as evidenced by Speidel (US 20220093941 A1).
Regarding claim 4, modified Ishida discloses the limitations of claim 1. Ishida further discloses that the first metal separator and the second metal separator each include an embossed portion (paragraphs 0039-0040, 0052-0053, figure 4). Ishida is silent regarding wherein the weld meeting point is formed at the high stiffness part formed at a position along the embossed portion and on the welding path.
Kumagai discloses a manufacturing and welding method for fuel cell parts including separators to reduce thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0014-0015). Kumagai further discloses that weld marks form a closed loop shape and intersect at points curved outward from the closed loop shape (Kumagai paragraphs 0032-0034, 0055, figures 5 and 9-10, intersecting region R1). The reference teaches that this configuration ensures airtightness and balances thermal distortion (Kumagai paragraphs 0055 and 0060). Kumagai and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the manufacturing method disclosed by Ishida to include forming a weld meeting point at an area away from the closed loop as disclosed by Kumagai. Doing so would ensure airtightness and balance thermal distortion.
Ishida in view of Kumagai is silent regarding wherein the weld meeting point is formed at the high stiffness part formed at a position along the embossed portion.
Masaka discloses welding a pair of bipolar plates together for preventing surface pressure drop (Masaka paragraphs 0029-0030). Masaka further discloses that the welding area is performed in a region overlapping and between high rigidity structures including channels (Masaka paragraphs 0041-0042, figure 2, rectangular area R, structures S). The reference teaches that welding points in this region on or near the higher rigidity structures can prevent surface pressure drop (Masaka paragraphs 0041-0042). Masaka and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose manufacturing methods for fuel cell plates.
Speidel discloses bonded fuel cell separators including an embossed structure and stiffening structures which may include the embossed structure (Speidel paragraphs 0032-0036). The reference specifically discloses that the embossed structure improves the stiffness of the separator plate (Speidel paragraphs 0079-0082). Speidel and Ishida are analogous because they both disclose methods of manufacturing fuel cell separators.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method disclosed by modified Ishida to include the welding meeting point away from the closed loop and on the embossed portion of Ishida because Speidel teaches that the embossed portion improves stiffness and Masaka teaches forming welding points on higher rigidity structures. Doing so would prevent surface pressure drop.
Conclusion
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/B.T.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/Maria Laios/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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