DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 16, 20-21, 23-24, 26-28, 33 and 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa US20050170243A in view of Yamazaki US20120244421A1 and further in view of Yamashita US20020142178A1 (cited in IDA filed 14 July 2021).
Regarding claim 16, Ozawa discloses an electricity storage device(Ozawa, [0070], Fig. 5, battery module) comprising:
a plurality of electricity storage cells (Ozawa, [0042], Figs. 3 and 5, battery 3)
wherein: each of the electricity storage cells includes a primary packing container (Ozawa, [0087], annotated Figs. 3-5, battery 3, outer wrapper 4c),
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an electricity storage element sealed in the primary packing container (Ozawa, [0087], annotated Figs. 3-4, internal electrode pair 4a, outer wrapper 4c),
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and a pair of electrode terminals connected to the electricity storage element and projecting from the primary packing container (Ozawa, [0088], Fig. 3, outer wrapper 4c, terminals 8a and 8b),
and a pair of connection terminals (Ozawa, [0089], Figs. 4-5, bus-bars 12a and 12b, element 49),
the pair of electrode terminals of the plurality of the electricity storage cells (Ozawa, Figs. 4-5, batteries 3, terminals 8a and 8b) are connected to the pair of connection terminals (Ozawa, [0089], Figs. 4-5, batteries 3, bus-bars 12a and 12b, element 49),
the primary packing container is formed of a bag (Ozawa, [0057], [0091], Fig. 3, outer wrapper 4c) that includes a first resin sheet (Ozawa, [0091], “laminate film”, Fig. 3, layers 6a-6c),
the first resin sheet has a barrier layer (Ozawa, [0091], Fig. 3, layer 6b),
a first thermal adhesive resin layer (Ozawa, [0057], Fig. 3, layer 6a) that contacts an electrolyte (Ozawa, [0045], [0057], “an inner surface layer made of a thermoplastic resin having excellent resistance to an electrolytic solution”) and is arranged inside the barrier layer (Ozawa, Fig. 3, layer 6a, layer 6b), and
a first protection layer (Ozawa, Fig. 3, layer 6c) that is arranged outside the barrier layer (Ozawa, Fig. 3, layer 6b, layer 6c), such that the protection layer is electrically insulating (Ozawa, [0057], [0091], Fig. 3, layer 6c),
the barrier layer (Ozawa, [0091], “an aluminum foil” and the alumina film on the side of the first thermal adhesive resin layer) including a vapor-deposited coating being formed of an oxide (Ozawa, [0057]), the examiner is interpreting the product-by-process limitation as a coating and the aluminum foil as disclosed by Ozawa (Ozawa, [0057]) satisfying the limitation as it would be understood to have a coating of alumina absent an explicit teaching otherwise, and wherein the vapor-deposited coating is arranged only on an outer surface of the vapor-deposited film, such that the vapor-deposited coating is facing the protection layer,
a secondary packing container (Ozawa, [0058], Fig. 5, battery module, casing 2),
the plurality of the electricity storage cells are sealed by the secondary packing container (Ozawa, [0042], Fig. 5, battery module, casing 2, batteries 3; the casing 2 encloses the batteries 3, satisfying the claim limitation). Ozawa does not teach wherein the barrier layer is a vapor-deposited film, the secondary packing container has a first packing material and a second packing material, with peripheral parts of the first and second packing materials thermally bonded together, the pair of connection terminals are held between the first packing material and second packing material and project from the secondary packing container, and the first packing material and the second packing material are formed of a second resin sheet that includes at least a second thermal adhesive resin laver, a second protection layer that is electrically insulating, and a metal foil arranged between the second thermal adhesive resin layer and the second protection layer.
Yamazaki teaches a first protection layer (Yamazaki, Fig. 1, element 1a), a barrier layer is a vapor-deposited film (Yamazaki, [0954-0958], Fig. 1, element 2) including a vapor-deposited coating being formed of an oxide on a single side (Yamazaki, [0957-0958]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to substitute the barrier layer of Yamazaki in Ozawa, thereby being impermeable to moisture and gases (Yamazaki, [0126]). Ozawa as modified by Yamazaki does not teach the secondary packing container has a first packing material and a second packing material, with peripheral parts of the first and second packing materials thermally bonded together, the pair of connection terminals are held between the first packing material and second packing material and project from the secondary packing container, and the first packing material and the second packing material are formed of a second resin sheet that includes at least a second thermal adhesive resin laver, a second protection layer that is electrically insulating, and a metal foil arranged between the second thermal adhesive resin layer and the second protection layer.
