DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-4 in the reply filed on May 6, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 5-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on May 6, 2026.
Claim Interpretation
The recitation of "electrode ink" in "coating with electrode ink" of claim 1 is considered an intended use of an apparatus, thus when the apparatus is capable of applies an ink or liquid or an equivalent, it is considered meeting this claim limitation..
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pentland (US 2017/0100740).
In regards to claim 1, Petland teaches an applicator (auxiliary device) for applying a compound (electrode ink) onto a surface of drywall comprising:
a connector-104 (receiver) which positioned in front of a blade-140 in a travel direction of the blade, the blade controls the thickness of the applied compound, the receiver extends in an intersection direction orthogonal to the travel direction and the applicator controls the application width and thickness of the applied compound (catch the electrode ink to be supplied) (fig. 2-3, 5; para. 14, 53, 61, 65-66);
a body-160 provides a socket-162 and has a pair of sidewalls (regulators) at left edge-174 and right edge-176, the pair of sidewalls extend in the travel direction and have a flat portion controls the width application of the compound (fig. 1-3, 5, 10-11; para. 54-55).
In regards to claim 2, Petland teaches a bottom portion of the connector-104 (receiver) is spaced apart upward from an upper surface of the drywall (fig. 3).
In regards to claims 3-4, Petland teaches the body-160 with the pair of sidewalls (regulators) at left edge-174 and right edge-176 are plate shaped and have a curved portion which corresponds to a curved front lower corner of the connector-104 (receiver) (fig. 2-3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Binu Thomas whose telephone number is (571)270-7684. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 8:00AM-5:00PM PT.
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/Binu Thomas/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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