DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-5 in the reply filed on July 20, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 6-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on July 20, 2026.
Claim Interpretation
The claim limitation of “rip” used in the phrase of “rip in the slot die” is interpreted as a slit or slot or opening or outlet or orifice. These terms are typically associated to the feature shown in applicants drawings associated to the claimed rip.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masashi (JP2008-173590A, provided translation cited below).
In regards to claim 1, Masashi teaches coating apparatus comprising:
a substrate (9) is provide as a roll to supply an electrode substrate to a coating backup roller (13, roll) (fig. 1; para. 16, 18, 21, 23);
a die coater (12, slot die) applies a coating liquid (L, active material) to the substrate (fig. 1-2; para. 20, 22);
the coating backup roller and the die coater forms a first gap between each other at a center in a width direction of the substrate and forms a second gap between the coating backup roller and the die coater proximate to the outer ends of the coating backup roller (fig. 2-4; para. 24).
In regards to claim 2, Masashi teaches the first gap at the center is between a slit (12a, rip) of the die coater and the substrate on the coating backup roller (fig. 2).
In regards to claim 3, Masashi teaches the coating backup roller comprises a non-corresponding portion extending beyond the die coater and the non-corresponding portion corresponding to both ends of the slit in the die coater has a small diameter portion compared to the center of the coating backup roller (fig. 2).
In regards to claim 4, Masashi teaches the second gap is formed between an end portion of the slit in the die coater and the small diameter portion of the coating backup roller (fig. 2).
In regards to claim 5, Masashi teaches the small diameter portion comprises a truncated circular cone surface that is inclined away from an end portion of the slit in the die coater (fig. 2-3, 4a/b), and a cylindrical face that extends from the truncated circular cone surface in an axial direction of the coating backup roller (fig. 4a).
Conclusion
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/Binu Thomas/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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