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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action regarding Application No. 17/334,539 to Du et al., assigned to Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd., filed 05/28/2021 (U.S. PG Publication 2022/0093957; published 03/24/2022) is in response to applicant's arguments/remarks and claims amendment filed 10/02/2025. Applicant's response has been given full consideration.
Status of the Claims
In the response filed 10/02/2025 applicant has amended the claims of the application. Claim 1, 11, 12 have been amended by adding the limitation, “…“each of an inner surface and an outer surface of” the first electrode comprising a first active layer….”. The status of the claims stand as follows:
Currently amended 1, 11-12
Previously presented 2, 4
3.3 Canceled 3, 5-10
Claims 1-2, 4, 11-12 are currently pending in this application.
Objection to the Claims
Claim 1-2, 4, 11-12 objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation recited in claim 1, 11 and 12, “…wherein a distal end of the diaphragm located at the outermost side extends beyond the third end in a direction toward the fixing member by 2 mm, 3 mm or 4 mm” is not indicated as an amended limitation. This limitation was first recited in the claim set filed in the after-final response on 04/21/2025, but the claims were not entered. Then in the set of claims filed in a second after-final response on 5/21/2025 the limitation was dropped. Now it has been recited in the set of claim filed 10/02/2025 but without any status indicator. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejection – 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code not included in this section can be found in the prior Office Action.
Claim 1-2, 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2022/0123313) in view Shimizu et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,391,488)
Regarding claim 1 and 11 Wang discloses a battery cell 10 (Wang Title, Abstract, Fig. 2, paragraph 0005), comprising a first electrode plate 11, a secondary electrode plate 12, and a separator 13 disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, and a sealing region 116 (Wang Fig. 1,2, paragraph 0005, 0009, 0064). The separator is considered equivalent to the diaphragm, and the sealing region is considered equivalent to the fixing member.
Wang discloses the first electrode, the diaphragm (i.e., the separator) and the second electrode are laminated to one another and wound to form a bare cell body (Wang paragraph 0005, 0064). The first electrode plate 11 is disposed at an outermost side of the bare cell body (Wang Fig. 2).
Wang discloses the cell body comprises a first flat surface, a second flat surface opposite to the first flat surface, and a first curved arc surface between the first flat surface and the second flat surface, and a sealing region 116 and a current collector in the sealing region provided with sub-insulating adhesive 152, 252 (Wang Fig. 2, 5) The fixing 116 member extends from the first flat surface to the second flat surface around the first curved arc surface (Wang Fig. 2, 5, paragraph 0072).
Wang discloses the first electrode 11 has a first end 111 disposed at an outer side of the battery cell 10, and a third end 113 disposed in the battery cell (Wang Fig. 2, paragraph 0065), the first end and third end are located on two ends of the first electrode plate 11, meaning being disposed at opposite ends, and the third end 113 of the first electrode 11 is considered equivalent to the claimed second end. Wang calls the two ends of the first electrode 11 as the first end and third end (Wang paragraph 0065) and calls the two ends of the second electrode 12, the second end and the fourth end (Wang 0067).
Wang discloses the first electrode plate has an active material layer 119 and each inner surface and outer surface of the electrode comprise the first active layer 119 (Wang Fig. 3). Wang discloses a surface of the first current collector 110 at the first end 111 facing toward the center of the battery cell 10 is provided with the first active layer 119 (Wang paragraph 0065); this is equivalent to the first electrode comprising a first active material extending to the first end. Wang also discloses the first end 111 is fixed to the outer surface of the cell by an insulating adhesive in the sealing region 116 (Wang paragraph 0072) equivalent to the fixing member.
Wang discloses the first electrode 11 has a first end 111 and a third end 113 (Wang paragraph 0065) equivalent to the claimed first end and the second end. Thus, Wang teaches the electrode 11 comprising a first end 111, the electrode 11 may be a cathode (Wang paragraph 0072).
