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 Amendment
The amendment filed August 31st, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-2 have been amended. Claims 1-7 remain pending. Applicant’s amendments to the claims overcome the 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed June 4th, 2026.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai et al. (CN 111790738) in view of Ma et al. (CN 111957723). English translations of Ma et al. (CN 111957723) have been provided herein.
Regarding claim 1, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches a method for processing a solar cell module (Paragraph 0002 lines 1-2), including:
removing a frame member from a solar cell module to obtain a frame-removed material (Paragraph 0053 lines 1-5, Paragraph 0060 lines 1-3) that contains semiconductor material, resin, and metal (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-6);
crushing the frame-removed material to obtain a crushed material (Paragraph 0053 lines 5-8, Paragraph 0061 lines 1-5) that includes cell powder resulting from the crushed semiconductor material, resin powder resulting from the crushed resin, and metal powder resulting from the crushed metal (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-6);
electrostatically separating the crushed material (Paragraph 0056 lines 1-13),
wherein in the electrostatic separation, the crushed material is charged and separated in accordance with density and conductivity (Paragraph 0056 lines 1-13, Paragraph 0064 lines 1-14).
Lai et al. (CN 111790738) lacks teaching removing a frame member from a solar cell module to obtain a frame-removed material that contains semiconductor material, glass, resin, and metal; crushing the frame-removed material to obtain a crushed material that includes glass powder resulting from the crushed glass; wherein in the electrostatic separation, the crushed material is charged and separated in accordance with density and conductivity and wherein the glass powder is separated from the crushed material.
Ma et al. (CN 111957723) teaches a method for processing a solar cell module (Paragraph 0002 lines 1-2), including: removing a frame member from a solar cell module to obtain a frame-removed material (Paragraph 0051 line 1) that contains semiconductor material, glass, resin, and metal (Paragraph 0034 lines 1-5); crushing the frame-removed material (Paragraph 0052 lines 1-2) to obtain a crushed material that includes glass powder resulting from the crushed glass (Paragraph 0056 lines 1-5); wherein in the electrostatic separation (Fig. 4 ‘S052’), the crushed material is charged and separated in accordance with density and conductivity (Paragraph 0096 lines 7-13) and wherein the glass powder is separated from the crushed material (Paragraph 0096 lines 10-13).
Ma et al. (CN 111957723) explains that this method can be used to recycle solar cell modules with incomplete surface glass which may be broken or shattered over a large area, making it difficult to separate the glass from the solar cell module as a whole, and therefore can overcome the impact of glass breakage on recycling difficulty and recycling rate (Paragraph 0050 lines 1-5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include removing a frame member from a solar cell module to obtain a frame-removed material that contains semiconductor material, glass, resin, and metal; crushing the frame-removed material to obtain a crushed material that includes glass powder resulting from the crushed glass; wherein in the electrostatic separation, the crushed material is charged and separated in accordance with density and conductivity and wherein the glass powder is separated from the crushed material as taught by Ma et al. (CN 111957723) in order to recycle solar cell modules which may be broken or shattered.
Regarding claim 2, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 1,
wherein the solar cell module includes: a solar cell, which comprises the semiconductor material and the metal of the frame-removed material (Paragraph 0004 lines 1-3, “silicon”, “silver”); metal wiring, which comprises the metal of the frame-removed material, extending from the solar cell (Paragraph 0017 lines 1-3); a sealing member made of resin for sealing the solar cell and the metal wiring (Paragraph 0004 lines 1-3 “plastic”, Paragraph 0006 lines 3-4 “EVA”), wherein the resin comprises the resin of the frame-removed material (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-6); a resin protective member, which comprises the resin of the frame-removed material (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-6), provided on one surface of the sealing member (Paragraph 0004 lines 1-3 “plastic”, Paragraph 0007 lines 9-10 “backplane”); a glass substrate, provided on another surface of the sealing member that is opposite the one surface (Paragraph 0004 lines 1-3 “glass”, Paragraph 0014 lines 1-3); and a frame member surrounding these (Paragraph 0004 lines 1-3 “aluminum”, Paragraph 0014 lines 1-3).
Lai et al. (CN 111790738) lacks teaching a glass substrate, which comprises the glass of the frame-removed material, provided on another surface of the sealing member that is opposite the one surface.
Ma et al. (CN 111957723) teaches a method for processing a solar cell module (Paragraph 0002 lines 1-2), wherein the solar cell module includes: a glass substrate (Paragraph 0011 lines 1-2), which comprises the glass of the frame-removed material (Paragraph 0010 line 1-Paragraph 011 line 2), provided on another surface of the sealing member that is opposite the one surface (Paragraph 0012 lines 1-2).
As explained previously, Ma et al. (CN 111957723) explains that this method can be used to recycle solar cell modules with incomplete surface glass which may be broken or shattered over a large area, making it difficult to separate the glass from the solar cell module as a whole, and therefore can overcome the impact of glass breakage on recycling difficulty and recycling rate (Paragraph 0050 lines 1-5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include a glass substrate, which comprises the glass of the frame-removed material, provided on another surface of the sealing member that is opposite the one surface as taught by Ma et al. (CN 111957723) in order to recycle solar cell modules which may be broken or shattered.
Regarding claim 3, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein in the crushing, the crushed material is crushed to have a particle size of 5 mm or less (Paragraph 0052 lines 14-16, “5 mesh” screen).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai et al. (CN 111790738) in view of Ma et al. (CN 111957723) and further in view of legal precedent.
