Appeal No. 2004-0759
Application No. 09/363,038 Page 2
14. An apparatus for producing an electrolytically coated
hot-rolled steel substrate, said apparatus comprising:
a pickling tank having a feed device for feeding a hot-
rolled steel substrate into said pickling tank for pickling said
steel substrate, and a discharge for discharging a pickling steel
substrate; and
an electro-coating tank positioned immediately downstream of
said pickling tank to receive said pickled steel substrate
directly from said pickling tank substantially without any
intermediate processing stages between said pickling tank and
said electro-coating tank, said electro-coating tank containing
an electrolyte solution and electrodes for producing an electric
current in the solution to electro-coat said pickled steel
substrate.
18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising
a conduit from said electro-coating tank to said pickling tank
for directing spent electrolyte solution to said pickling tank.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Oshima et al. (Oshima) 5,236,574 Aug. 17, 1993
Ishibashi et al. (Ishibashi) 5,766,438 Jun. 16, 1998
Claims 14-16, 22 and 23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Oshima. Claims 17, 18
and 24-27 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Oshima in view of Ishibashi.
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