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 .
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 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.
Email Communication
Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate with applicant via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502.03, 502.05.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 & 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakada et al. (US 6,563,693) in view of Na et al. (US 2011/0141658) and Kirita et al. (US 2012/0087062).
In regards to claim 1,
Nakada ‘693 discloses a solid electrolytic capacitor comprising:
a sheet multilayer body having a plurality of flat film- shaped capacitor elements (11 – fig. 1; C4:L37-53) and a plurality of flat film-shaped cathode-electrode electrode foils (19 – fig. 1; C4:L37-53) alternately stacked with each other, each of the plurality of flat film-shaped capacitor elements comprising a flat film-shaped anode-electrode electrode foil (12 – fig. 1-2; C4:L64 to C5:L9) having a porous portion in a predetermined depth from the surface, a dielectric layer (13 – fig. 1-2; C5:L10-21) on the porous portion, and a solid electrolyte layer (14 – fig. 1-2; C5:L22-31) on the dielectric layer;
a first metal portion (20 – fig. 1; C5:L36-50) at an end portion of the anode-electrode electrode foil; and
an insulating resin (16 – fig. 1; C5:L51-55) sealing the sheet multilayer body. Nakada ‘693 fails to discloses wherein a first pore diameter of the first metal portion is larger than a second pore diameter of the porous portion of the anode-electrode electrode foil.
Na ‘658 discloses a first metal portion (120a/120b – fig. 2; [0023]) at an end portion of the electrode foil, wherein a first pore diameter of the first metal portion is 2-5 µm ([0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the metal portion of Nakada ‘693 to have a pore size as taught by Na ‘658 to prevent the permeation of plating solution and moisture into the capacitor while allowing for gas and binder components to be effectively released.
Kurita ‘062 discloses a second pore diameter of the porous portion of the anode-electrode electrode foil is 0.01-0.3 µm ([0029-0030]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the anode-electrode electrode foil of Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 to have a pore size as taught by Kurita ‘062 thus obtaining a first pore diameter of the first metal portion is larger than a second pore diameter of the porous portion of the anode-electrode electrode foil (0.01-0.3 µm is less than 2-5 µm) to ensure a large surface area which allows for an increased capacitance.
In regards to claim 2,
Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 and Kurita ‘062 further discloses further comprising a second metal portion (17 – fig. 1; C5:L56-64 of Nakada ‘693) covering a part of the first metal portion.
In regards to claim 3,
Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 and Kurita ‘062 further discloses wherein the first metal portion has a portion thereof not covered by the second metal portion (fig. 1 of Nakada ‘693).
In regards to claim 10,
Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 and Kurita ‘062 further discloses further comprising a second metal portion (20 – fig. 1; C5:L36-50) at an end portion of the cathode-electrode electrode foil.
In regards to claim 11,
Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 and Kurita ‘062 further discloses further comprising a third metal portion (17 – fig. 1; C5:L56-64 of Nakada ‘693) covering a part of the first metal portion and a fourth metal portion (18 – fig. 1; C5:L56-64 of Nakada ‘693) covering a part of the second metal portion.
In regards to claim 12,
Nakada ‘693 as modified by Na ‘658 and Kurita ‘062 further discloses wherein the first metal portion has a portion thereof not covered by the third metal portion, and the second metal portion has a portion thereof not covered by the fourth metal portion (fig. 1 of Nakada ‘693).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 4-9 & 13-18 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or suggest (in combination with the other claim limitations) wherein the first metal portion and the second metal portion are bonded to each other with a conductive resin (claims 4-6), further comprising a non-conductive resin in partial contact with the first metal portion and the second metal portion (claims 7-9), further comprising a conductive resin bonding the first metal portion and the third metal portion to each other, and bonding the second metal portion and the fourth metal portion to each other (claims 13-15), & further comprising a non-conductive resin in partial contact with the first metal portion and the third metal portion and in partial contact with the second metal portion and the fourth metal portion (claims 16-18).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2021/0074485 – fig. 2 US 6,243,256 – C4:L64 to C5:L10
US 2019/0244765 – fig. 2
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M SINCLAIR whose telephone number is (571)270-5068. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIMOTHY J DOLE can be reached at (571)272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David M Sinclair/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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