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 § 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, 4 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2007313417.
Claim 1: JP 417 discloses a die for performing stripe coating on a web (Figure 1 and accompanying text), comprising:
a first body (see e.g. 2) which is a quadrangular prism long in a right-left direction and has an upper surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, a front portion of a lower surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward front (Figure 3, 6);
a second body (see e.g. 3) which is a quadrangular prism long in the right-left direction and has a lower surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, a front portion of an upper surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward the front;
and a shim (5) sandwiched between the upper surface of the first body and the lower surface of the second body, wherein a liquid reservoir portion in which coating liquid is accumulated is formed in the right-left direction in the upper surface of the first body (6), the shim has a back piece arranged on the upper surface in back of the liquid reservoir portion (5), both right and left pieces arranged on the upper surface on both right and left sides of the liquid reservoir portion (Figure 5, Figure 6),
and a plurality of comb tooth pieces arranged on the upper surface in front of the liquid reservoir portion and extending in a front-back direction (5b), and the plurality of comb tooth pieces are fixed to a land surface, which is the upper surface positioned in front of the liquid reservoir portion, at a predetermined interval (see Figure 6, Figure 5).
Here, note the claimed “left-right direction”, “upper surface”, “front portion”, “back piece” and other spatial claim requirements are directed towards the orientation of the die. Here, the structure of JP 471 meets the claimed structure and relationship between the various parts of the structure, the spatial relationship is merely a orientation of the claimed apparatus and thus the apparatus as claimed can be oriented in the manner that meets the claims as drafted.
Claim 4: JP 417 discloses the shim is configured such that the back piece, the both right and left pieces, and the plurality of comb tooth pieces are integrated (Figure 6).
Claim 6: JP 417 discloses a die for performing stripe coating on a web, comprising:
a first body (see e.g. 2) which is a quadrangular prism long in a right-left direction and has a back surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, an upper portion of a front surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward above (Figure 3, 6);
a second body which is a quadrangular prism long in the right-left direction and has a front surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, an upper portion of a back surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward above (see e.g. 3);
and a shim (5) sandwiched between the back surface of the first body and the front surface of the second body, wherein a liquid reservoir portion in which coating liquid is accumulated is formed in the right-left direction in the back surface of the first body, the shim has a lower piece arranged on the back surface below the liquid reservoir portion, both right and left pieces arranged on the back surface on both right and left sides of the liquid reservoir portion (see Figure 6, Figure 5),
and a plurality of comb tooth pieces (5b) arranged on the back surface above the liquid reservoir portion and extending in an up-down direction, and the plurality of comb tooth pieces are fixed to the back surface positioned above the liquid reservoir portion at a predetermined interval (see Figure 6, Figure 5).
Here, note the claimed “left-right direction”, “back surface”, “front surface”, “lower piece” and other spatial claim requirements are directed towards the orientation of the die. Here, the structure of JP 471 meets the claimed structure and relationship between the various parts of the structure, the spatial relationship is merely a orientation of the claimed apparatus and thus the apparatus as claimed can be oriented in the manner that meets the claims as drafted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 417 taken collectively with EP 3643411, hereinafter EP 411.
JP 417 discloses all that is taught above and discloses a coating die as claimed and a fixing a plurality of comb pieces; however, fails to disclose the plurality of comb tooth pieces are fitted in and fixed to fitting grooves provided in the land surface at a predetermined interval. However, EP 411, also in a coating die with a shim with a plurality of comb tooth pieces (see e.g. Figure 1, 1A, 1B and accompanying text). EP 411 discloses the shim can be fit into a recess in the first and/or second body (see recess at 2A and 2B) and also discloses that the shim can fit “into a complementary recess . . . within the first head part” (0040) and therefore taking the references collectively it would have been obvious to have modified JP 417 to include a recess (i.e. claimed groove) to achieve the fixing of the shim within the coating head as specifically disclosed by EP 411. As for the specific arrangement of the grooves, this would be obvious in view of the disclosure of EP 411, where the groove is complementary to the shim, and such a location of the groove would be a matter of design choice.
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 417 taken collectively with US Patent Application Publication 20240050976, hereinafter USPP 976.
