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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
“first and second triboelectric layers 10” [0030] should be --first and second triboelectric layers 10,11--;
“triboelectric layers 10, 12” (twice in [0035]) should be --triboelectric layers 10,11-- as 12 is an electrode;
“the triboelectric layer 11” [0047] should be --the second triboelectric layer 11--;
“the second triboelectric layer 12” (twice in [0048]) should be --the second triboelectric layer 11-- as reference numeral 12 is an electrode; and
“the SPU, 23,” [0051] should be --the SPU 23,--.
Appropriate correction is required.
The use of the terms “Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Zigbee”, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by applicant’s admitted prior art Zhi et al. (“A biocompatible and antibacterial all-textile structured triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered tactile sensing,” Nano Energy, 2023, Vol. 115 (108734), p. 1-10).
Regarding claim 1, Zhi et al. (hereinafter Zhi) teaches a tactile sensor, comprising: a first flexible electrode; a first triboelectric layer, disposed on the first flexible electrode; a second flexible electrode; and a second triboelectric layer, disposed on the second flexible electrode (paragraph 2.5), wherein the first and second triboelectric layers cover a same area, and the first and second triboelectric layers are located between the first and second flexible electrodes, and the second triboelectric layer keeps a distance from the first triboelectric layer when no external force is applied (they are glued face to face with the spacers in between (Section 2.5)), wherein the first triboelectric layer comprises MXene and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (tribonegative layer (last paragraph of section 1), and the first triboelectric layer (tribonegative) and the second triboelectric layer (tribopositive) have different triboelectric properties and form a triboelectric nanogenerator (last paragraph of section 1).
Regarding claim 2, Zhi teaches the tactile sensor of claim 1, wherein the second triboelectric layer (tribopositive) comprises Ag nanoparticles (last paragraph of section 1).
Regarding claim 3, Zhi teaches tactile sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second triboelectric layers are made of nanofibers (last paragraph of section 1).
Regarding claim 4, Zhi teaches the tactile sensor of claim 3, wherein the first triboelectric layer is a PVDF nanofiber membrane, and the second triboelectric layer is a nylon nanofiber membrane (last paragraph of section 1).
Regarding claim 5, Zhi teaches the tactile sensor of claim 1, wherein a concentration of MXene in the first triboelectric layer ranges from 0.55 weight percent to 0.65 weight percent (P/M-0.6 in section 2.3).
Regarding claim 6, Zhi teaches the tactile sensor of claim 5, wherein a β-phase content of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 74% to 76% (75.4% page 4 paragraph 1), and a breaking strength of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 13.5 MPa to 14.5 MPa (14.1 MPa page 4 paragraph 1), and the β-phase content is calculated with a formula:
Abrβ / ((kβ / kα) Abrα + Abrβ), where Abrα is an absorption intensity at wavenumber 762 cm-1, Abrβ is an absorption intensity at wavenumber 840 cm-1, kα is an absorption factor at the corresponding wavenumber 762 cm-1, and kα = 6.1 x 104 cm2・mol-1, kβ is an absorption factor at the corresponding wavenumber 840 cm-1, and kβ = 7.7 x 104 cm2・mol-1 (page 3, last paragraph)
Regarding claim 7, Zhi teaches the tactile sensor of claim 5, wherein, at 25 degree Celsius and 50% relative humidity, a water vapor transfer rate (WVTR) of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 19 kg・m-2・d-1 to 20 kg・m-2・d-1 (19.7 kg・m-2・d-1, page 4 last paragraph), and an air permeability (AP) of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 5 mL・s-1 to 6 mL・s-1 (5.6 mL・s-1 page 4 last paragraph), a WVTR of the second triboelectric layer ranges from 18.5 kg・m-2・d-1 to 19.5 kg・m-2・d-1 (18.9 kg・m-2・d-1, page 4 last paragraph), and AP of the second triboelectric layer ranges from 1 mL・s-1 to 2 mL・s-1 (1.5 mL・s-1 page 4 last paragraph).
