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
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
The Supreme Court in KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007) identified a number of rationales to support a conclusion of obviousness which are consistent with the proper “functional approach” to the determination of obviousness as laid down in Graham. The key to supporting any rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 is the clear articulation of the reason(s) why the claimed invention would have been obvious. The Supreme Court in KSR noted that the analysis supporting a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 should be made explicit.
EXEMPLARY RATIONALES
Exemplary rationales that may support a conclusion of obviousness include:
(A) Combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results;
(B) Simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results;
(C) Use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way;
(D) Applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results;
(E) “Obvious to try” – choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success;
(F) Known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art;
(G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyairi WO 2020/036067 Al in view of Gadkaree et al. (US 6097011).
Miyairi ( [0015]-[0045], [0050]-[0094], fig. 1-5, 8-18, etc.) discloses a heater element (100) comprising a honeycomb structure (honeycomb structure part) that has an outer peripheral wall (112) and partition walls (115), disposed inside the outer peripheral wall, to demarcate and form a plurality of cells that form flow paths extending from one end surface to the other end surface, and in which at least the partition walls comprise a material with PTC characteristics; and a pair of electrodes (118, 118) comprising a first electrode and a second electrode.
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Miyairi does not explicitly disclose:
(i) The first electrode is provided on the one end surface, and the second electrode has an electrode portion A provided on the other end surface, and an electrode portion B connected to the electrode portion A and extending from the other end surface for a predetermined length in the direction of the flow path and provided on the surface of the partition walls; (ii) the first electrode has an electrode portion A provided on the one end surface, and an electrode portion B connected to the electrode portion A and extending from the one end surface for a predetermined length in the direction of the flow path and provided on the surface of the partition walls, and the second electrode has an electrode portion A provided on the other end surface, and an electrode portion B connected to the electrode portion A and extending from the other end surface for a predetermined length in the direction of the flow path and provided on the surface of the partition walls.
GADKAREE discloses a similar device to conduct current in order to generate heat in a honeycomb structure (in particular, see paragraphs [0010]-[0055], [0059]-[0090], fig. 3, 4, etc.) discloses structuring a pair of electrodes for generating heat in a honeycomb structure so as to have an electrode portion A provided on the end surface of the honeycomb structure, and an electrode portion B ( extending portion; paragraph [0060]) connected to the electrode portion A and extending from the end surface for a predetermined length in the direction of a flow path and provided on the surface of partition walls; so that, current uniformly passes through the honeycomb structure.
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GADKAREE (in particular, see paragraph [0060], etc.) indicates that it is possible to change the range (the range of the extending portion) of the length covered by a conductive metal coating, within the range in which current uniformly passes through a body. A person skilled in the art who had encountered this disclosure could also easily adopt a configuration in which "(i) the first electrode is provided on the one end surface, and the second electrode has an electrode portion A provided on the other end surface, and an electrode portion B connected to the electrode portion A and extending from the other end surface for a predetermined length in the direction of the flow path and provided on the surface of the partition walls," within the range in which current uniformly passes through the body.
Miyairi and GADKAREE both conduct current in order to generate heat in a honeycomb structure; thus, a person skilled in the art could easily conceive of structuring the pair of electrodes for the heater element 100 in Miyairi in the manner of the electrodes disclosed in GADKAREE at least under KSR rationale A.
Regarding claim:
2. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined length of the electrode portion B has an average length of 1/200 or more and less than ½ of a length of the honeycomb structure in the direction in which the flow paths extend.
On the basis of paragraph [0059] and fig. 3 in GADKAREE, it is considered obvious that the extending
portion of a conductive metal coating 32 has an average length from 1/200 to less than 1/2 of the length of the honeycomb structure in the direction of the flow path. Furthermore, even if this matter were not obvious, a person skilled in the art could easily configure matters thusly.
3. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein the electrode portion B is continuously provided over the predetermined length over the entire surface of all the partition walls partitioning the plurality of cells.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE
See GADKAREE (paragraph [0060], fig. 3, 4, etc.).
4. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein the electrode portion B is continuously provided over the predetermined length on a part of the surface of the partition walls partitioning the plurality of cells.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
GADKAREE (in particular, see paragraph [0061], etc.) indicates that the conductive coating may also be in
the form of strips along a blocked-side surface.
5. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein the material having PTC characteristics is composed of a material containing barium titanate as a main component and substantially free of lead.
The the invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
See Miyairi (paragraphs [0023], [0026], etc.).
6. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein a volume resistivity at 25° C. of the material having PTC characteristics is 0.5 Ω.Math.cm or more and 20 Ω.Math.cm or less.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
The volume resistivity of a material constituting a honeycomb structure is a design matter that a person
skilled in the art could decide, as appropriate, after considering factors such as heat generation efficiency.
7. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein an average thickness of the electrode portion B is 1/10,000 or more and 1/10 or less of a hydraulic diameter of the cells.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
The average thickness of the electrode portion B is a design matter that a person skilled in the art could
decide, as appropriate, after considering factors such as mechanical stability and ventilation resistance.
8. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein in the honeycomb structure, a thickness of the partition walls is 0.125 mm or less, a cell density is 100 cells/cm.sup.2 or less, and a cell pitch is 1.0 mm or more.
9. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein in the honeycomb structure, a thickness of the partition walls is 0.08 mm or more and 0.36 mm or less, a cell density is 2.54 cells/cm.sup.2 or more and 140 cells/cm.sup.2 or less, and an open frontal area of the cells is 0.70 or more.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
The thickness of partition walls in a honeycomb structure, cell density, cell pitch, and cell opening ratio
are design matters that a person skilled in the art could have decided, as appropriate, after considering factors such as the strength and ventilation resistance of the honeycomb structure, gas contact efficiency, and electrical resistance.
10. The heater element according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are made of the same material.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
GADKAREE (in particular, see paragraph [0057], etc.) indicates that opposing conductive metal coatings are
the same material (copper).
11. The heater element according to claim 1, further comprising a functional material-containing layer on the surface of the partition walls.
12. The heater element according to claim 11, wherein the functional material-containing layer contains a functional material having a function of adsorbing one or more selected from water vapor, carbon dioxide, and odor components.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
GADKAREE (in particular, see paragraphs [0028]-[0030], etc.) discloses providing activated carbon as
the functional-material-containing layer on the surface of the partition wall. Furthermore, it is common
technical knowledge that activated carbon has the function of adsorbing water vapor, carbon dioxide, and odor components.
13. The heater element according to claim 11, wherein the functional material-containing layer comprises a catalyst.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE.
Providing a functional-material-containing layer that contains a catalyst on the surface of a ventilation
path in a heat generating body comprising a conductive member is well known (for example, see document
3 (paragraphs [0012]-[0022], fig. 1-4, etc.)). A person skilled in the art could easily consider the well-known
feature for a combination of documents 1 and 2, so as to provide a functional-material-containing layer that
contains a catalyst on the surface of the partition walls.
14. A vehicle compartment purification system, comprising: at least one heater element according to claim 1; a power supply for applying voltage to the heater element; an inflow piping that communicates the vehicle compartment with an inlet end surface of the heater element; an outflow piping having a first path that communicates an outlet end surface of the heater element with the vehicle compartment; a ventilator for causing air from the vehicle compartment to flow into the inlet end surface of the heater element via the inflow piping; wherein the heater element is arranged such that the inlet end surface is the one end surface and the outlet end surface is the other end surface, or such that the inlet end surface is the other end surface, and the outlet end surface is the one end surface.
15. The vehicle compartment purification system according to claim 14, wherein the heater element is arranged such that the inlet end surface is the one end surface and the outlet end surface is the other end surface.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto.
Miyairi (in particular, see paragraph [0045], etc.) indicates that the electrodes formed in the heater
element are connected to a power source via a wire.
Furthermore, Matsumoto (in particular, see paragraphs [0024]-[0076], fig. 1-4, etc.) discloses a vehicle
cabin cleaning system comprising a heater element (130); an inflow pipe (inlet flow path) that communicates between the vehicle cabin and the inlet end surface of the heater element; an outflow pipe (104-106) that has a first route (a downstream duct communicating with the vehicle cabin; paragraph [0027]) that communicates between the outlet end surface of the heater element and the vehicle cabin; and a ventilator ( 110) for causing air from the vehicle cabin to flow through the inflow pipe and into the inlet end surface of the heater element.
