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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee
set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since
this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the
fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous
Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's
submission filed on 08/27/2026 has been entered
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-2 and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Hyuk et al. (KR 102485963 B1), hereinafter Hyuk. Regarding claim 1, Hyuk teaches an electrode plate notching apparatus comprising: a first mold 30 comprising a punch hole 33; a second mold 10 configured to vertically move above the first mold 30 and comprising a punch 20; a first body 300 coupled to the first mold 30 and spaced apart from the punch hole 33; a second body 100 coupled to the second mold 10 and facing the first body 300; a scrap pusher 200 arranged on the second body 100 and movable toward the first body 300 to discharge scrap from the punch hole 33; and a trigger 400 rotatably connected to the first body 300 by a trigger shaft 410 and configured to move the scrap pusher 200 in conjunction with vertical movement of the second body 100. See Figs. 1-11 in Hyuk.
More particularly, Hyuk teaches that the first mold is the lower mold 30, which includes the lower plate 31, lower die holder 32, and punch hole 33. Hyuk further teaches that the second mold is the upper mold 10, which moves vertically relative to the lower mold 30 and includes the punch 20. See Hyuk, Figs. 1-5 and corresponding description. Hyuk further teaches the first body as the hook support block 300 coupled to the lower mold 30 and the second body as the shutter support block 100 coupled to the upper mold 10. The scrap pusher is provided as the scrap shutter 200, which includes the body portion 220 and fork portion 230. As the upper mold 10 rises, the scrap shutter 200 rises with the shutter support block 100, while the shaft 221 of the scrap shutter 200 is engaged by the fixing hook 400. The engagement causes the scrap shutter 200 to rotate about the shutter hinge 240, thereby moving the fork portion 230 downward toward the punch hole 33 and pushing the scrap into the punch hole 33. See Hyuk, Figs. 6-11. Hyuk also teaches the claimed trigger as the fixing hook 400. The fixing hook 400 is rotatably coupled to the hook support block 300 by the hook hinge 410 and engages the shaft 221 of the scrap shutter 200. As the upper mold 10 moves vertically, the fixing hook 400 cooperates with the shaft 221 to cause the scrap shutter 200 to rotate and thereby discharge the scrap through the punch hole 33. Thus, the fixing hook 400 and hook hinge 410 correspond to the claimed trigger and trigger shaft, respectively. See Hyuk, Figs. 3-5 and 9-11; claims 1-2.
Regarding claim 2, Hyuk further teaches that the scrap pusher 200 comprises a pusher body 210 (Fig. 4) rotatably connected to the second body 100, a blade 230 extending from the pusher body and configured to press the scrap to the outside of the punch hole 33 as the pusher body 210 is rotated in a forward direction, and a restoring member connected to the pusher body and configured to rotate the pusher body in a reverse direction. In particular, Hyuk teaches the scrap shutter 200 as the pusher body, the fork portion 230 as the blade extending from the body portion 220, and the shutter hinge 240 as the rotational connection between the scrap shutter 200 and the shutter support block 100. When the shaft 221 is engaged by the fixing hook 400 during upward movement of the upper mold 10, the scrap shutter 200 rotates about the shutter hinge 240 and the fork portion 230 moves toward the punch hole 33 to press and discharge the scrap. See Hyuk, Figs. 6-11. Hyuk further teaches a restoring member comprising the shutter contact jig 110 and shutter jig spring 120. The shutter contact jig 110 contacts the rear portion 210 of the scrap shutter 200 and is elastically supported by the shutter jig spring 120. After the shaft 221 separates from the fixing hook 400, the restoring force of the shutter jig spring 120 pushes the rear portion 210 of the scrap shutter 200, thereby returning the scrap shutter 200 to its initial horizontal position. Thus, the shutter jig spring 120 and shutter contact jig 110 cooperate to rotate the scrap shutter 200 in a reverse direction after the forward rotation used to discharge the scrap. See Hyuk, Figs. 9-11 and corresponding description.
Regarding claim 8, Hyuk teaches an electrode plate notching apparatus comprising: a first mold 30 comprising a punch hole 33; a second mold 10 configured to vertically move above the first mold 30 and comprising a punch 20; a first body 300 coupled to the first mold 30 and spaced apart from the punch hole 33; a second body 100 coupled to the second mold 10 and facing the first body; a scrap pusher 200 movably arranged on the second body 100 and configured to discharge a scrap from the punch hole 33; and a trigger 400 arranged on the first body 300 and configured to move the scrap pusher 200 in conjunction with vertical movement of the second body 100, wherein the scrap pusher 200 comprises: a pusher body 210 rotatably connected to the second body 100; a blade 230 extending from the pusher body 100 and configured to press the scrap to the outside of the punch hole 33 as the pusher body is rotated in a forward direction; and a restoring member (110, 120) connected to the pusher body 200 and configured to rotate the pusher body 200 in a reverse direction, and wherein the trigger 400 comprises: a trigger body rotatably connected to the first body 300; a guide portion 421 on the trigger body and configured to be brought into contact with the pusher body 200 as the second body 100 moves downward, and configured to rotate the trigger body in the forward direction; a hook 422 on the trigger body and configured to be engaged with the pusher body 200 as the trigger body is rotated in the reverse direction after the downward movement of the second body is completed; and a pressing member (310, 320) connected to the trigger body and configured to rotate the trigger body in the reverse direction. See Figs. 1-11 in Hyuk.
