CTNF 19/093,269 CTNF 83682 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagars et al. (US 2020/0014025, provided in 8/24/25 IDS; hereafter Zagars) in view of Ikeda et al (WO 2020/235347; citations directed to machine translation provided herein; hereafter Ikeda). {US 8,993,159; hereafter Chiang, relied upon solely as evidence for claim 4} . Claim 1: Zagars teaches a manufacturing method of an electrode layer (see, for example, abstract, Figs), comprising: a step B of placing a collector foil (foil / current collector) on the transport member (various conveyance members taught, such as pallet), and transporting the collector foil by moving the transport member (See, for example, Fig 2, 7-10, [0043], [0064]), a step C of supplying, onto the transported collector foil, an electrode active material (electrode slurry) containing an electrode active material (active material), a conductive auxiliary agent (carbon or other materials for primarily electronic conduction), and an electrolytic solution (electrolyte in solvent) (See, for example, [0039], [0055], Fig 2, 7-10); and a step D of passing the electrode material supplied onto the collector foil through a gap formed between the transport member and a distal end of a film forming member (doctor blade, roller, calendar, nozzle blade 150, etc) which is disposed at a position spaced apart from a surface of the transport member to regulate a thickness of the electrode material and form an electrode material film (See, for example, Fig 2, 7-10 [0055], [0071], [0095], [0111]). Zagars further teaches wherein the system can comprise measurement systems to ensure proper and consistent electrode thickness and uniformity (See, for example, [0074], [0105], [0112]), and further teaches wherein the positioning of the dispensing mechanism and associated film forming member can be controlled to adjust desired orientation to achieve desired uniformity and thickness (See, for example, Fig 2, 7-10, [0033], [0055-57], [0071], [0095], [0111]); but it does not explicitly teach wherein the surface shape of the transport member is measured prior to foil placement thereon, and wherein information from the surface shape is used to control the position of film forming member. Ikeda teaches a method of dispensing functional material films onto a substrate being held and conveyed upon a transport member and Ikeda similarly teaches wherein the dispensing mechanism position and gap between the substrate and underlying transport member is adjustable to achieve desired uniformity and thickness (See, for example, Fig 1-5, [0001], [0011-12], [0027], [0053], [0061]). Ikeda teaches wherein a common source of non-uniformity in film processing is attributable to non-uniformity along the transport member surface resulting in transfer of non-uniformity to the applied film (see, for example, [0012] [0053], [0070-0073]). Ikeda teaches wherein the uniformity of the films can predictably be improved by measuring the surface (via 41 flatness measuring unit and 42 parallelism measuring unit)shape of the transport member prior to substrate placement thereon, and using this shape information to appropriately adjust the positioning of the coating deposition system (see, for example, Fig 5, [0024], [0053], [0070-0073], [0090], [98-100]). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a step A of measuring a surface shape of a transport member; a step B of placing the collector foil on the transport member after the surface shape is measured, and wherein, in the step D, a disposing position of the film forming member is controlled based on measurement information of the surface shape of the transport member, which is obtained in the step A since non-uniform surfaces of transporting members have been identified in the prior art as sources of non-uniformity in films formed thereon, and as such steps are known in the prior art to predictably improve the uniformity of the resulting films. Claim 2: Zagars in view of Ikeda teach the method of claim 1 above and Zagars further teaches wherein, in the step D, a distal end position of the film forming member is adjusted according to a force applied to the film forming member by the electrode material (See, for example, [0033], [0055-57]). Claim 3: Zagars in view of Ikeda teach the method of claim 1 above and Zagars further teaches wherein a vibrating film forming member is used as a film forming member, and in the step D, at least one of a frequency or an amplitude of vibration of the film forming member is changed based on a force applied to the film forming member by the electrode material (see, for example, [0111], wherein vibration of the blade during deposition / smoothing is explicitly taught and wherein intrinsically vibration involves a frequency and amplitude which are at least changed from periods of inactivity to those when processing electrode material). Claim 4: Zagars further teaches wherein the electrode formulations include those of US 8,993,159 where “the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference”. Wherein the teaching therein is to a concentration of solid components as ~36-83% by volume, further 47% by volume, or 53% by vol % (See, for example,[0039]; {incorporated by reference Chiang (8,993,159) evidences / explicitly states at claim 1 and Example 1-2 that the compositions of the suspension include ~36-83% by volume, further 47% by volume, or 53% by vol % of active and conductive solid materials, with balance of liquid electrolyte}). Claim 5: Zagars in view of Ikeda teach the method of claim 1 above and Zagars further teaches wherein, in a case where a maximum height of the electrode material supplied in the step C is indicated by X and a width of the gap formed between the transport member and the distal end of the film forming member which is disposed at the position spaced apart from the surface of the transport member is indicated by Y, a relationship of X>Y is satisfied. (See, for example, Fig 2, and [0034], [0055-0057], [0071], [0074], [0111-0112], [0119]; wherein the maximum height of electrode material is applied in excess of the gap as the forming member which dictates the upper surface of the gap performs spreading / smoothing and excess material removal to achieve production of the thinner, uniform electrode film; thus the maximum height applied prior to being reduced / spread / smoothed exceeds the gap) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 4 is/are alternatively rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagars in view of Ikeda as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chiang . Claim 4: Zagars in view of Ikeda teach the method of claim 1 above. Refer further to 35 USC 103 rejection of claim 4 over Zagars in view of Ikeda above. Zagars has explicitly stated “Electrode formulations can include, for example, the active materials, compositions, and/or semi-solid suspensions described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,993,159, {Chiang} … the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference” (See, for example, [0039]). Chiang has taught electrode formulations comprising a concentration of solid components of ~36-83% by volume, further 47% by volume, or 53% by vol % with balance of liquid electrolyte} (See, for example, claim 1 and Example 1-2). For sake of argument that the disclosed composition of Chiang was not already intrinsically a part of the disclosure of Zagars based upon its explicit incorporation by reference; it at least would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated an electrode formulation comprising a concentration of solid components of ~36-83% by volume, further 47% by volume, or 53% by vol % since Zagars has explicitly directed the reader to the electrode compositions of Chiang as suitable and predictable compositions to achieve the desired result of an electrode film. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN H EMPIE whose telephone number is (571)270-1886. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 5:30AM - 4 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Cleveland can be reached at 571-272-1418. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /NATHAN H EMPIE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 2 Art Unit: 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 3 Art Unit: 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 4 Art Unit: 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 5 Art Unit: 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 6 Art Unit: 1712 Application/Control Number: 19/093,269 Page 7 Art Unit: 1712
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