Wang also discloses the second electrode 12 has a second end 122 and a fourth end 124 (Wang paragraph 0067), the second end 122 is equivalent to the claimed third end. Wang discloses the second electrode 12 has a second end 122 (Wang paragraph 0067) equivalent to the claimed third end, which is a winding ending end (Wang paragraph 0067) located at an outermost side of the cell body (Wang Fig. 2), and a separator 13 is disposed between a joint of the first end 111, the sealing region 116 and the second end 122 (Wang Fig. 2), and an insulating adhesive 151, 251, 152, 252 (Wang Fig. 2, 5).
The first sub-insulating adhesive 151 and the second sub-insulating adhesive 152 are disposed on two sides of the first end 111 and the second end 122 (cutting ends of the electrode plate), so as to further prevent the burrs of the first end 111 and the second end 122 from piercing the separator 13 or the outer packing bag of the battery cell 10 to avoid a liquid leakage and a short circuit (Wang paragraph 0074). Thus, it is equivalent to the insulating protective member being configured to prevent the third end from puncturing the diaphragm and the fixing member. Thus, Wang teaches the electrode 11 comprising a first end 111, the electrode 11 may be a cathode (Wang paragraph 0072).
Wang, however, discloses the sub-insulting adhesive to act both as a fixing member and an insulating protective layer, because Wang discloses the first end 111 is connected to one end of the insulating member 152, 252 in the sealing region 116 it fixes the electrode end 111 to the outer surface (Wang Fig. 2), thus acting as fixing member; and also discloses that first sub-insulating adhesive 151 and the second sub- insulating adhesive 152 are disposed on two sides of the first end 111 and the second end 122 (cutting ends of the electrode plate), so as to further prevent the burrs of the first end 111 and the second end 122 from piercing the separator 13 or the outer packing bag of the battery cell 10 to avoid a liquid leakage and a short circuit (Wang paragraph 0074), thus acting as protective members.
Wang does not disclose the insulating protective member is separate from the fixing member. Wang is also silent about the insulating protective layer is disposed on the third end between the diaphragm (i.e., the separator) and the third end. Wang teaches the electrode 11 comprising a first end 111, the electrode 11 may be a cathode (Wang paragraph 0072).
Shimizu discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte cell comprising a cathode 12, an anode 13, and a separator 14 interposed in between the electrodes and the assembly being spirally wound (Shimizu Fig. 2, col. 2 lines 25-31).
Shimizu discloses an insulating film 17 is adhered to the outermost end of. the cathode in order to prevent occurrence of an internal short circuit caused by a burr of the current collector formed when a long sheet for cathode is cut into separate cathodes breaking through the separator (Shimizu Fig. 2, 7, col. 5 lines 60-65). The insulating film 17, therefore, is an insulating protective member configured to prevent the end of the cathode from puncturing (breaking through) the separator; and is disposed between the outermost end 12a of the cathode 12 and the separator 14 (Shimizu Fig. 7), the separator is equivalent to the claimed diaphragm.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the battery of Wang and included an independent protective film different or separate from the fixing member at the edge of the electrode assembly, as disclosed by Shimizu (Shimizu Fig. 2, 7, col. 5, lines 60-65) to prevent breaking through (puncturing through) the separator 14 and causing short circuit between the positive electrode and negative electrode (Shimizu col. 5, lines 60-65). According to the MPEP such a modification is the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Therefore, in the battery of Wang modified by the insulating protective film 17 of Shimizu the insulating protective film 17 (Shimizu Fig. 2, 7, col. 5 lines 60-65) is disposed on the thirds end 122 (Wang Fig. 2). Further, the insulating protective film is separate from the fixing member.
Wang discloses the first end 111 of the first electrode 11 extends beyond the second end 122 of the second electrode 12 (Wang Fig. 2).
Wang is silent about the diaphragm (i.e. separator) located on the outermost side extend beyond the third end in the direction towards the fixing member. However, such a configuration would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to protect the exposed end of the electrode plate. As to the extent of extension or length of the extended part of the diaphragm it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have optimized by routine experimentation (See MPEP 2144.05 II).
