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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, Figures 1-3C and 7A, in the reply filed on 28 August 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 7-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claims 1-6, 11-12, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chieda et al. (US 2021/0364236).
Regarding claim 1, Chieda teaches gas injection nozzle (20) for drying an electrode plate, comprising:
a nozzle body (11) including a first plate (21/22), a second plate (bottom 17, see figs. 2, 3) spaced apart from the first plate in a first direction (figs. 2, 3 – the y-axis), and a partition plate (top 17, see figs. 2, 3) disposed between the first plate and the second plate (fig. 2), wherein the partition plate divides a flow space formed between the first plate and the second plate into a first flow space opposing the first plate and a second flow space opposing the second plate (fig. 2);
at least one inlet hole (23) formed in the first plate (par. 31; fig. 3) and configured to allow drying gas to flow into the first flow space from the outside of the nozzle body (par. 32; figs. 2, 3); at least one communication hole formed in the partition plate and configured to allow the first flow space and the second flow space to communicate with each other (par. 28, 30; fig. 2); and
a plurality of injection holes formed in the second plate and configured to inject drying gas from the second flow space to the outside (par. 28, 30; fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the at least one inlet hole has a slit shape (par. 31) crossing the first plate in a second direction (fig. 4 – the “x” direction), which is a longitudinal direction of the nozzle body (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 2, and further wherein the at least one communication hole has a slit shape crossing the partition plate in the second direction (par. 4 – “slitted orifices that are provided inside the nozzle body, that extend in the width direction of work”; fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 3, and further wherein the at least one communication hole is disposed not to face the at least one inlet hole based on the first direction (fig. 3 – the communication hole is disposed to face the y-direction, the inlet hole is disposed to face the z-direction).
Regarding claim 5, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the first plate and the partition plate have a flat plate shape (figs. 2, 3).
Regarding claim 6, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the nozzle body includes a plurality of side plates configured to connect edges of the first plate and edges of the second plate, and the partition plate is connected to the plurality of side plates (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, and further wherein a total cross-sectional area of the at least one communication hole has a value larger than a total cross-sectional area of the at least one inlet hole (figs. 2, 3 – there are more communication holes than inlet holes; par. 28 – the communication holes are formed by perforated metal plates).
Regarding claim 12, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the at least one communication hole is provided in a number greater than a number of the at least one inlet hole (figs. 2, 3 – there are more communication holes than inlet holes; par. 28 – the communication holes are formed by perforated metal plates).
Regarding claim 18, Chieda teaches a gas injection nozzle (20) for a drying apparatus for an electrode plate of a secondary battery, the gas injection nozzle comprising:
a nozzle body (11) including a top plate (21), a bottom plate (bottom 17) and side plates connecting the top and bottom plates to form a flow space (figs. 2, 3);
a partition plate (figs. 2, 3 – top 17) disposed between the top and bottom plates (figs. 2, 3), the partition plate dividing the flow space into a first and second flow spaces (figs. 2, 3 – top 15 and middle 15);
at least one inlet hole (24) formed in the top plate (fig. 4);
a plurality of communication holes formed in the partition plate (par. 28, 30; fig. 2 – element 17 is “perforated metal”); and
a plurality of injection holes formed in the bottom plate (par. 28, 30; fig. 2 – element 17 is “perforated metal”),
wherein the at least one inlet hole, the communication holes, and the injection holes are configured so that drying gas enters the first flow space via the at least one inlet hole, gets dispersed in the first flow space before entering the second flow space via the communication holes and is injected from the second flow space to the outside via the injection holes (figs. 2, 3; par. 29).
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.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chieda.
Regarding claim 13, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, but not further wherein the plurality of injection holes have a circular shape. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the plurality of injection holes with a circular shape, since it has been held that a change in the shape of the element involves only routine skill in the art. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Claims 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chieda in view of Nakano et al. (US 2003/0112407).
Regarding claim 14, Chieda teaches the gas injection nozzle described regarding claim 1, but not wherein the gas injection nozzle is one of a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are part of a drying apparatus for an electrode plate, the drying apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas supply space through which drying gas for drying the electrode plate flows; and wherein the plurality of gas injection nozzles are coupled to the chamber to communicate with the gas supply space of the chamber.
Nakano teaches a drying apparatus for an electrode plate (par. 2; fig. 1), comprising a chamber (13) having a gas supply space (7) through which drying gas for drying the electrode plate flows (par. 30); and a plurality of gas injection nozzles (4) coupled to the chamber to communicate with the gas supply space of the chamber (par. 30; fig. 1).
It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the gas injection nozzle of Chieda to arrange it as one of a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are part of a drying apparatus for an electrode plate, the drying apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas supply space through which drying gas for drying the electrode plate flows; and wherein the plurality of gas injection nozzles are coupled to the chamber to communicate with the gas supply space of the chamber, as taught by Nakano. Such a modification was known to provide the capability of providing an automated means for efficiently drying a substrate in a production environment (Nakano, par. 50).
Regarding claim 15, Chieda in view of Nakano discloses the drying apparatus described regarding claim 14, and further wherein the plurality of gas injection nozzles have a shape extending in a second direction (Chieda – fig. 2, the x-direction), a width direction of the electrode plate (fig. 3), and are spaced apart from each other in a third direction (the z-direction), a transport direction of the electrode plate (Nakano, fig. 1), and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.
Regarding claim 16, Chieda in view of Nakano discloses the drying apparatus described regarding claim 15, and further wherein the chamber includes an inlet port for supplying the drying gas to the gas supply space from the outside of the chamber, and the inlet port is configured to supply the drying gas in the second direction (Nakano, fig. 1 – the inlet from 5 to 7 will extend in all three directions; therefore, it is able to supply gas in the second direction).
Regarding claim 17, Chieda in view of Nakano discloses the drying apparatus described regarding claim 14, and further wherein the chamber includes a first chamber (fig. 1 – the narrow portion of the chamber 7) in which drying gas injected onto a first surface of the electrode plate flows (fig. 1 – all the drying gas flows through both chambers; therefore this limitation is met), and a second chamber (fig. 1 – the wider portion of the chamber 7) in which drying gas injected onto a second surface of the electrode plate flows (fig. 1 – all the drying gas flows through both chambers; therefore this limitation is met), and the plurality of gas injection nozzles are installed in at least one of the first chamber or the second chamber (fig. 1 – the nozzles are installed in the second chamber).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Brown (US 3,525,164), Zagar (US 5,070,627), and Ruthenberg (US 5,738,280) all disclose gas injection nozzles having elements of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CODY J LIEUWEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4477. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8-5, Friday varies.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CODY J LIEUWEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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