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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is 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.
With respect to claim 2, the phrases “in particular” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). Particularly, it is unclear what structure of coating material is applied to the screen roller.
With respect to claim 10, the phrases “optionally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
With respect to claim 11, the phrases “preferably” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). Particularly, it is unclear what structure of or how much structure is a part of the printing unit.
With respect to claim 13, the phrases “in particular” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). Particularly, it is unclear what the method is comprising.
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 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bolte et al. (US Patent 5,671,678).
With respect to claim 1, Bolte et al. teaches a screen roller (13),
wherein at least one fluid coating material can be applied from at least one reservoir (16) to the screen roller (13, Column 5, Lines 43-57) and the coating material can be transferred from the screen roller (13) to at least one receiving element (15, Column 5, Lines 43-64),
wherein the surface of the outer jacket of the screen roller (13) has a plurality of recesses for at least temporarily receiving the coating material (Column 5, Line 66-Column 6, Line 13, Figure 2A-2E),
characterized in that at least two recesses are fluidically connected by means of at least one connecting channel formed in the surface and/or below the surface and/or the outer jacket (Column 5, Line 66-Column 6, Line 13, Figure 2A-2E).
With respect to claim 2, Bolte et al. teaches the coating material comprises at least one highly viscous battery material, at least one slurry coating material, at least one suspension, at least one, in particular chemical, active material, preferably a battery, and/or at least one highly viscous coating material, preferably for coatings in the HFC range (Column 2, Lines 54-62).
With respect to claim 3, Bolte et al. teaches the reservoir (16) comprises at least one doctor blade (14) and/or at least one chamber doctor blade (52).
With respect to claim 4, Bolte et al. teaches the receiving element (15) comprises at least one further roller (Figure 1) and/or at least one carrier material.
With respect to claim 5, Bolte et al. teaches the carrier material(10) comprises at least one windable material, at least one flexible material, at least one film, at least one component of an electric storage device, and/or at least one carrier material which can be used in a component of an electric storage device, wherein the electric storage device optionally comprises at least one battery, an accumulator, a capacitor, an electrolyzer, a wet cell, a flow battery and/or a redox flow battery and/or forms these at least in regions.
With respect to claim 6, Bolte et al. teaches at least one recess comprises at least one cup, at least one hashure, at least one pyramidal recess, at least one trough-shaped recess, at least one dome-shaped recess and/or at least one truncated pyramidal recess, and/or the recess has, at least in some regions, a rectangular, a square, a pentagonal, a triangular, a hexagonal, a circular, an octahedral and/or an elongated cross-section, in particular opening cross-section and/or bottom cross-section, and/or in that a plurality of recesses form, at least in some regions, a uniform and/or geometric pattern, such as a "Penrose" grid (Figures 2A-2D).
With respect to claim 8, Bolte et al. teaches the recess is produced by means of laser etching and/or direct laser removal (Column 5, Lines 27-28).
With respect to claim 9, Bolte et al. teaches a printing unit (17) comprising at least one screen roller (13) according to claim 1.
With respect to claim 10, Bolte et al. teaches the printing unit (17) comprises at least one reservoir (16) for at least one fluid coating material (Column 5, Lines 43-51), wherein the reservoir (16) is optionally operatively connected at least indirectly to the screen roller for transferring the coating material to the screen roller (refer to claim 112 rejection above).
With respect to claim 11, Bolte et al. teaches at least one further roller (15) operatively connected to the screen roller (13), wherein the screen roller (13) and the further roller (15) preferably roll against one another (refer to claim 112 rejection above).
With respect to claim 12, Bolte et al. teaches at least one carrier material (10) which can be coated (Column 5, Lines 43-57) and/or is to be coated with the coating material at least in regions can be fed to the screen roller and/or to the further roller.
With respect to claim 13, Bolte et al. teaches 13. A method of manufacturing a screen roller, in particular according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing a roller with a cylindrical surface; and forming a grid of recesses on the surface of the roller, wherein the formation of the grid: (i) comprises the formation of at least two recesses which are interconnected by at least one connecting channel; and/or (ii) the formation of the recess by means of laser etching and/or direct laser removal (refer to the 112 rejection).
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bolte et al. (US Patent 5,671,678).
With respect to claim 7, Bolte et al. teaches the screen roller (13) can be rotated at least about an axis of rotation (arrow in Figure 1 indicates axis of rotation of roller 13), however does not explicitly disclose wherein the recesses connected by the connecting channel are arranged offset at least in regions about the axis of rotation and/or the connecting channel has at least one directional component in the circular direction and/or circumferential direction (Z) of the axis of rotation.
However, it is noted that the mere change in shape would not patentably
distinguish from the prior art since the size and configuration does not change the
functionality of the recesses. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955). Also, no criticality in the change in size and configuration is disclosed in the specification, and the change in size seems to be merely design choice (see MPEP 2144.04(IV)).
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that providing recesses arranged offset for the purpose of allowing the coating material to flow easier on the screen roller.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Counard (US Patent 4,819,558), Poole (US Patent 4,301,583), Sonobe et al. (EP0347456) and Heurich (GB1307166) teaches screen rollers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARISSA LIANA FERGUSON SAMRETH whose telephone number is (571)272-2163. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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/Marissa Ferguson-Samreth/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852