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 Objections
Claims 3-7, 10-13 and 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 3-7, 10-13 and 17-20, line 2 of each claim, the examiner suggests rewriting “the inorganic layer” to --the at least one inorganic layer-- to provide consistency in the claim language.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 5, note that the relationship is unclear between the recited “the electrode layer” and the previous recited “electrode layers” define in line 4 (i.e. is the recited “the electrode layer” one of the previous recited “electrodes layers”? or are these separate and distinct features from each other?). Clarification is required. For the purpose of examination, the examiner will interpret that the recited “the electrode layer” is one of the electrode layers of the previous recited “electrode layers”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The most relevant prior art reference is Ozawa et al. (US2018/0109880 A1, Cited by Applicant). Ozawa et al. teaches in Fig. 1 a piezoelectric film (10) comprising:
A piezoelectric layer (12) containing piezoelectric particles in a matrix containing a polymer material (see paragraph [0058]);
Electrode layers (lower layer 14 and upper layer 16) provided on both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer; and
A protective layer (20 and 22) provided on a surface of the upper electrode layer (16) opposite the piezoelectric layer, wherein the protective layer has a resin substrate (20, see paragraph [0101]) and at least one inorganic layer (22, see paragraph [0123]) provided on the resin substrate.
However, Ozawa et al. does not teach: in regards to claim 1, wherein a water vapor transmission rate of the piezoelectric film is 1 × 10-4 g/(m2 × day) or less. Therefore, the applicant’s claimed invention has been determined to be novel and non-obvious. By virtue of dependency from claim 1, claims 2-20 have also been determined to be novel and non-obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Miyoshi (USPAT 11,793,078 B2) teaches in Fig. 1 a piezoelectric film comprising a piezoelectric layer (20) comprising a polymer matrix.
Ashikawa et al. (US2023/0019706 A1) teaches in Fig. 1 a stacked piezoelectric film comprising multiple piezoelectric layers (12a, 12b and 12c) comprising a polymer matrix.
Kagawa et al. (US2022/0279284 A1) teaches in Fig. 1 a folded piezoelectric film.
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/JORGE L SALAZAR JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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