Appeal No. 2001-0789 4
Application No. 09/106,625
and 6.1 We disagree.
Schneider is directed to an improved current collector for an electrode to reduce
contact resistance. See column 1, lines 7-11. We find that Schneider discloses nickel
plated steel coated with cobalt or a cobalt compound. See column 2, lines 4-50. There is
however, no suggestion or teaching directed to the presence of carbon as a coating.
Canada ‘697 discloses in the background of the invention that the material of the
cell container or can, usually nickel plated steel is subject to corrosion. See page 1, lines
22-25. We find that Canada ‘697 significantly reduces the corrosion of the steel can by
providing a coating composition of carbon. See page 4, line 27 to page 5, line 7 and page
7, line 14 to page 8, line 4. Stated otherwise, Canada ‘697 discloses a corrosion reducing
coating of nickel plated steel having a coating of carbon over the nickel. There is no
disclosure of a cobalt coating in Canada ‘697.
Bennett is thereafter relied upon to teach that significantly improved current
distribution is obtained by utilizing a current collector that includes a plurality of layers of
electrically conductive material with the adjacent layers of the materials being of different
conductivities to form an anisotropic resistivity structure having a greater resistance in the
direction of the axis. See column 1, lines 39-53. We further find that the collector
comprises a plurality of layers of electrically conductive material with adjacent layers of the
1All references to the Answer are to the Supplemental Examiner’s Answer, Paper No. 11, mailed
February 26,2002.
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