Regarding claim 9, Hyuk teaches everything noted above including that after the hook 422 is engaged with the pusher body 200, the hook is configured to rotate the pusher body in the forward direction as the second body moves upward.
Regarding claim 10, Hyuk teaches everything noted above including that the hook 422 is separable from the scrap pusher 200 as the second body moves upward.
Regarding claim 11, Hyuk teaches everything noted above including that the pressing member (310, 320) comprises: a pressing rod 310 connected to the first body to linearly move and of which an end portion is configured to be brought into contact with a contact surface (defined by the back surface of the trigger body; Fig. 5) of the trigger body; and a pressing spring 320 connected to the pressing rod and configured to press the pressing rod toward the trigger body.
Regarding claim 12, Hyuk teaches everything noted above including that the pressing rod 310 is in line contact with the contact surface.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Kuk et al. (KR 102515516 B1), hereinafter Kuk, provided with the IDS submitted on 02/26/2025, in view of Hyuk. Regarding claim 1, Kuk teaches an electrode plate notching apparatus comprising: a first mold 20 comprising a punch hole 24; a second mold 32 configured to vertically move above the first mold 20 and comprising a punch 36; a first body 16 coupled to the first mold 20 and spaced apart from the punch hole 24; a second body 32, 34 coupled to the second mold 20 and facing the first body 16; a scrap pusher 120 movably arranged on the second body 32, 34 and configured to discharge a scrap S (Fig. 5) from the punch hole 24; and a trigger 110 arranged on the first body 16 and configured to move the scrap pusher 120 in conjunction with vertical movement of the second body 32. See Kuk, Figs. 1-6.
Kuk does not explicitly teach that the trigger 110 is rotatably connected to the first body by a trigger shaft. However, Hyuk teaches a fixing hook 400 rotatably connected to a hook support block 300 through a hook hinge 410 and configured to engage a shaft 221 of a scrap shutter 200. See Hyuk, Figs. 1-11. Hyuk further teaches that the fixing hook 400 rotates about the hook hinge 410 and cooperates with the shaft 221 to actuate the scrap shutter 200 in conjunction with vertical movement of the upper mold 10. Specifically, when the upper mold 10 rises, the shutter hinge 240 of the scrap shutter 200 rises while the shaft 221 is held by the fixing hook 400, thereby causing the scrap shutter 200 to rotate and the fork portion 230 to move toward the punch hole 33 and push the scrap downward. See Hyuk, Figs. 6-11. Thus, Hyuk teaches a pivotally mounted engagement member, in the form of the fixing hook 400, connected to the mold-side structure by a pivot shaft, in the form of the hook hinge 410, wherein the engagement member cooperates with a shaft of a scrap-pushing member to convert vertical movement of the mold into movement of the scrap-pushing member. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the trigger 110 of Kuk to be rotatably connected to the first body by a trigger shaft as taught by Hyuk in order to provide a pivoting engagement mechanism for actuating the scrap pusher in response to the vertical movement of the second mold. One of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success because the modification would retain the vertical reciprocating movement of the molds and the scrap-removal operation of Kuk while employing the known pivoting arrangement of Hyuk to actuate the scrap-pushing member.
Regarding claim 2, Kuk further teaches a scrap pusher 120 configured to press and discharge scrap S from the punch hole 24 as the punch assembly moves. See Kuk, Figs. 4-6. Kuk does not explicitly teach that the scrap pusher comprises a rotatable pusher body including a blade extending therefrom and a restoring member configured to rotate the pusher body in a reverse direction.
However, Hyuk teaches a scrap shutter 200 having a body portion 220 and a fork portion 230 extending from the body portion 220, wherein the scrap shutter 200 is rotatably connected to a shutter support block 100 through a shutter hinge 240. Hyuk further teaches that the fork portion 230 includes a pressing surface 232 configured to contact and push scrap toward the punch hole 33 as the scrap shutter 200 rotates. See Hyuk, Figs. 1-5 and 9-11. Hyuk additionally teaches a shutter contact jig 110 elastically supported by a shutter jig spring 120 and configured to contact a rear portion 210 of the scrap shutter 200. During upward movement of the upper mold 10, the scrap shutter 200 rotates and the shutter jig spring 120 is compressed. After the shaft 221 separates from the fixing hook 400, the restoring force of the shutter jig spring 120 causes the shutter contact jig 110 to push the rear portion 210 and return the scrap shutter 200 to its initial position. See Hyuk, Figs. 6-11. Thus, Hyuk teaches a rotatable pusher body in the form of the scrap shutter 200, a blade extending from the pusher body in the form of the fork portion 230 having the pressing surface 232, and a restoring member in the form of the shutter jig spring 120 acting through the shutter contact jig 110 to rotate the scrap shutter 200 in a reverse direction and return the scrap shutter 200 to its initial position.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the scrap pusher 120 of Kuk to include the rotatable pusher body, blade, and restoring member taught by Hyuk. Kuk and Hyuk are directed to closely related notching-mold technologies for processing secondary-battery electrode material and to mechanisms for controlling scrap generated during the notching operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 13-18 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. Regarding claim 13, Hyuk does not teach or suggest that the contact surface comprises a protrusion protruding from the trigger body and facing the end portion of the pressing rod 310. See Fig. 5 in Hyuk.
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-2 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
In addition, in view of the newly founded art (Hyuk), the allowability of claim s 8-12 has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GHASSEM ALIE whose telephone number is (571) 272-4501. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 am-5:00 pm EST.
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/GHASSEM ALIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
September 17, 2026
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