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 § 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, 2 and 4-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawamoto et al. (US 2020/040721).
With regard to claim 1, Kawamoto et al. discloses a method for producing a polymer dispersion for a solid electrolytic capacitor (title), the method comprising a step of polymerizing a monomer as a constitutional unit of a conjugated conductive polymer in a liquid containing at least one of a seed particle with protective colloid formed of a polyanion and a polyanion to obtain a polymer-containing liquid (abstract and paragraph [0017), a step of performing a first dispersion treatment on the polymer-containing liquid to obtain a dispersion (paragraph [0018]), and a step of adding an electric conductivity improver to the dispersion and performing a second dispersion treatment to obtain a new dispersion (paragraphs [0125] and [0167]).
Regarding claim 2, see paragraph [0125].
Regarding claim 4 and 5, see paragraphs [0102]-[0107].
Regarding claim 6, see paragraph [0032].
Regarding claim 7, see paragraph [0016] section [5].
Regarding claim 8, see paragraphs [0074]-[0076].
Regarding claim 9, see paragraph [0092].
Regarding claim 10, see paragraph [00161].
Regarding claim 11, see paragraphs [0126]-[0136].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamoto et al.
Kawamoto et al. discloses a method of producing a polymer dispersion for a solid electrolytic capacitor as shown above including the addition of an electric conductivity improver. Although Kawamoto et al. does not specifically disclose the amount of electric conductivity improver to be added in relation to the mass of solids in the dispersion however, it is within the general skill level of a worker in the art to find the appropriate ratio of the amount of parts by mass of the electric conductivity improver to be added per 1 part by mass of solids in the dispersion that would provide the needed increase of electric conductivity of the liquid dispersion containing the conductive polymer through routine experimentation.
Conclusion
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 ESSAMA OMGBA whose telephone number is (469)295-9278. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alford Kindred can be reached at 571-272-4037. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ESSAMA OMGBA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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