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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 04-30-2024 and 05-28-2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2020-113391 A hereinafter Harada.
Regarding Claims 1 and 6, Harada teaches a fuel cell (electrochemical cell) and method for manufacturing the fuel cell (paragraphs 1-3, 10), the fuel cell comprising: a membrane electrode assembly [10]; gas diffusion layer [12]; and separator (distributor plate) [71], wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises electrode-electrolyte (membrane electrode) assembly [11] and a frame-shaped sheet member [50] (paragraphs 17, 22), wherein the frame is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly by an adhesive [13 and 52], wherein the gas diffusion layer and the separator partially contact the frame, and wherein the frame having adhesive is arranged with two recesses that forms a connection to the gas diffusion layer lying thereabove via the at least one first recess and a connection to the separator lying thereabove via the at least one second recess (see annotated figures 1 and 3 shown below).
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Regarding Claims 2-3, Harada teaches that the frame-shaped sheet member [50] comprises a third recess, wherein the adhesive is arranged in the third recess such that the adhesive forms a connection to a diffusion layer lying thereabove via the third recess (see figures 1-3 above).
Regarding Claim 4, Harada teaches that when viewed in a stacking direction, the recesses are arranged to be offset from one another (see figure 3).
Regarding Claims 5 and 8-9, Harada teaches that the separator [71] projects beyond the gas diffusion layer [12] (see figure 3 above).
Regarding Claim 7, Harada teaches a method step of forming an adhesive layer between the frame and the membrane electrode assembly (paragraphs 38-40), and it is expected that the adhesive is cured adhesive (As evidence by US 2016/0104909 the adhesive can be cured by ultraviolet rays).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NICHOLAS A SMITH can be reached at (571)272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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