Regarding claim 4, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein in the electrostatic separation, an applied voltage is set (Paragraph 0056 line 15).
Lai et al. (CN 111790738) states that the voltage is adjustable from 0 to 80 kV (Paragraph 0056 line 15), but lacks explicitly teaching an applied voltage is set to 18 kV or more and less than 30kV.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include an applied voltage is set to 18 kV or more and less than 30kV in order to provide a desired voltage best suited for the electrostatic separation, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Moreover, legal precedent teaches that variations in these type of common design parameters/variables are obvious and that said parameters can be recognized as result-effective variables whose optimization would be known to one with ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.04.IV (teaching that changes in size, proportion or shape of known elements are obvious); 2144.05 I.II (ample motivation to optimize or modify result-effective variables based on “design need(s)” or “market demand”).
Regarding claim 5, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 1,
wherein in the electrostatic separation, the crushed material is supplied to an electrostatic separator equipped with a grounded metal drum electrode (Fig. 1 #35, Paragraph 0064 lines 1-11), and a rotation speed of the grounded metal drum electrode is set (Paragraph 0056 lines 15-16).
Lai et al. (CN 111790738) states that the rotational speed of the grounded metal drum electrode is adjustable from 0 to 400 revolutions per minute (Paragraph 0056 lines 15-16), but lacks explicitly teaching a rotation speed set to 20 rpm or more and 60 rpm or less.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include a rotation speed set to 20 rpm or more and 60 rpm or less in order to provide a rotation speed best suited for the electrostatic separation, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Moreover, legal precedent teaches that variations in these type of common design parameters/variables are obvious and that said parameters can be recognized as result-effective variables whose optimization would be known to one with ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.04.IV (teaching that changes in size, proportion or shape of known elements are obvious); 2144.05 I.II (ample motivation to optimize or modify result-effective variables based on “design need(s)” or “market demand”).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai et al. (CN 111790738) in view of Ma et al. (CN 111957723) and further in view of Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914). English translations of Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914) have been provided herein.
Regarding claim 6, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) teaches the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 1,
wherein in the electrostatic separation, the crushed material is supplied to an electrostatic separator equipped with a grounded metal drum electrode (Fig. 1 #35, Paragraph 0064 lines 1-11).
Lai et al. (CN 111790738) lacks teaching wherein electrostatic separation is repeated one or more times for the separated material separated at each drop position from the grounded metal drum electrode.
Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914) teaches a method for processing a solar cell module (Paragraph 0001 lines 1-6), wherein electrostatic separation is repeated one or more times for the separated material separated at each drop position from the grounded metal drum electrode (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-3).
Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914) explains that materials with low charge that do not attract to the drum electrode pass through the intermediate material guiding opening and undergo electrostatic separation again in the next electrostatic separating device, and the separation accuracy can be improved by repeating this process (Paragraph 0015 lines 16-22).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include wherein electrostatic separation is repeated one or more times for the separated material separated at each drop position from the grounded metal drum electrode as taught by Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914) in order to improve the separation accuracy.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai et al. (CN 111790738) in view of Ma et al. (CN 111957723), Anatolie et al. (JP 2001046914) and further in view of Gates (US 2005/0061713).
Regarding claim 7, Lai et al. (CN 111790738) lacks teaching the method for processing a solar cell module according to claim 6, wherein in the electrostatic separation, a rotation speed of the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in a latter stage is set to be smaller than that in the electrostatic separation performed in a former stage, and/or a voltage applied to the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in the latter stage is set to be higher than that in the electrostatic separation performed in the former stage.
Gates (US 2005/0061713) teaches a method for processing a solar cell module (Paragraph 0001 lines 1-6), wherein in the electrostatic separation (Fig. 1 #14), a rotation speed of the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in a latter stage is set to be smaller than that in the electrostatic separation performed in a former stage (Paragraph 0013 lines 1-5, Paragraph 0042 lines 1-9, Paragraph 0060 lines 1-5), and/or a voltage applied to the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in the latter stage is set to be higher than that in the electrostatic separation performed in the former stage (Paragraph 0013 lines 1-5, Paragraph 0042 lines 1-9, Paragraph 0060 lines 1-5).
Gates (US 2005/0061713) explains that the roll speed is adjusted at each electrostatic separation stage, independently of other stages (Paragraph 0013 lines 1-5). Gates (US 2005/0061713) explains that in multi-stage machines, each new stage follows the last with material cascading from one stage to the next (Paragraph 0012 lines 7-10, Paragraph 0060 lines 1-5). Gates (US 2005/0061713) explains scenarios which result in lower separation efficiency, including when some of the particles bounce upon contact with the roll if it rotates at a relatively high speed, feed streams containing particles with low conductivity which may result in incomplete discharge, feed streams with a wide particle size variation, and feed streams containing fine particles which may be incompletely separated (Paragraph 0015 lines 1-13), and explains that slower rotation speeds and higher electrical field strengths improve the separation (Paragraph 0042 lines 1-9).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai et al. (CN 111790738) to include wherein in the electrostatic separation, a rotation speed of the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in a latter stage is set to be smaller than that in the electrostatic separation performed in a former stage, and/or a voltage applied to the grounded metal drum electrode in the electrostatic separation performed in the latter stage is set to be higher than that in the electrostatic separation performed in the former stage as taught by Gates (US 2005/0061713) in order to improve the separation between materials which were incompletely separated in a previous electrostatic separation stage.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed August 31st, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of amended claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Ma et al. (CN 111957723).
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.
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/MOLLY K DEVINE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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