DETAILED ACTION
Examiner’s Notes
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Regarding the withdrawn claims 11-20, the withdrawn claims must be presented in its original form when listing the status of claims in an amendment with the status identifier "(withdrawn)" (e.g.: 11. (Withdrawn) A method for manufacturing a substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element, the method comprising: forming a first thermoelectric film on a first metal foil, wherein the first metal foil has a planar interface with a first side of the first thermoelectric film; and forming a first gap in the first metal foil to form a first metal foil electrode and a second metal foil electrode.).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election of Group I corresponding to claims 1-10 in the reply on 12/31/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), set forth in this Office action, and rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112:
(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.
Claims 4-6 and 10 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites “substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element” in line 2. It is unclear whether the claimed “substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element” is identical to or a different feature from the claimed “substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element” in claim 1. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5 recites “the latter” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 recites “the latter” in line 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites “first and second thermoelectric elements” in line 1. It is unclear whether the recitation “first and second thermoelectric elements” corresponds to “first thermoelectric elements and second thermoelectric elements” or “first thermoelectric element and second thermoelectric element”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites “the thermoelectric films” in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the thermoelectric film”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites “the thermoelectric films” in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the thermoelectric film”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites “the first thermoelectric films” in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the thermoelectric film of the second thermoelectric elements”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites “the first thermoelectric films” in lines 13-14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of office action, the recitation will be treated as if it recites “the thermoelectric film of the first thermoelectric elements”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
(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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WEI (Free-standing p-Type SWCNT/MXene composite films with low thermal conductivity and enhanced thermoelectric performance).
Regarding claim 1, WEI teaches a substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element (see the free standing SWCNT based TE device, wherein the free standing SWCNT is a substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element) (see Fig. 9), comprising:
a first thermoelectric film (see the CNT/Mxene-10 film) (see Fig. 9B attached below);
a first metal foil electrode having a first planar interface with a first side of the first thermoelectric film (see the first copper foil electrode having a first planar interface with a bottom side of the CNT/Mxene-10 film) (see Fig. 9B attached below); and
a second metal foil electrode having a second planar interface with the first side of the first thermoelectric film (see the second copper foil electrode having a second planar interface with the bottom side of the CNT/Mxene-10 film) (see Fig. 9B attached below), wherein the first and the second planar interfaces are disposed in the same first flat plane (see the bottom flat plane below the CNT/Mxene-10 film) (see Fig. 9B attached below).
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Regarding claim 2, Applicant is directed above for a full discussion as applied to claim 1.
WEI teaches the first and the second metal foil electrodes are separated by a first gap having one of the following shapes: a rectangular slit, a meander-shaped slit, a sawtooth-shaped slit, or a wave-shaped slit (see the first gap between the first copper foil electrode and the second foil electrode, which is a rectangular slit shape in Fig. 9B attached in the rejection of claim 1), wherein opposing sides of the first gap are constituted by facing each other sidewalls of the first and the second metal foil electrodes (The opposing sides of the first gap between the first copper foil electrode and the second foil electrode are constituted by facing each other, the left sidewall of the first copper foil electrode and the right sidewall of the second copper foil electrode) (see Fig. 9B attached in the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 3, Applicant is directed above for a full discussion as applied to claim 1.
WEI teaches the first and the second metal foil electrodes are separated by a first gap and wherein a distal portion of the first thermoelectric film in contact with a distal end portion of the first metal foil electrode at the first planar interface is at least 10 times thinner than a central portion of the first thermoelectric film bridging the first gap or the distal end portion of the first metal foil electrode is devoid of the first thermoelectric film; and/or wherein the first metal foil electrode has a coating in direct contact with the first thermoelectric film at the first planar interface and wherein the coating comprises at least one of the following layers: an adhesion layer, a diffusion barrier layer, a work function setting layer, or an interface layer for reduction of a thermal and/or an electrical resistance between a metal foil electrode and a thermoelectric film (P6, Silver paste was applied at the junctions to reduce the contact resistance); and/or wherein the first and the second planar interfaces are contamination-free interfaces.
Regarding claim 4, Applicant is directed above for a full discussion as applied to claim 1.
WEI teaches substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element consists of said first thermoelectric film, said first metal foil electrode, and said second metal foil electrode (see the rejection of claim 1 and Fig. 9); and/or wherein the first metal foil electrode contacts the first thermoelectric film only at the first planar interface and the second metal foil electrode contacts the first thermoelectric film only at the second planar interface (see the rejection of claim 1 and Fig. 9); and/or wherein the first thermoelectric film has a central portion bridging a first gap separating the first and the second metal foil electrodes and the central portion is planar or has a planar surface disposed in a second flat plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the first thermoelectric film has a second side comprising the planar surface, wherein the first and the second sides are opposite sides of the first thermoelectric film (see the rejection of claim 1 and Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 5, Applicant is directed above for a full discussion as applied to claim 1.
WEI teaches the first metal foil electrode is arranged for thermal coupling to a heat sink, wherein the second metal foil electrode is arranged for thermal coupling to a heat source; and/or wherein a voltage generated by the substrate-free film-based thermoelectric element, when the latter is in operation, is tapped from the first metal foil electrode and the second metal foil electrode (The free standing SWCNT based TE device has a capability of this function).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MORTAZAVINATANZI (Printing and Folding: A Solution for High-Throughput Processing of Organic Thin-Film Thermoelectric Devices).
Regarding claim 10, MORTAZAVINATANZI teaches a thermoelectric module (see the thermoelectric generator, see Figs. 3-4), comprising first and second thermoelectric elements (see the first thermoelectric element with the P-type thermoelectric leg and the second thermoelectric element with the N-type thermoelectric leg) (see Figs. 3-4 attached below), wherein each of the first and the second thermoelectric elements comprises:
a thermoelectric film (see the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg);
a first metal foil electrode having a first planar interface with a first side of the thermoelectric film (see the first copper foil electrode having a first planar interface with a bottom side of the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg) (see Figs. 3-4 attached below); and
a second metal foil electrode having a second planar interface with the first side of the thermoelectric film (see the second copper foil electrode having a second planar interface with a bottom side of the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg) (see Figs. 3-4 attached below), wherein the first and the second planar interfaces are disposed in the same first flat plane (see the bottom flat plane below the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg) (see Figs. 3-4 attached below);
wherein the thermoelectric films of the first thermoelectric elements have p-type conductivity (see the P-type thermoelectric leg) and the thermoelectric films of the second thermoelectric elements have n-type conductivity (see the N-type thermoelectric leg), wherein the first and the second metal foil electrodes of the first and the second thermoelectric elements are electrically connected in series such that an alternating series of the first thermoelectric films having n-type conductivity and the first thermoelectric films having p-type conductivity is formed (see Figs. 3-4 attached below).
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Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAE-SIK KANG whose telephone number is 571-272-3190. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00am – 5:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew T. Martin can be reached on 571-270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TAE-SIK KANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728