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Wang Fig. 2
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Shimizu Fig. 7
Regarding claim 2 Wang discloses the first end 111 is connected to one end of the insulating member 152 in the sealing region 116 equivalent to the fixing member, and another end of the fixing member is wound onto an outer surface of the bare cell body and an extension direction of the first electrode 11 (Wang Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12 Wang discloses an electronic device including the disclosed battery of Wang as modified by Shimizu (Wang Fig. 8, paragraph 00013, 0014; Shimizu Fig. 2, 7, col. 5 lines 60-65).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (U.S.PG Publication 2022/0123313) in view of Shimizu et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,391,488) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Jiang (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0319310).
The discussion of Wang et al. and Shimizu et al., as applied to claim 1 is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitation of the claim in this section.
Regarding Claim 4 Wang discloses the first end 111 of the first electrode 11 is fixed to the outer surface of the cell by an insulating adhesive 152 of the sealing region 116 (Wang paragraph 0072), the sealing region being equivalent to the fixing member. Wang, however, is silent about the insulating adhesive of the sealing region (fixing member) comprises adhesive paper which is wrapped and bonded to the outer surface of the bare body.
Jiang discloses a wound structure electrode assembly (Jiang paragraph 0026) wherein the electrode assembly includes a first electrode sheet (Jiang paragraph 0006), a second electrode sheet (Jiang paragraph 0007) and a separator between the first electrode and a second electrode (Jiang paragraph 0010). The wound electrode assembly has finishing end of the electrode with an adhesive paper 5 wrapped and bonded to the outer surface of the bare cell body (Jiang Fig. 5, paragraph 0038). Jiang teaches the adhesive paper help to avoid short circuit occurring in the electrodes (Jiang paragraph 0037).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the. effective filing date of the invention to have modified the wound electrode assembly of Wang by the teaching of Jiang and used adhesive paper in the sealing region to avoid short circuit at the winding end of the electrodes as taught by Jiang (Jiang paragraph 0038). According to the MPEP such a modification is considered use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 IC).
Response to Argument
In the response filed on 10/02/2025 applicant traverses the rejection of claims 1-2, 11-12 under 103 over Wang et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2022/0123313) in view of Shimizu et al. (U.S. Patent 6,391,488) presented in the last non-final Office action dated 07/11/2025. Applicant notes that claim 1 has been amended and the rejection previously presented is traversed. Applicant presents the text of amendment of claim 1 "wherein the first electrode comprises a first end located on an outer surface of the bare cell body and a second end opposite to the first end, each of an inner surface and an outer surface of the first electrode comprising a first active layer extending to the first end, and the first end being fixed to an outer surface of the bare cell body by the fixing member; and wherein a distal end of the diaphragm located at the outermost side extends beyond the third end in a direction toward the fixing member by 2 mm, 3 mm or 4 mm." Applicant then argues that the cited references fail to disclose the recited features. Applicant then cites Fig. 3 of the instant application wherein the active material is coated on inner surface and outer surface extending to the first end. Examiner notes that the disclosure of Wang in Fig. 3, reproduced above, meets the limitation where each of an inner surface and an outer surface of the first electrode comprising a first active layer extending to the first end. Therefore, applicant’s argument is not persuasive. As to the extension of the diaphragm or separator beyond the end point would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill, and would be optimized by routine experimentation. Applicant argues that Jiang, Takahashi, Zeng, WO ‘275 and Shimizu fail to disclose, teach or suggest the limitation of amended claim 1. Examiner notes that references of Takahashi, Zeng and WO ‘275 were not applied in the previous non-final Office action dated 07/11/2025. Applicant’s argument is, therefore, not persuasive.
This Office action is made final.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR M KEKIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5918. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00 pm,.
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/OMAR M KEKIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/NIKI BAKHTIARI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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