Regarding claim 8, Zhi teaches a touch device, comprising: a plurality of tactile sensors of claim 1; an amplifier; a filter; a sensor processing unit (SPU); a microcontroller unit (MCU); a wireless transmitter; and a plurality of flexible wires connecting the tactile sensors, the amplifier, the filter, the SPU, the MCU, and the wireless transmitter (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, Zhi teaches the touch device of claim 8, wherein shapes of the first and second triboelectric layers of every tactile sensor are squares with the same dimension, and each side of every square ranges from 1 cm to 2 cm (1.5 cm), and a 1 cm gap is formed between every two tactile sensors (page 8 paragraph 3).
Regarding claim 10, Zhi teaches a manufacturing method of a tactile sensor, comprising: preparing a first triboelectric layer made of a first mixture (section 2.3); preparing a second triboelectric layer (section 2.4); disposing the first triboelectric layer on a first flexible electrode (section 2.5); disposing the second triboelectric layer on a second flexible electrode (section 2.5); and covering the first flexible electrode with the second flexible electrode (section 2.5), wherein the first and second triboelectric layers cover a same area (Fig. 5), and the first and second triboelectric layers are located between the first and second flexible electrodes (section 2.5), and the second triboelectric layer keeps a distance from the first triboelectric layer when no external force is applied (via spacers, section 2.5), wherein the first mixture comprises MXene and PVDF (section 2.3), and the first triboelectric layer and the second triboelectric layer have different triboelectric properties (tribonegative and tribopositive, respectively) and form a triboelectric nanogenerator (last paragraph section 1).
Regarding claim 11, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein the step of preparing the first triboelectric layer comprises: adding MXene powder and PVDF particles into a first solvent and form the first mixture (section 2.3); forming a first membrane with the first mixture through electrospinning; and exsiccating the first membrane and form the first triboelectric layer (section 2.3).
Regarding claim 12, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein the step of preparing the second triboelectric layer comprises: adding nylon 6,6 particles into formic acid (FA) and form a second mixture (section 2.4); adding AgNO3 into the second mixture and wrap the second mixture with an opaque layer (section 2.4); vigorously stirring the second mixture (section 2.4); forming a second membrane with the second mixture through electrospinning (section 2.4); and exsiccating the second membrane and form the second triboelectric layer (section 2.4).
Regarding claim 13, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein the second triboelectric layer comprises Ag nanoparticles (section 2.4).
Regarding claim 14, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein a concentration of MXene in the first triboelectric layer ranges from 0.55 weight percent to 0.65 weight percent (0.6 wt%, section 2.3).
Regarding claim 15, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 14, wherein a β-phase content of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 74% to 76% (75.4% page 4 paragraph 1), and a breaking strength of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 13.5 MPa to 14.5 MPa (14.1 MPa page 4 paragraph 1), and the β-phase content is calculated with a formula:
Abrβ / ((kβ / kα) Abrα + Abrβ), where Abrα is an absorption intensity at wavenumber 762 cm-1, Abrβ is an absorption intensity at wavenumber 840 cm-1, kα is an absorption factor at the corresponding wavenumber 762 cm-1, and kα = 6.1 x 104 cm2・mol-1, kβ is an absorption factor at the corresponding wavenumber 840 cm-1, and kβ = 7.7 x 104 cm2・mol-1 (page 3, last paragraph)
Regarding claim 16, Zhi teaches the manufacturing method of claim 14, wherein, at 25 degree Celsius and 50% relative humidity, a water vapor transfer rate (WVTR) of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 19 kg・m-2・d-1 to 20 kg・m-2・d-1 (19.7 kg・m-2・d-1, page 4 last paragraph), and an air permeability (AP) of the first triboelectric layer ranges from 5 mL・s-1 to 6 mL・s-1 (5.6 mL・s-1 page 4 last paragraph), a WVTR of the second triboelectric layer ranges from 18.5 kg・m-2・d-1 to 19.5 kg・m-2・d-1 (18.9 kg・m-2・d-1, page 4 last paragraph), and AP of the second triboelectric layer ranges from 1 mL・s-1 to 2 mL・s-1 (1.5 mL・s-1 page 4 last paragraph).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Park et al. (KR 20220097770) teaches an MXene composite based nanofiber, flexible sensors and fabrication method thereof (abstract).
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/A.V.D/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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