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. If status of the application as subject to 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 a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. Status of Claims Claims 1-11 are pending in the application and are presently examined. 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. Claims 4 - 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor(s) regard as the invention. Claim s 4-5 each state “two adjacent ones”. The pronoun “ones” should be replaced with whatever this pronoun represents . For present examination, these claim limitations are interpreted as follows: Claim 4 the second coating region is disposed between two adjacent ones of the at least two first coating regions Claim 5 a second gap is disposed between two adjacent ones of the at least two second current collectors Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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. (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The claims are in bold font , the prior art is in parentheses. Claims 1-4 & 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2018148230A (Koji). With regard to claims 1 & 9-10 , Koji teaches the following limitations: Claim 1 An electrode assembly (paragraphs 71-72; figures 1-2: cylindrical wound electrode unit 10) , comprising … Claim 9 A battery cell (title & abstract: electrochemical device ) , comprising: an electrode assembly (paragraphs 71-72; figures 1-2: cylindrical wound electrode unit 10) comprising … Claim 10 A battery, comprising: a battery cell (title & abstract: electrochemical device ) comprising an electrode assembly (paragraphs 71-72; figures 1-2: cylindrical wound electrode unit 10) that comprises … Claim s 1 & 9-10 a current collector (paragraph 34; figure 4(a): negative electrode current collector 132) , wherein the current collector (132) comprises a first coating region (Figure A below) and a second coating region (paragraph 35; Figure A below: uncoated region 130a) , the first coating region is coated with an active substance material (paragraph 34; Figure B below: negative electrode active material layer 133) and the second coating region is coated with a lithiation material (paragraph 36; Figure B below: metallic lithium M) , and in an extension direction of the current collector, a gap (Figure A below) is disposed between the first coating region and the second coating region Figure A: Annotated Koji Figure 4(a) Figure B: Annotated Koji Figure 4(b) With regard to claims 2-3 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Koji also teaches the following limitations of claims 2-3: Claim 2 wherein the current collector (132) is a first current collector; the electrode assembly further comprising: a second current collector (paragraph 43; Figure C below: positive electrode current collector 142) ; wherein the first current collector (132) and the second current collector (142) are wound with each other (Figure C below) , and in a winding direction of the electrode assembly, the first current collector (132) comprises an extension portion (Figure C below) that extends beyond the second current collector (142) , and the second coating region (Figure C below) is located in the extension portion (Figure C below) Claim 3 at least part of the gap is located in the extension portion (Figure C below) Figure C: Annotated Koji Figure 6 With regard to claim 4 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Koji also teaches the following limitation of claim 4 ( Figure D below ) : the first coating region is at least two first coating regions of the current collector ( 132 ) , and the second coating region is disposed between two adjacent ones of the at least two first coating regions Figure D : Annotated Koji Figure 4(a) With regard to claim 8 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Koji also teaches the following limitation of claim 8 ( Figure D below ) : the current collector comprises a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other in a thickness direction of the current collector, and the second coating region is located in at least one of the first surface or the second surface Figure E : Annotated Koji Figure 4(a) With regard to claim 11 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim 1 0 as discussed above. Koji also teaches the following limitation of claim 11 : An electric apparatus, comprising the battery according to claim 10, wherein the battery is configured to supply electric energy. (paragraph 2) 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: Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness . This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. The claims are in bold font , the prior art is in parentheses. Claims 5 - 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2018148230A (Koji) in view of US20110256438A1 ( Taguchi ) , together “modified Koji”. With regard to claim s 5-6 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim s 1 & 4 as described above. Koji, however, fails to teach the following limitation s of claim s 5-6 , which are taught by Taguchi : Claim 5 wherein the current collector is a first current collector (paragraph 96; Figure F below: electrode 11 has active material on a current collector ) and the gap is a first gap (Figure F below) ; the electrode assembly (paragraph 72; figure 1: wound electrode unit 10 ) further comprising: at least two second current collectors (paragraph s 77 & 96; Figure F below: electrode 12 has active material on a current collector , and two separate pieces 121 & 122 ) ; wherein the first current collector and the at least two second current collectors are wound with each other ( figure 1) , a second gap ( Figure F below ) is disposed between two adjacent ones of the at least two second current collectors, and the second coating region (paragraph s 73-74; Figure F below: lithium ion source 16C ) is disposed opposite the second gap Figure F : Annotated Taguchi Figure 4(a) Claim 6 wherein the current collector is a first current collector (paragraph 96; Figure F above: electrode 11 has active material on a current collector ) and the gap is a first gap (Figure F above) ; the electrode assembly further comprising: a second current collector (paragraph s 77 & 96; Figure F above: electrode 12 has active material on a current collector ) ; wherein the first current collector and the second current collector are wounded with each other ( figure 1) , the second current collector is provided with a third coating region and a fourth coating region (paragraph s 77 & 96; Figure F above: electrode 12 has active material on a current collector ) , a second gap (Figure F above) is disposed between the third coating region and the fourth coating region (Figure F above) , and the second coating region is disposed opposite the second gap (Figure F above) Taguchi is directed to a wound-type accumulator with rapid electrolytic solution penetrat ion into wound electrode interior, rapid lithium ion doping of electrodes, and high productivity (paragraph 1 7 ). It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, for Koji’s wound electrode unit 10 to have a second gap between adjacent second current collectors , and for the second coating region to be opposite the second gap . With regard to claim 7 , Koji teaches the limitations of claim 1 as described above. Claim 7 states : the gap is greater than or equal to 1 mm Koji teaches a gap (paragraph 73; figure 2: intra-positive electrode space 11S ) for no contact between the lithium ion source 16C and the positive electrode 11 . Koji doesn’t specify a size of the gap; however i t would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to optimize the size of the gap for no contact between the lithium ion source 16C and the positive electrode 11 , and thus achieve the claimed ≥ 1 mm. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT ROBERT WEST whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT 703-756-1363 and email address is Robert.West@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Friday 10 am - 7 pm ET . 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. 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. /R.G.W./ Examiner, Art Unit 1721 /ALLISON BOURKE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721