CTNF 18/447,775 CTNF 101774 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. 07-30-03-h AIA Claim Interpretation Regarding claim 1, the examiner has chosen to interpret the height direction to be the same as the laminating direction of claim 2. Regarding claim 5, the examiner has chosen to interpret the laminating direction of claim 5 as being the same as the laminating direction of claim 2. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US-20240222809-A1, Honda . Regarding claim 1, Honda teaches an electrode (110) for a battery, comprising: a laminate (110) including an active material layer (112) and a current collector (111); and a sealing portion (1021) covering an end portion surface (End face of laminate viewed down x-axis, see Fig. 5) of the laminate, wherein the laminate includes two principal faces (surface of 111 and 112 facing each other) that face each other, and an end face (End face of laminate viewed down x-axis, see Fig. 5) that is a surface that is different from the two principal faces (See Fig. 21), the end portion surface includes the end face, and an adjacent face that is a portion adjacent to the end face on each of the two principal faces (portions of principal faces which extend from the end face to where the sealing portion in the asperities ends, Paragraph 282). the adjacent face includes one or more asperities (Paragraph 282), the sealing portion includes a first sealing portion (1021 covering 11a and 11b that are visible in Fig. 21) covering the end face, and a second sealing portion covering at least part of the adjacent face (Portion of 21 which is present in the asperities, see Paragraph 282), and the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are connected (Paragraph 131-137, the sealing portion is described as being in one piece and there is nothing to suggest that the embodiment in Fig. 21 is any different). Honda further teaches the second sealing portion is present in one or more recessed portions of the one or more asperities of the adjacent face (Paragraph 282). Honda does not teach the second sealing portion does not include a portion higher than a height position of the one or more asperities, the height position being highest in the one or more asperities. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the instant invention would have found it obvious while implementing the embodiment in Fig. 21 to form the electrode insulating layer 21 to not cover a part of the solid electrolyte layer 130 as described in Paragraph 134. It would have been obvious to do so because doing so would amount to no more than combining elements from different embodiments of the same invention to achieve predictable results. Regarding claim 2, Honda teaches the two principal faces are perpendicular to a laminating direction (z-axis, see Figs. 1A-C or Fig. 21) of the laminate; and the end face is parallel to the laminating direction of the laminate (See Figs. 1A-C). Regarding claim 3, Honda teaches a battery (1) comprising the electrode. Regarding claim 4, Honda teaches the battery is an all-solid-state battery (Paragraph 5). The teachings of Honda are taught above in the rejections of claims 1-4. Honda also teaches, A manufacturing method of the electrode (Fig. 22), the manufacturing method comprising: a first step (S10) of preparing the laminate including the active material layer and the current collector; a second step (S30) of coating a liquid containing a material of the sealing portion on the end portion surface of the laminate; and a third step (S20) of shaping the second sealing portion by pressing the laminate in a laminating direction (Paragraph 297). See Paragraphs 284 through 296 for detailed descriptions of the process of Fig. 22. Honda does not teach that the material of the sealing portion is pressed into the one or more recessed portions of the adjacent face during S20, nor that these steps are performed in the order of the instant. However, one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the instant invention would have found it obvious that switching S20 and S30 would produce a predictable and similar result to the final product of Honda. During this switch, the material of the sealing portion would predictably be pressed into the recessed portions of the adjacent face. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the instant would have found the above modification to the process of manufacture to be obvious, as it would amount to no more than changing the order of S20 and S30 in the procedure which would predictably produce the same final product as the original order. Selection of any order of mixing ingredients is prima facie obvious. See In re Gibson, 39 F.2d 975, 5 USPQ 230 (CCPA 1930) (see MPEP § 2144.04, IV, C) Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUISE JAMES IANNUCCI whose telephone number is (571)272-6917. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.. 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, Allison Bourke can be reached at (303) 297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /LOUISE JAMES IANNUCCI/ Examiner, Art Unit 1721 /ALLISON BOURKE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721 Application/Control Number: 18/447,775 Page 2 Art Unit: 1721 Application/Control Number: 18/447,775 Page 3 Art Unit: 1721 Application/Control Number: 18/447,775 Page 4 Art Unit: 1721 Application/Control Number: 18/447,775 Page 5 Art Unit: 1721 Application/Control Number: 18/447,775 Page 6 Art Unit: 1721