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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on May 15, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 5 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on May 15, 2026.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Felix et al (PGPub 2011/0217621).
Regarding Claim 1, Felix teaches a fuel cell manufacturing device (Abstract) comprising:
a conveying unit that conveys a stacked body in which constituent elements of a fuel cell are stacked via an adhesive layer containing a thermoplastic resin material [0035];
a heating unit that heats the stacked body when the stacked body conveyed by the conveying unit is positioned in a predetermined heating zone ([0011]- heating zone);
a cooling unit that cools the stacked body when the stacked body conveyed by the conveying unit is positioned in a predetermined cooling zone after passing through the heating zone ([0011]- cooling zone); and
a pressurizing unit that keeps pressurizing the stacked body since the stacked body is heated in the heating zone until the stacked body is cooled in the cooling zone ([0011]- discussing applied pressure in the heating and cooling zones).
Regarding Claim 2, Felix further teaches the manufacturing device includes a double belt press device ([0035]; [0037]; Fig. 2); and the double belt press device includes a pair of upper and lower belts that constitutes the conveying unit ([0035]; [0037]; Fig. 2),
a heating press portion that constitutes the heating unit and a part of the pressurizing unit ([0011]- heating zone; discussing applied pressure in the heating zone), and
a cooling press portion that constitutes the cooling unit and another part of the pressurizing unit ([0011]- cooling zone; discussing applied pressure in the cooling zone).
Regarding Claim 3, Felix further teaches the manufacturing device includes a continuous roller press device ([0035]; [0037]; Fig. 2); the continuous roller press device includes a pair of upper and lower roller conveyors that constitutes the conveying unit ([0035]; [0037]; Fig. 2); and
the upper and lower roller conveyors include a heating press portion that constitutes the heating unit and a part of the pressurizing unit ([0011]- heating zone; discussing applied pressure in the heating zone), and
a cooling press portion that constitutes the cooling unit and another part of the pressurizing unit ([0011]- cooling zone; discussing applied pressure in the cooling zone).
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuhara (JP2020047511 cited in IDS with references to the machine English translation provided herewith).
Regarding Claim 1, Kuhara teaches a fuel cell manufacturing device [0001] comprising:
a conveying unit that conveys a stacked body in which constituent elements of a fuel cell are stacked via an adhesive layer containing a thermoplastic resin material ([0019] and Figs.- transport units 30);
a heating unit that heats the stacked body when the stacked body conveyed by the conveying unit is positioned in a predetermined heating zone ([0031]- heat sealing section; Fig. 3- heat sealing section 40);
a cooling unit that cools the stacked body when the stacked body conveyed by the conveying unit is positioned in a predetermined cooling zone after passing through the heating zone ([0033]- the laminate necessarily cools after being heat pressed); and
a pressurizing unit that keeps pressurizing the stacked body since the stacked body is heated in the heating zone until the stacked body is cooled in the cooling zone ([0019]-[0020]- clamps 33).
Regarding Claim 4, Kuhara further teaches the pressurizing unit includes a jig capable of pressurizing the adhesive layer while sandwiching the stacked body in a stacking direction of the stacked body ([0019]-[0020]- discussing clamps 33); and
the jig includes a pair of plates that sandwiches the stacked body (See Figs.- clamps 33), and
a positioning member that suppresses positional deviation of the plates in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the stacked body (See Figs.- clamps 33 suppressing positional deviation).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Adrianna Konves whose telephone number is (571)272-3958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00 MST (Arizona).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abbas Rashid can be reached at (571) 270-7457. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1748 7/27/26
/JACOB T MINSKEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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