Appeal No. 1996-2798 Page 5
Application No. 08/109,597
from a valve metal such as tantalum or niobium. See column 3, 2
lines 15 - 19. See also column 5, lines 39 - 45 which
specifically refers to, “an oxide of a valve metal.”
Thereafter an intermediate layer corresponding to the
intermediate layer of the claimed subject matter is taught by
Asano at column 3, line 54 through column 4, line 23. Finally
electrode active material is superposed on the intermediate
layer. See column 4, lines 43 - 45.
The initial oxide layer taught by Asano has the purpose of
making the substrate more corrosion proof and providing
increased adhesiveness with an intermediate layer. See column
3, lines 17 - 19. Asano, however, fails to teach flame
spraying the oxide layer, the requisite thickness of the oxide
layer or that the oxide layer is non-stoichiometric.
The secondary reference to Hund discloses each of the
features absent from the teachings of Asano for an electrode
having a first oxide coating. See Abstract. The first coating
is produced by flame spraying. See column 3, lines 1 -3. The
coating is customarily non-stoichiometric. See column 3, lines
2Emphasis ours.
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