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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by D1 (Jeanne et al., US Pub. 2013-0049307).
For Claim 1, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-14, a gasket capable of sealing a loop-shaped target sealed region between a pair of members (battery case and cover, para. [0003]) combined with each other, the gasket comprising:
a base (22, 22, Figure 2) having a shape along a circumferential direction of the target sealed region (Figure 1);
a joint (14, 54) connected to the base, a bending rigidity of the joint in a width direction being lower than that of the base (joint bends more than the base 22. Figures 1 and 5); and
a guide (area surrounding 20) for positioning of the gasket in the target sealed region,
wherein the guide includes a hole (20) along a joining direction of the pair of members, and
wherein a positioning pin (24) fixed to the pair of members is inserted in the hole (Para. [0033].)
For Claim 2, D1 discloses the gasket according to Claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the joint (14) is a shape in which a section protruding toward an inside of the target sealed region and a section protruding (protrusion on either side of 22) toward an outside of the target sealed region are alternately repeated (Figure 10.)
For Claim 3, D1 discloses the gasket according to Claim 1, wherein the guide includes a protrusion protruding from an inner peripheral surface of the hole and being capable of contacting the positioning pin (24, Figure 12.)
For Claim 4, D1 discloses the gasket according to Claim 3, further comprising: a plurality of guides (24) including the guide (Para. [0033].)
Claim 5. (Currently Amended) The gasket according to Claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the hole corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the positioning pin (Figures 2 and 12.)
For Claim 6, D1 discloses the gasket according to Claim 1, wherein each of the pair of members includes no mounting groove for mounting the gasket (battery case and covers, para. [0003].)
For Claim 7, D1 discloses the gasket according to claim 1, wherein the base (22) includes: a seal in contact with each of the pair of members (the gasket is used between battery case and cover, para. [0033]); and a first protrusion (protrusion on left side) protruding from an outer wall surface of the seal along the seal Figure 10.)
For Claim 8, D1 discloses the gasket according to claim 7, wherein the base (22) further includes: a second protrusion (protrusion on right side) protruding from an inner wall surface of the seal along the seal (Figure 10.).
For Claim 9, D1 discloses the gasket according to Claim 8, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are disposed at a center of the seal in a height direction (Figure 10.)
For Claim 10, D1 discloses the gasket according to claim 1, wherein the base (22) includes: a seal in contact with each of the pair of members (when assembled, the seal contacts the battery case and cover to for effective sealing. Para. [0003].); and a second protrusion protruding from an inner wall surface of the seal along the seal (Figures 10, and 13-14.)
For Claim 11, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-14, a sealing structure (Figures 1 and 5) comprising:
a pair of members combined with each other (batter case and cover, para. [0003]); and
a gasket sealing a loop-shaped target sealed region between the pair of members (Figures 1 and 5), wherein the gasket includes:
a base (22, 22) having a shape along a circumferential direction of the target sealed region (Figure 1);
a joint (14, 54) connected to the base, a bending rigidity of the joint in an in-plane direction of the target sealed region being lower than that of the base (joint bends more than the base 22. Figures 1 and 5); and
a guide (area surrounding 20) for positioning of the gasket in the target sealed region,
wherein the guide includes a hole (20) along a joining direction of the pair of members, and
wherein a positioning pin (24) fixed to the pair of members is inserted in the hole (Para. [0033].)
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provides example of invention. A few of the prior art cited but not applied includes Yamamoto (US 9,269,933); Sasaki (US 8,833,772); and Seki (US 7,959,161).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN CUMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-3112. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KRISTINA FULTON can be reached at 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN CUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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