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 .
Drawings
Figure 6 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated, as stated in paragraph [0002] of the instant specification. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 7 recites “the raw material being injected into the groove of the first mold” rendering the claim indefinite. This limitation is previously recited as “a first step” in lines 3-5. Thus, it is not how the same raw material can be injected again into the same groove during the “second step”. For purposes of examination, it will be understood to be present from the first step and the raw material not injected in the second step. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-20 are rejected due to each claim’s dependence on rejected claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 12-13, 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al. (JP 2013-181551), English translation of record.
Regarding claim 1, Yamamoto teaches a molding method for molding a seal member onto a base material, (a method of manufacturing a sealed plate in which a thermosetting or thermoplastic elastic body is integrally formed with a base material, [0001]) the method comprising:
a first step of injecting a raw material for the seal member into a groove at a temperature where the raw material is not crosslinked, (applying an adhesive to a predetermined portion of the base material before the step of heating and vulcanizing. [0012] flow molding of the cavity plate 20 is performed at a temperature at which the rubber material is not vulcanized and has fluidity [0022]) in a first mold including the groove into which the raw material is injected; (the gasket 12 is molded (primary vulcanization) in the molding groove 2 of the gasket forming member 1 using the mold 3 of FIG. 6 (a), [0004])
a second step of coating a surface of the raw material with an adhesive or a pressure- sensitive adhesive, (the adhesive 13 may be applied to a gasket mounting portion on the one surface 14a of the plate 14 [0004]) the raw material being injected into the groove of the first mold; and
a third step of sandwiching the base material between the first mold on which the surface of the raw material is coated with the adhesive or the pressure-sensitive (as shown in FIG. 6 (d), a plate 14 is pressed against the gasket forming member 1 in a state in which the gasket 12 is held in the molding groove 2, so that the gasket 12 is bonded to the plate 14, see [0004]) and molding the raw material onto the base material as the seal member via the adhesive or the pressure-sensitive adhesive at a temperature where the raw material is crosslinked. (Finally, the gasket 12 is subjected to heat treatment (secondary vulcanization) at a temperature of 100 to 140 ° C. for several hours to complete the production of the gasket integrated plate 11, see [0005]).
Yamamoto does not explicitly teach the third step of sandwiching to include a second mold.
Yamamoto teaches applying pressure in the vertical direction by a cylinder 60 via a hot plate 50, see [0023], Fig. 4. Yamamoto teaches a cavity plate 20 is required to have such a thickness as to prevent deformation and maintain rigidity [0021].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to select a second mold as the hot plate 50 of Yamamoto because a mold plate is required to have such a thickness as to prevent deformation and maintain rigidity [0021] and will perform as intended for applying a pressure in a vertical direction.
Regarding claim 3, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 1, wherein the first mold includes an escape groove (side lip 20b, Fig. 3b) in the vicinity of the groove (groove 20a) and spaced apart from the groove. (cavity plate 20 has the side lip 20b where excess material escapes from the 20c of the connecting part to the 20b of the side lip, [0022], Fig. 3b)
Regarding claim 4, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 1 wherein the first mold includes a connecting groove (part 20c, Fig. 3B, see [0022]) connecting the groove (groove 20a) and the escape groove. (side lip 20b).
Regarding claim 5, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 1, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 6, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019])
Regarding claim 12, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed method according to claim 3, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 13, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed method according to claim 4, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 17, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 3, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019]).
Regarding claim 18, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 4, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019]).
Regarding claim 19, Yamamoto as modified meets the claimed molding method according to claim 5, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019]).
Claim(s) 2, 7-11, 14-16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al. (JP 2013-181551), English translation of record in view of Matsumoto (JP 2007-292274A), English translation of record.
Regarding claim 2, Yamamoto as modified does not meet the method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, the coating of the adhesive or the pressure-sensitive adhesive is performed by an inkjet coating device.
Matsumoto teaches wherein in the second step, the coating of the adhesive or the pressure-sensitive adhesive is performed by an inkjet coating device. (Matsumoto teaches method for producing a gasket which is used in the fields of automobiles and general industrial machines, see [0001]. adhesive 4 is discharged in the process of the scanning movement of the ink jet head 2, and is applied to the surface of the substrate 1 under the ink jet head 2, see [0033]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to combine the method of inkjet printing taught by Matsumoto with the method of adding a coating of Yamamoto because coating film having a uniform film thickness at a desired site on a substrate and capable of forming a coating film excellent in adhesion strength and durability, see [0020].
Regarding claim 7, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed method according to claim 2, wherein the first mold includes an escape groove in the vicinity of the groove and spaced apart from the groove. . (cavity plate 20 has the side lip 20b where excess material escapes from the 20c of the connecting part to the 20b of the side lip, [0022], Fig. 3b).
Regarding claim 8, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 2, wherein the first mold includes a connecting groove (part 20c, Fig. 3B, see [0022]) connecting the groove and the escape groove.
Regarding claim 9, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 3, wherein the first mold includes a connecting groove connecting the groove and the escape groove. . (cavity plate 20 has the side lip 20b where excess material escapes from the 20c of the connecting part to the 20b of the side lip, [0022], Fig. 3b).
Regarding claim 10, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 7, wherein the first mold includes a connecting groove (part 20c, Fig. 3B, see [0022]) connecting the groove and the escape groove.
Regarding claim 11, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 2, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 14, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 7, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 15, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed method according to claim 8, wherein the base material is metal, resin, or paper. (base materials 40 are a metal plate, a carbon separator, resin, a resin film, a paper, a film, etc., [0025]).
Regarding claim 16, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 2, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019]).
Regarding claim 20, Yamamoto as modified by Matsumoto meets the claimed molding method according to claim 7, wherein the seal member is rubber. (rubber materials to be used as seal materials [0019]).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shimazoe (US 2014/0197605 A1) teaches (Abstract) a plate-integrated gasket which can reduce a width necessary for installing seal members provided in a plurality of plates which are laminated on each other, and can achieve an improvement of productivity. In order to achieve this purpose, in the plate-integrated gasket, one plate and the other plate are laminated on each other, an outer peripheral surface of the one plate is fitted or loosely fitted to a stepped surface which is formed in the other plate, and a seal member made of an elastic material having a rubber-like elasticity is integrally formed astride both of the one plate and the other plate, and has a fixed portion filled in a seal fixing groove which is formed between the one plate and the other plate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL M. ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-0467. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sam Zhao can be reached at (571)270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744