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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-6, 10, 18 and 20 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. Note: The Examiner discussed amending claim 1 in an interview held on September 17, 2026, with Patent Agent Chen Le. The Examiner-Initiated Interview Summary should have stated Patent Agent for the title instead of citing Primary Examiner as the title.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1, 3-6, 10, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 is rejected because the phrase “and the functional layer is arranged around the tab” is unclear because it is unclear how much of the functional layer is arranged around the tab. Claim 1 is rejected because the phrase “an adhesive tape is attached to a surface of the electrode piece provided with the tab and the adhesive tape is adhered to the tab on a second surface of the tab” makes the claim unclear. Claim 1 is rejected because the phrases “and the functional layer is arranged around the tab” and “an adhesive tape is attached to a surface of the electrode piece provided with the tab and the adhesive tape is adhered to the tab on a second surface of the tab” are not shown Figure 1.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhang (CN 211088397) teaches
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Sun et al. (CN 112802992) teaches
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a pole piece comprising a current collector, a first active layer and a second active layer. Sun et al. (CN 112820852) teaches
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a negative plate comprising a current collector, a 1st active layer and a 2nd active layer. Hitachi Maxell( JP 6-734059) teaches in [0012]-[0052],[0057],[0120]-[0122]; Fig. 1), an electrode piece, comprising a current collector (21) and a functional layer (22) located on a first surface of the current collector, wherein the first surface is provided with a tab (23), and the functional layer (22) on the first surface is composed of a normal area away from the tab and a recessed area near the tab (i.e. area where the collector is exposed since the functional layer has thickness and a thickness of the recessed area is less than a thickness of the normal area.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/LAURA S. WEINER/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/Laura Weiner/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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