Yamashita teaches an electricity storage device (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, polymer battery 1) comprising: a secondary packing container (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, lower and upper bodies 5a, sheet 10), the secondary packing container has a first packing material (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, sheet 10) and a second packing material (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, upper body 5a, sheet 10), with peripheral parts of the first and second packing materials thermally bonded together (Yamashita, [0049]), the pair of connection terminals are held between the first packing material and second packing material and project from the secondary packing container (Yamashita, [0082], Fig. 2b, tabs 4, lower body 5a, upper body 5a, sheet 10), and the first packing material and the second packing material are formed of a second resin sheet (Yamashita, [0113-0114], Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, upper body 5a, sheet 10) that includes at least a second thermal adhesive resin layer (Yamashita, [0052], Fig. 1, layer 65b and 63), a second protection layer that is electrically insulating (Yamashita, [0054], Fig. 1, layer 61), and a metal foil (Yamashita, [0052], Fig. 1, foil 62) arranged between the second thermal adhesive resin layer and the second protection layer (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 61, foil 62, layer 65b and 63). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the second packing container of Yamashita in Ozawa as modified by Yamazaki, thereby improving and stabilizing the barrier property of the packaging laminated sheet (Yamashita, [0073]).
Regarding claim 20, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita teaches wherein the first packing material has a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells formed therein (Yamashita, Fig. 2b and 2e, lower body 5a, hollow part 7, sheet 10).
Regarding claim 21, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita teaches wherein the second packing material has the housing portion formed therein.(Yamashita, Fig. 2b, upper body 5a).
Regarding claim 23, modified Ozawa also teaches wherein the oxide is alumina or silicon dioxide (Ozawa, [0958]).
Regarding claim 24, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita additionally teaches wherein the metal foil is formed of aluminum (Yamashita, [0052]).
Regarding claim 26, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita further teaches wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is formed as a recess in the first packing material (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, sheet 10) but does not teach wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not formed in the second packing material, and the metal foil in the first packing material has a thickness greater than a thickness of the metal foil in the second packing material.
Yamashita in another embodiment teaches wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not formed in the second packing material (Yamashita, Fig. 2d, cover 5t), wherein the metal foil in the first packing material (Yamashita, [0113-0114], Fig. 2a, lower body 5a, sheet 10) has one thickness (Yamashita, [0065], “has a thickness of 15 μm or above”, Fig. 1, sheet 10, foil 62) and the metal foil in the second packing material (Yamashita, [0113-0114], Fig. 2a, cover 5t, sheet 10) has another thickness (Yamashita, [0065], “has a thickness of 15 μm or above”, Fig. 1, sheet 10, foil 62). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the second packing material of Yamashita in modified Ozawa thereby creating a sealed package (Yamashita, [0046]) and modify the thickness of the metal foil through routine experimentation thereby stabilizing the workability and providing pinhole resistance (Yamashita, [0065]).
Regarding claim 27, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita teaches wherein the second protection layer (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 61) is arranged outside the metal foil (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 62) but does not explicitly teach includes polyethylene terephthalate and nylon.
Yamashita teaches in another embodiment wherein the second protection layer includes polyethylene terephthalate (Yamashita, [0055-0057], Fig. 1, layer 61, foil 62). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the second protection layer of Yamashita to modified Ozawa thereby providing an intrinsically insulating layer (Yamashita, [0054]).
Regarding claim 28, modified Ozawa additionally teaches an electric-powered vehicle comprising the electricity storage device according to claim 16 (Ozawa, [0102]).
Regarding claim 33, modified Ozawa further teaches wherein the pair of electrode terminals of the plurality of electricity storage cells are connected to the pair of connection terminals in a space between the plurality of electricity storage cells and the secondary packing container (Ozawa, [0058], [0089], annotated Fig. 5, terminals 8a and 8b, bus-bars 12a and 12b), but does not explicitly teach parts of the pair of connection terminals protrude from the secondary packing container in a direction parallel to a direction in which the pair of electrode terminals protrude.
