Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/446,451

ELECTRODE PLATE EXTENSION DEVICE AND ELECTRODE PLATE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §102§103§112
Filed
Aug 08, 2023
Priority
Jun 15, 2022 — CN 202210675902.X +1 more
Examiner
SLIFKA, SARAH A
Art Unit
1759
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
75%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2m
Est. Remaining
87%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 75% — above average
75%
Career Allowance Rate
527 granted / 700 resolved
+10.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +11% lift
Without
With
+11.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
13 currently pending
Career history
712
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
89.8%
+49.8% vs TC avg
§102
5.1%
-34.9% vs TC avg
§112
2.6%
-37.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 700 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103 §112
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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 6 recites the limitation "the grooves" in line 5 and “the protrusions” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This should be amended to read “the plurality of grooves” and “the plurality of protrusions.” CN216262704 herein referred to as ‘704 CN212400425 herein referred to as ‘425 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, 2, 5, and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN216262704 herein referred to as ‘704. Regarding claim 1, ‘704 teaches a rolling device, comprising a first roller 2 and a second roller 3, wherein the first roller 2 and the second roller 3 are arranged on two sides of an electrode plate 1 in the thickness direction of the electrode plate. Depressions 21 are arranged on the first roller 2 at intervals in an axial direction, and comprise a plurality of first depressions 211 and a plurality of second depressions 212. The second depressions 212 extend in the circumferential direction of the first roller 2. A plurality of second protrusions 31 are arranged on the second roller 3 at intervals in the axial direction and extend in the extend in the circumferential direction of the second roller and can at least partially extend into the second depressions 212. A height by which the second protrusions 31 protrude from a surface of the second roller 3 is between 30 micrometers and 80 micrometers. The second protrusions 31 are used for coming in contact with the tabs 12, such that the tabs 12 protrude in the thickness direction of the electrode plate 1. Each edge of the depressions 21 is provided with a first chamfer 22 and each edge of the second protrusions 31 is provided with a second chamfer 32 (paragraphs 58-80 and figures 1-4). Regarding claim 2, figure 3 shoes the protrusion having a complementary shape to the groove. Regarding claim 5, the second protrusions 31 protrude from a surface of the second roller 3 is between 30 micrometers and 80 micrometers (paragraphs 58-80 and figures 1-4). Regarding claim 6, ‘704 teaches depressions 21 are arranged on the first roller 2 at intervals in an axial direction, and comprise a plurality of first depressions 211 and a plurality of second depressions 212. The second depressions 212 extend in the circumferential direction of the first roller 2. A plurality of second protrusions 31 are arranged on the second roller 3 at intervals in the axial direction and extend in the extend in the circumferential direction of the second roller and can at least partially extend into the second depressions 212. 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. Claim(s) 7-11 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN216262704 herein referred to as ‘704 in view of CN212400425 herein referred to as ‘425. Regarding claim 7, ‘704 teaches the electrode plate device as discussed above. ‘704 does not explicitly teach the heating portion, as claimed. ‘425 teaches a cold pressing and spreading mechanism 100 comprising traction assemblies 110 and a pressing roller assembly 120, which are arranged along a conveying path. The traction assemblies 110 pull tab regions 102 of an electrode plate 101, and the pressing roller assembly 120 rolls a coating region 103 of the electrode plate 101. The traction assemblies 110 each comprise first driven rollers 111 and a first driving roller 113, which are arranged in pairs. The first driven rollers 111 are controlled by means of an electronic device, and the distances between the first driven rollers 111 and the first driving roller 113 are correspondingly adjusted according to thickness data of a film material tested by the electronic device, such that acting forces applied by the traction assemblies 110 to a first part of the film material are kept consistent. In figure 1, a heating device 130 is arranged between each traction assembly 110 and the pressing roller assembly 120, and a heating area of the heating device 130 is a film material tab region 102. The heating device 130 may perform electromagnetic induction heating and infrared heating (paragraphs 33-52 and figures 1-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to utilize the heating device of ‘425 with the electrode plate device of ‘704 in order to heat the tab region (interpreted as the uncoated region) as taught in ‘425. Regarding claim 8, ‘704 and ‘425 discuss the electrode plate device as discussed above. Neither explicitly teach the heating portion being arranged inside of the first body and/or the second body. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to place the heating device of ‘425 anywhere within the structure dependent upon the desired configuration, and an ordinarily skilled artisan would have found it obvious to try the heating device being arranged inside of the first and/or second body without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success. Regarding claim 9, ‘425 shows in figure 1, a heating device 130 is arranged between each traction assembly 110 and the pressing roller assembly 120, and a heating area of the heating device 130 is a film material tab region 102. Regarding claim 10, ‘425 shows in figure 1, a heating device 130 is arranged between each traction assembly 110 and the pressing roller assembly 120, and a heating area of the heating device 130 is a film material tab region 102. Regarding claim 11, ‘425 teaches the heating device 130 may perform electromagnetic induction heating and infrared heating (paragraphs 33-52 and figures 1-7). Regarding claim 13, ‘704 teaches the electrode plate device, as discussed above. ‘704 does not explicitly teach a driver roller and a driven roller. ‘425 teaches the traction assemblies 110 each comprise first driven rollers 111 and a first driving roller 113, which are arranged in pairs. The first driven rollers 111 are controlled by means of an electronic device, and the distances between the first driven rollers 111 and the first driving roller 113 are correspondingly adjusted according to thickness data of a film material tested by the electronic device, such that acting forces applied by the traction assemblies 110 to a first part of the film material are kept consistent (paragraphs 33-52 and figures 1-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the driver/driven roll pairs of ‘425 with the invention of ‘704 in order to maintain a consistent thickness and also utilizing roller pairs as described is well known and the art and would have been considered obvious to try without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success. Regarding claim 14, ‘425 teaches the traction assemblies 110 each comprise first driven rollers 111 and a first driving roller 113, which are arranged in pairs. The first driven rollers 111 are controlled by means of an electronic device, and the distances between the first driven rollers 111 and the first driving roller 113 are correspondingly adjusted according to thickness data of a film material tested by the electronic device, such that acting forces applied by the traction assemblies 110 to a first part of the film material are kept consistent (paragraphs 33-52 and figures 1-7). Regarding claim 15, ‘704 teaches the electrode plate device, as discussed above. ‘704 does not explicitly teach the cold-pressing device, as claimed. ‘425 teaches a cold pressing and spreading mechanism 100 comprising traction assemblies 110 and a pressing roller assembly 120, which are arranged along a conveying path (paragraphs 33-52 and figures 1-7), as discussed above. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to utilize the cold-pressing device of ‘425 with the device of ‘704 as it is a known means of pressing and would have been well within the purview of an ordinarily skilled artisan without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success. Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN216262704 herein referred to as ‘704. Regarding claim 12, ‘704 teaches the electrode plate device, as discussed above. ‘704 does not explicitly teach a third roller, as claimed. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to utilize multiple rollers, as such would be considered a known configuration to provide support or redundancy as desired. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3 and 4, are 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 closest prior art is considered to be ‘704 and ‘425, as discussed above. Neither anticipates nor renders obvious the inventions as claimed in instant claims 3 and 4. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH A SLIFKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5838. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Curtis Mayes can be reached at 571-272-1234. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SARAH A. SLIFKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759 March 23, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 08, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 27, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
75%
Grant Probability
87%
With Interview (+11.3%)
3y 0m (~2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 700 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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