The inventions disclosed in Miyairi and Matsumoto both pertain to heaters with an air flow in the interior
thereof; thus, a person skilled in the art could easily conceive of using the heater element of Miyairi as the
heating device for the vehicle cabin cleaning system disclosed in Matsumoto. In addition, the disposition of
electrode extending portions for a combination of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto is a design matter that a person skilled in the art could have decided, as appropriate, after considering factors such as the effect of treating what is being cleaned.
16. The vehicle compartment purification system according to claim 14, wherein in addition to the first path, the outflow piping comprises a second path that communicates the outlet end surface of the heater element with an outside of the vehicle, and the outflow piping comprises a switching valve that is configured to switch a flow of the air flowing through the outflow piping between the first path and the second path; wherein the vehicle compartment purification system further comprises a controller capable of switching between: a first mode in which the applied voltage from the power supply is turned off, the switching valve is switched such that the air flowing through the outflow piping passes through the first path, and the ventilator is turned on, and a second mode in which the applied voltage from the power supply is turned on, the switching valve is switched such that the air flowing through the outflow piping passes through the second path, and the ventilator is turned on.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto.
Matsumoto (in particular, see paragraphs [0024]-[0076], fig. 1-4, etc.) indicates that in addition to the
first route, the outflow pipe has a second route (a downstream duct communicating with outside the vehicle; paragraph [0027]) that communicates between the outlet end surface of the heater element and outside the vehicle; the outflow pipe has a switching valve (150) that can switch the flow of air passing through the outflow pipe to the first route or the second route; and the vehicle cabin cleaning system comprises a control part (20) that can execute switching between a first mode (adsorption) in which the heating device is turned off, the switching valve is switched so that air passing through the outflow pipe passes through the first route, and the ventilator is turned on, and a second mode (regeneration) in which the heating device is turned on, the switching valve is switched so that air passing through the outflow pipe passes through the second route, and the ventilator is turned on.
17. The vehicle compartment purification system according to claim 14, wherein an additive functional body is provided downstream and adjacent to the heater element, the additive functional body comprising: a honeycomb structure comprising an outer peripheral wall and partition walls provided on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls partitioning a plurality of cells that form flow paths extending from an inlet end surface to an outlet end surface; and a functional material-containing layer provided on a surface of the partition walls.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto.
Matsumoto indicates that the vehicle cabin cleaning system comprises an adsorption block 140
( corresponding to the functional added body of the present application) disposed near the downstream side of the heating device, and that the adsorption block 140 has an adsorption material layer carried an adsorption material on a base material. The specific structure of an adsorption block is a design matter that a person skilled in the art could have decided as appropriate. It is not considered particularly difficult to use a honeycomb structure.
18. The vehicle compartment purification system according to claim 17, wherein at least the partition walls of the additive functional body is made of cordierite.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto
The specific substance of a functional added body is merely a design matter that a person skilled in the art
could select as appropriate.
19. A vehicle compartment purification system, comprising: a heater element comprising: a honeycomb structure comprising an outer peripheral wall and partition walls provided on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls partitioning a plurality of cells that form flow paths extending from an inlet end surface to an outlet end surface; a first electrode provided on the inlet end surface; and a second electrode provided on the outlet end surface; an additive functional body provided downstream and adjacent to the heater element, the additive functional body comprising: a honeycomb structure comprising an outer peripheral wall and partition walls provided on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls partitioning a plurality of cells that form flow paths extending from an inlet end surface to an outlet end surface; and a functional material-containing layer provided on a surface of the partition walls; a power supply for applying voltage to the heater element; an inflow piping that communicates the vehicle compartment with the inlet end surface of the heater element; an outflow piping comprising a first path that communicates the outlet end surface of the additive functional body with the vehicle compartment; and a ventilator for causing air from the vehicle compartment to flow into the inlet end surface of the heater element via the inflow piping.
The invention does not involve an inventive step in the light of of Miyairi and GADKAREE and Matsumoto. See above, mutatis mutandis.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOR S CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)272-4776. The examiner can normally be reached M,W-F 6:30-10:30, 12-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at 5712705569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOR S CAMPBELL/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3761
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