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[AltContent: oval]Yamashita teaches parts of the pair of connection terminals protrude from the secondary packing container in a direction parallel to a direction in which the pair of electrode terminals protrude (Yamashita, Fig. 2b, tabs 4, lower body 5a, upper body 5a, sheet 10). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the parts of the part of connection terminals of Yamashita to modified Ozawa thereby providing power (Yamashita, [0004]).
Regarding claim 36, modified Ozawa further teaches wherein the pair of electrode terminals are provided within the secondary packing container (Ozawa, [0058], [0089], annotated Fig. 5, terminals 8a and 8b, bus-bars 12a and 12b), but does not explicitly teach a portion of the pair of connection terminals are exposed from the secondary packing container.
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Yamashita teaches a portion of the pair of connection terminals are exposed from the secondary packing container (Yamashita, Fig. 2b, tabs 4, lower body 5a, upper body 5a, sheet 10). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the pair of connection terminals of Yamashita to modified Ozawa thereby providing power (Yamashita, [0004]).
Claim(s) 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa US20050170243A in view of Yamazaki US20120244421A1 and Yamashita US20020142178A1 (cited in IDA filed 14 July 2021) and further in view of Kumar US20120028105A1.
Regarding claim 17, modified Ozawa teaches all of the claim limitations as set forth above and further teaches wherein: each electricity storage cell is formed in a rectangular shape as seen in a plan view (Ozawa, [0087], Fig. 1, sheet-like lithium ion secondary battery 3), but does not teach wherein the primary packing container is formed such that a distance between one pair of opposite sides and a distance between another pair of opposite sides are each 500 mm or more.
Kumar teaches wherein the primary packing container is formed such that a distance between one pair of opposite sides and a distance between another pair of opposite sides are each 500 mm or more (Kumar, [0058], “a pouch battery can range from about 75 mm to about 750 mm”). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the primary packing contained of modified Ozawa with the teaching of Kumar wherein the primary packing container is formed such that a distance between one pair of opposite sides and a distance between another pair of opposite sides are each 500 mm or more thereby providing the ability to design high energy pouch batteries with a reasonable footprint and electrode stack design while having the ability to produce a total capacity of at least about 40 Ah (Kumar, [0041])
Regarding claim 18, modified Ozawa additionally teaches wherein: the pair of electrode terminals of the electricity storage cell have a width of 50 mm or more in a circumferential direction (Ozawa, [0079], “A positive electrode terminal of an aluminum foil of width 3 cm”, [0080], “A negative electrode terminal of a nickel foil of width 3 cm”).
Regarding claim 19, modified Ozawa also teaches wherein the pair of electrode terminals have a thickness of 0.2 mm or more (Ozawa, [0059], “The positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal…each having a thickness of about 50 to 200 μm”).
Claim(s) 22, 25 and 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa US20050170243A in view of Yamazaki US20120244421A1 and Yamashita US20020142178A1 (cited in IDA filed 14 July 2021) and further in view of Yamashita WO2000062354A1 (using machine English translation provided; hereafter referred to as Yamashita-2000).
Regarding claim 22, modified Ozawa does not explicitly teach wherein the metal foil in the first packing material and the metal foil in the second packing material have different thicknesses. and the metal foil in the first packing material has a thickness greater than a thickness of the metal foil in the second packing material.
Yamashita-2000 teaches wherein the metal foil (Yamashita-2000, Fig. 8a, element 12) in the first packing material (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 6) and the metal foil in the second packing material have different thicknesses (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 7). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the metal foil of Yamashita-2000 to modified Ozawa thereby preventing water vapor from entering (Yamashita-2000, [0067]).
Regarding claim 25, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita also teaches wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is formed as a recess in the first packing material (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, sheet 10) but does not teach wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not formed in the second packing material, and the metal foil in the second packing material has a thickness greater than a thickness of the metal foil in the first packing material.
Yamashita in another embodiment teaches wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not formed in the second packing material (Yamashita, Fig. 2d, cover 5t). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the second packing material of Yamashita in modified Ozawa thereby creating a sealed package (Yamashita, [0046]). Modified Ozawa as further modified by Yamashita does not teach wherein the metal foil in the second packing material has a thickness greater than a thickness of the metal foil in the first packing material.