Claim 3: JP 417 discloses all that is taught above and discloses a coating die as claimed and a fixing a plurality of comb pieces; however, fails to disclose protrusion parts, the comb pieces are formed with holes and the holes are fitted to the protrusions so they are fixed on the land surface. However, USPP 976, also in the art of a coating die with a first body, second body and a shim therebetween, discloses using fixing pins, fixing bolts (0051), i.e. the claimed protrusion parts, and comb pieces with holes to fit with the coupling part (see 0057, Figure 4) to fix to the land surface. Therefore, taking the references collectively, it would have been obvious to have provided the protrusion part and holes as suggested by USPP 976 to reap the benefits of coupling the parts together.
Claim 4: JP 417 discloses all that is taught above and discloses a coating die as claimed and a fixing a plurality of comb pieces; however, fails to discloses the back piece and the both right and left pieces are integrated and the plurality of comb tooth pieces are separated from each other and are also separated from the back piece and the both right and left pieces. However, USPP 976 discloses shim that includes a back piece and the both right and left pieces are integrated and the plurality of comb tooth pieces are separated from each other and are also separated from the back piece and the both right and left pieces (see Figure 2). USPP 976 discloses using the individual shim pieces to so that “the number and position of each can be changed, thus enabling adjustment of the coating width, loading, and mismatch between active material slurry and insulating liquid.” (0055). Therefore, as such, it would have been obvious to have modified JP 417 to include individual comb pieces to reap the benefits as outlined by USPP 976.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 20230127081, hereinafter USPP 081 taken collectively with US Patent Application Publication 20240050976, hereinafter USPP 976.
Claim 7: USPP 081 discloses a die for performing stripe coating on a web (Figure 5), comprising: a first body (210) which is a quadrangular prism long in a right-left direction and has an upper surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, a front portion of a lower surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward front (Figure 5-6 and accompanying text);
a second body (220) which is a triangular prism long in the right-left direction and has upper and lower surfaces formed as flat surfaces and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, a front portion is formed so as to be narrowed toward the front;
a third body (230) which is a quadrangular prism long in the right-left direction and has a lower surface formed as a flat surface and is configured such that in a sectional shape thereof in a lateral direction, a front portion of an upper surface is formed so as to be narrowed toward the front;
a first shim sandwiched between the upper surface of the first body and the lower surface of the second body (213); and
a second shim sandwiched between the upper surface of the second body and the lower surface of the third body (233)
wherein a first liquid reservoir portion in which coating liquid is accumulated is formed in the right-left direction in the upper surface of the first body (212), a second liquid reservoir portion in which coating liquid is accumulated is formed in the right-left direction in the upper surface of the second body (232), the first shim has a first back piece arranged on the upper surface in back of the first liquid reservoir portion, both first right and left pieces arranged on the upper surface on both right and left sides of the first liquid reservoir portion (see Figure 6) and the second shim has a second back piece arranged on the upper surface in back of the second liquid reservoir portion, both second right and left pieces arranged on the upper surface on both right and left sides of the second liquid reservoir portion.
USPP 976 fails to disclose a plurality of comb pieces in the front-back direction of the first shim and second shim as claimed. However, USPP 976 discloses including comb pieces that includes a back piece and the both right and left pieces are integrated and the plurality of comb tooth pieces in the front-back direction and are also separated from the back piece and the both right and left pieces and fixed to the body in front of the reservoir (see Figure 2, 0057, 0041). USPP 976 discloses using the individual shim pieces to so that “the number and position of each can be changed, thus enabling adjustment of the coating width, loading, and mismatch between active material slurry and insulating liquid.” (0055). Therefore, as such, it would have been obvious to have modified USPP 081 to include individual comb pieces to reap the benefits as outlined by USPP 976.
Here, note the claimed “left-right direction”, “upper surface”, “lower surface”, “front portion”, “back piece” and other spatial claim requirements are directed towards the orientation of the die. Here, the structure of JP 471 meets the claimed structure and relationship between the various parts of the structure, the spatial relationship is merely a orientation of the claimed apparatus and thus the apparatus as claimed can be oriented in the manner that meets the claims as drafted.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID P TUROCY whose telephone number is (571)272-2940. The examiner can normally be reached Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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/DAVID P TUROCY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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