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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/2/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Kuranuki (US 6,343,004) fails to disclose "the anode lead terminal covers an end of the anode part in the second direction."
Figure 11 illustrates an anode lead terminal (15) that covers an end of an anode part (Fig. 2, 4) in a second direction (left-right).
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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 7-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by, or in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Kuranuki et al. (US 6,343,004).
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Regarding claim 7, Kuranuki et al. disclose in fig. 2, a solid electrolytic capacitor (title) comprising:
a plurality of capacitor elements (8, FIG. 2) each having an anode part (4) and a cathode part (3), the plurality of capacitor elements being stacked in a first direction (top-bottom); and
two or more junctions (see annotated figure above, @ a, C: 4, L: 25-27) each joining and electrically connecting stacked anode parts (4) including the anode part (4), each of the two or more junctions extending along the first direction (laser welded - top-bottom);
an anode lead terminal (15) connected to the anode part (4); and
a cathode lead terminal (11a) connected to the cathode part (3);
wherein:
L1 - L2 ≤ 3.8 mm or less is satisfied (C: 3, L: 4-5 - the electrode body has a width of 3.5 mm, L1 – L2 would inherently be below 3.5 mm),
where L1 [mm] represents a dimension of the anode part in a third direction (left-right) perpendicular to each of the first direction (top-bottom) and a second direction (front – back) that is a direction from the anode part to the cathode part, and L2 [mm] represents a total dimension of maximum diameters of the two or more junctions in the third direction (right – left), and
b ≥ a/2 is satisfied (see annotated figure above),
where a [mm] represents a maximum diameter of each of the two or more junctions (@a) in the third direction (left-right) in a predetermined cross section of the plurality of capacitor elements (8), the predetermined cross section being perpendicular to the second direction (front-back) , and b [mm] represents a shortest distance between an end of the anode part (4) and corresponding one of the two or more junctions in the third direction (front-back);
wherein the anode lead terminal (15) covers an end of the anode part in the second direction (front-back).
Kuranuki et al. do not specifically illustrated the two or more junctions in Fig. 11.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to form the elements of Fig. 2 in the solid electrolytic capacitor of Fig. 11, in order to form an electrolytic capacitor having elements that are secured together before final assembly of the capacitor.
Regarding claim 8, Kuranuki et al. disclose the dimension L1 of the anode part in the third direction (left-right) is less than or equal to 4.3 mm (C: 3, L: 4-5 – 3.5 mm).
Regarding claim 9, Kuranuki et al. illustrate a maximum diameter of junction closest to the end of the anode part among the two or more junctions is less than 0.5 mm in the third direction (see fig. 2).
Kuranuki et al. do not specifically state that the maximum diameter of junction closest to the end of the anode part among the two or more junctions is less than 0.5 mm in the third direction.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to form the maximum diameter of junction closest to the end of the anode part among the two or more junctions is less than 0.5 mm in the third direction, since such a modification would form a solid electrolytic capacitor having capacitor elements joined with an appropriate joining strength.
Regarding claim 10, Kuranuki et al. disclose a center of each of the two or more junctions (@ a in annotated figure above) located closer to the cathode part (4) than a center of the anode part (3 and anode layer under cathode part 4) in the second direction (front-back).
Regarding claim 11, Kuranuki et al. disclose the two or more junctions are two junctions (fig. 2).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7, 8, and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (US 6,535,375) in view of Kuranuki et al. (US 6,343,004).
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Regarding claim 7, Jung et al. disclose in fig. 2, a solid electrolytic capacitor (title) comprising:
a plurality of capacitor elements (4) each having an anode part (see annotated figure above “A”) and a cathode part (see annotated figure above “C”), the plurality of capacitor elements (4) being stacked in a first direction (top-bottom); and
two or more junctions (see annotated figure above “J”) each joining and electrically connecting stacked anode parts (A) including the anode part (A), each of the two or more junctions extending along the first direction (top-bottom);
an anode lead terminal (9) connected to the anode part (A); and
a cathode lead terminal (8) connected to the cathode part (C);
wherein:
where L1 [mm] represents a dimension of the anode part in a third direction (left-right) perpendicular to each of the first direction (top-bottom) and a second direction (front – back) that is a direction from the anode part to the cathode part, and L2 [mm] represents a total dimension of maximum diameters of the two or more junctions in the third direction (right – left), and
b ≥ a/2 is satisfied (see annotated figure above),
where a [mm] represents a maximum diameter of each of the two or more junctions (see annotated figure above) in the third direction (left-right) in a predetermined cross section of the plurality of capacitor elements (4), the predetermined cross section being perpendicular to the second direction (front-back) , and b [mm] represents a shortest distance between an end of the anode part (A) and corresponding one of the two or more junctions in the third direction (front-back);
wherein the anode lead terminal (9) covers an end of the anode part in the second direction (front-back).
Jung et al. disclose the claimed invention but does not specifically state that “J” is a junction.
Kuranuki et al. disclose a solid electrolytic capacitor having a junction portion (laser weld - C: 4, L: 25-27).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to form the solid electrolytic capacitor of Jung et al., wherein the capacitor elements are laser welded to form a junction, since such a modification would secure the capacitor elements together.
Jung et al. disclose the claimed invention except for L1-L2 ≤ 3.8 mm or less is satisfied.
Kuranuki et al. disclose L1 - L2 ≤ 3.8 mm or less is satisfied (C: 3, L: 4-5 - the anode body has a width of 3.5 mm, L1 – L2 would inherently be below 3.5 mm), where L1 [mm] represents a dimension of the anode part in a third direction (left-right) perpendicular to each of the first direction (top-bottom) and a second direction (front – back) that is a direction from the anode part to the cathode part, and L2 [mm] represents a total dimension of maximum diameters of the two or more junctions in the third direction (right – left).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to form the solid electrolytic capacitor of Jung et al. so that the electrode body has a width of 3.5 mm (where L1-L2 ≤ 3.8 mm or less), since such a modification would form a solid electrolytic capacitor having desired capacitance.
Regarding claim 8, Kuranuki et al. disclose the dimension L1 of the anode part in the third direction (left-right) is less than or equal to 4.3 mm (C: 3, L: 4-5 – 3.5 mm).
Regarding claim 10, Jung et al. disclose a center of each of the two or more junctions (J) located closer to the cathode part (C) than a center of the anode part (A under cathode part - C) in the second direction (front-back).
Regarding claim 11, Jung et al. disclose the two or more junctions are two junctions (fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 5-6, and 13-18 are allowed.
Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: in combination with the other claim limitations, the prior art does not teach or suggest a solid electrolytic capacitor:
wherein in each of the plurality of capacitor elements, the anode part is a part of an anode body, and the cathode part is formed on a remaining part of the anode body, and a center of each of the two or more junctions is located closer to the cathode part than a center of the anode part in the second direction (claim 1); and
the three or more junctions include a first junction and a second junction, the first junction having a first area on the first surface, the second junction having a second area smaller than the first area on the first surface (claim 12).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 6:00 AM-2:30 PM.
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/ERIC W THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848
ERIC THOMAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2848