Yamashita-2000 teaches wherein the metal foil (Yamashita-2000, Fig. 8a, element 12) in the first packing material (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 6) and the metal foil in the second packing material have different thicknesses (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 7). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the metal foil of Yamashita-2000 to modified Ozawa as further modified by Yamashita thereby preventing water vapor from entering (Yamashita-2000, [0067]).
Regarding claim 35, modified Ozawa as modified by Yamashita teaches wherein: the first (Yamashita, Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, sheet 10) and second packing materials (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, upper body 5a, sheet 10) are each formed of the second resin sheet (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, sheet 10) having a protection layer (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 61), a metal layer (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 62), and the second thermal adhesive resin (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 65b and 63) layer laid on each other (Yamashita, Fig. 1, layer 61, layer 62, layer 65b and 63), a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is formed as a recess in the first packing material (Yamashita, [0046], Fig. 2b, lower body 5a, sheet 10), but does not explicitly teach wherein a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not in the second packing material, a thickness of the metal layer in the first packing material is larger than a thickness of the metal layer in the second packing material, the protection layer in the first packing material is formed solely of polyethylene terephthalate, the protection layer in the second packing material includes polyethylene terephthalate and nylon, and a thickness of the protection layer in the first packing material is smaller than a thickness of the protection layer in the second packing material.
In another embodiment Yamashita teaches a housing portion for housing at least one of the electricity storage cells is not in the second packing material (Yamashita, Fig. 2d, cover 5t), the protection layer in the first packing material is formed solely of polyethylene terephthalate (Yamashita, [0053]), the protection layer in the second packing material includes polyethylene terephthalate and nylon (Yamashita, [0055-0057), and a thickness of the protection layer in the first packing material (Yamashita, [0053], “the base layer 61 of the polymer battery module packaging sheet of the present invention is a polyester…Possible polyester resins are PE terephthalate (PET) resins”) is smaller than a thickness of the protection layer in the second packing material (Yamashita, [0055-0057], examples of the laminated base layer 61. 1) PET resin layer/Nylon layer, 2) Nylon layer/PET resin layer), the protection layer in the first packing material having only one material, PET, would have a smaller thickness than the protection layer in the second packing material having two materials, PET/nylon, absent a teaching to the contrary. Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the first and second packing material of Yamashita in modified Ozawa thereby creating a sealed package (Yamashita, [0046]), Modified Ozawa as further modified by Yamashita does not teach a thickness of the metal layer in the first packing material is larger than a thickness of the metal layer in the second packing material.
Yamashita-2000 teaches wherein a thickness of the metal layer (Yamashita-2000, Fig. 8a, element 12) in the first packing material is larger (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 6) than a thickness of the metal layer in the second packing material (Yamashita-2000, as reasonably suggested by Fig. 8a, element 12 of element 7). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the metal layers of Yamashita-2000 to modified Ozawa as further modified by Yamashita thereby preventing water vapor from entering (Yamashita-2000, [0067]).
Claim(s) 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa US20050170243A in view of Yamazaki US20120244421A1 and Yamashita US20020142178A1 (cited in IDA filed 14 July 2021) and further in view of Cho US20120040235A1.
Regarding claim 34, modified Ozawa teaches all of the claim limitations as set forth above but does not teach wherein the primary packing container is formed as a gusseted bag.
Cho teaches wherein the primary packing container (Cho, [0059], Fig. 2, case 20’ and 30’) is formed as a gusseted bag (Cho, [0059], Fig. 2, spacing edges 120 and 130). Therefore it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the primary packing contained of modified Ozawa with the teaching of Cho wherein the primary packing container is formed as a gusseted bag, thereby ensuring the service life and safety (Cho, [0016]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sasayama US6461757B1 (discloses packing material comprising vapor deposited layer and protective coating),
Yamashita US20080241663A1 (discloses a packing material comprising similar structure including a vapor deposited coating layer),
Nakamura US20180248156A1 (discloses a packing material comprising a vapor deposited layer comprising aluminum, deposited on the resin layer and which would inherently have an oxide layer of alumina on the protection layer).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JARED HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4590. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/JARED HANSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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