Appeal 2006-3027
Application 10/369,706
According to Appellants, the invention is directed to a nickel
electrode for alkaline secondary batteries comprising a porous sintered
nickel substrate loaded with a nickel hydroxide-based active material, where
a first coating layer of a cobalt compound and a second coating layer of a
specified compound are laid on a portion of the active material (Br. 5).
Independent claim 1 is illustrative of the invention and is reproduced below:
1. A nickel electrode for alkaline secondary battery including a
porous sintered nickel substrate loaded with a nickel hydroxide-based
active material, the nickel electrode comprising
a first coating layer of cobalt compound laid on a surface
portion of the active material loaded into the sintered nickel substrate;
and
a second coating layer laid on the first coating layer and based
on a compound of at least one element selected from the group
consisting of nickel, magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium,
scandium, yttrium, lanthanide and bismuth.
The Examiner has relied upon the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Maruta US 6,245,459 B1 Jun. 12, 2001
Kimiya US 6,261,720 B1 Jul. 17, 2001
ISSUES ON APPEAL
Claims 1-12 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable
over Maruta in view of Kimiya (Answer 3).
Appellants contend that Maruta does not teach any second coating
layer, and that the nickel oxyhydroxide layer of Maruta is a layer of active
material (Br. 7-8; Reply Br. 3-4).
2
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