DETAILED ACTION
The Applicant’s amendment filed on July 15, 2026 was received. Claims 9, 11-13, 15-20 were amended. Claim 27 was added.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action issued May 5, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 8-12, 19-20 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toshikazu (JP 2007125503, provided in parent application, translation cited below).
In regards to claims 8 and 19, Toshikazu teaches a die coating apparatus for dispensing a coating liquid (material) comprising:
a nozzle including a holding portion-21 (nozzle head), the nozzle is provided as an upper division-5 and lower division-7, where the lower division has a body that includes a side surface and an insertion recess-21b (nozzle recess) extending into the body of lower division from the side surface (fig. 5-6; abstract, para. 21-23);
a baffle plate provided as an adjusting plate-23, an intermediate plate-22 and an embedding plate-24 that includes a recess part-10a (cutout) that extends through the intermediate plate-22, wherein the adjusting plate-23, the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24 are received in the insertion recess-21b, such that at least the recess part-10a defines a cavity (fig. 5-7; para. 22-25), where the recess part-10a provides a pair of vertical surfaces and a horizontal surface (first to third cutout surfaces) (fig. 6-7);
an upper division-5 (cover plate) attached to the lower division-7, such that the upper division-5 secures the adjusting plate-23, the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24 within the insertion recess-21b,
wherein a discharge port (12, outlet passage) is defined between the intermediate plate-22, the embedding plate-24 and the upper division-5, the discharge port (outlet passage) being fluidly connected to the cavity through the cutout of intermediate plate-22 and embedding plate-24 (fig. 5-7; para. 20, 27).
Toshikazu teaches the adjusting plate-23, the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24 provide an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface along a vertical direction, a front surface, and a rear surface opposite the front surface along a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction, wherein the recess part-10a extends 1) into the intermediate plate-2 and embedding plate-24 from the upper surface and 2) from the front surface to the rear surface (fig. 6-7).
Toshikazu does not explicitly teach the baffle plate as a single piece element.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have made the plurality of plates as discussed into a single plate, because it has been held that the use of a one piece construction instead of the structure disclosed in the prior art would be merely a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP2144.04-V-B). When using a known coating condition, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate having a manifold with single construction will provide easier assembly of the components of the die coater.
In regards to claim 9, Toshikazu teaches the insertion recess-21b comprises a first height measured along a vertical direction and recess part-10a (cavity) has a second height along the vertical direction, where the first height is greater than the second height and the upper division-5 comprises a main body portion-6 which has a mating surface-6a which provides an upper surface for the cavity and nozzle recess (fig. 5-6).
In regards to claim 10, Toshikazu teaches the baffle plate provided as the adjusting plate-23, the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24 has the front surface that is coplanar with a side surface of the insertion recess-21b of the holding portion-2 (fig. 5-6).
In regards to claims 11-12, Toshikazu teaches the baffle plate provided as the adjusting plate-23, the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24, where the intermediate plate-22 and the embedding plate-24 will define the recess-10b that provides first and second cutout surfaces that extend from the upper surface along the vertical direction, and a third cutout surface that extends from the first cutout surface to the second cutout surface, such that the first, second, and third cutout surfaces define the cutout and the cutout extends from the front surface to the rear surface (fig. 6-7).
In regards to claim 20, Toshikazu teaches the nozzle comprises the coating liquid supply passage (26) which has parts (26a, 26b) which will a flow passage in an upwardly direction, through the recess part-10 to an outlet provide at lip parts-14/15 (fig. 5-6; para. 20-21).
In regards to claim 27, Toshikazu teaches the upper division-5 comprises a main body portion-6 which has a mating surface-6a which provides a coplanar upper surface for the cavity and nozzle recess (fig. 5-6).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toshikazu as applied to claims 8-12, 19-20 and 27 above, and further in view of Farber (US 5,266,019).
In regards to claim 18, Toshikazu as discussed above, but does not explicitly teach. the nozzle head comprises a plurality of laterally aligned channels that extend from a transfer passage defined by the nozzle head to the cavity.
However, Farber teaches nozzle (H) comprising a nozzle head (6) with a nozzle recess (30). Farer teaches the nozzle head comprises a plurality of laterally aligned channels (16, 18, 20) that extends a transfer passage defined by the nozzle to a cavity (24/28) (fig. 3, 8; col. 3, lines 45-55, col. 4, lines 1-20).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the plurality of laterally aligned channels of Farber onto the nozzle of Toshikazu because it will provide flow distribution to the cavity.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 is 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
Claims 13-14, 15, 17 allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 15, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s principal arguments are:
TOSHIKAZU therefore treats the holding portion, intermediate portion, adjustment plate, and embedded plate as distinct components serving distinct purposes, not as a single baffle plate comprising a cutout as required by claim 8.
The Examiner attempts to modify the cited reference and/or knowledge available to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to arrive at the various features recited in claim 8 with the use of impermissible hindsight, using knowledge directly gleaned from the Applicant's disclosure. Moreover, the cited prior art completely lacks any disclosure of the desirability of the combination recited in claim 8
In response to Applicant’s arguments, please consider the following comments:
It is noted the claim does not recite a single baffle plate. The transitional term "comprising", which is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized by," is inclusive or open-ended, which allows for additional elements or interpretations (MPEP211.03). As discussed above, the combination of several elements into a single piece construction does not represent a patentable advance, as it is merely a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP2144.04-V-B). One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate when using a known coating conditions, having a manifold with simpler construction will provide easier assembly of the components of the die coater. The function of providing a smooth flow with a defined thickness would be maintained and there is no discussion within Toshikazu to influence one of ordinary skill in the art otherwise.
In response to applicant's argument that the examiner's conclusion of obviousness is based upon improper hindsight reasoning, it must be recognized that any judgment on obviousness is in a sense necessarily a reconstruction based upon hindsight reasoning. But so long as it takes into account only knowledge which was within the level of ordinary skill at the time the claimed invention was made, and does not include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure, such a reconstruction is proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Binu Thomas whose telephone number is (571)270-7684. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 8:00AM-5:00PM PT.
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/Binu Thomas/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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