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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/10/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendments
The amendment filed 06/18/2025 has been entered. Amended claim 1 is supported by at least Figs. 1-2 and specification [0021-0022] as filed 11/29/2021.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks pages 5-11, filed 06/18/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and its dependent claims under 35 USC 103 over Yoshihiro as the primary reference have been fully considered and are persuasive, since Yoshihiro does not exhibit the newly-claimed limitations. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the amendment to claim 1 which necessitated an updated search.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 3, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2-3 recite the limitation "the pressing portion". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, since claim 1 introduces “a plurality of pressing portions” so it is unclear which of said plurality “the pressing portion” refers to in each of claims 2 and 3.
Claim 6 states “the electrode body contains a powder material”, but claim 1 (upon which 6 depends) already introduced “an electrode body having a positive electrode layer, an intermediate layer, and a negative electrode layer, … wherein the positive electrode layer, the intermediate layer, and the negative electrode layer are made of powder materials”. Thus, it is unclear whether “a powder material” of claim 6 is the same or different from “powder materials” in claim 1.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 6 states “the electrode body contains a powder material”, but claim 1 (upon which 6 depends) already introduced “an electrode body having a positive electrode layer, an intermediate layer, and a negative electrode layer, … wherein the positive electrode layer, the intermediate layer, and the negative electrode layer are made of powder materials”. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakashita et al. (US 2012/0328917 A1) in view of Kato et al. (US 2019/0288246 A1, as cited in previous Office action and IDS), Tsukuda (US 2011/0250485 A1, a related document to JP 2011238504 A cited to Yoshihiro in the previous Office action), and Chen (US 2013/0078493 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sakashita teaches a secondary cell (secondary battery RB2, [0069] and Fig. 2) comprising:
an outer package (battery can 10B, [0069] and Fig. 2); and
an object housed in the outer package (electrode group 1 within battery can 10B, Fig. 2), wherein the object includes an electrode body having a positive electrode layer (positive electrode plates, [0018-00019]), an intermediate layer (interposing separators, [0018-0019]), and a negative electrode layer (negative electrode plates, [0018-0019]),
wherein the positive electrode layer, the intermediate layer, and the negative electrode layer are stacked in a stacking direction (electrode group of several tens of stacked layers of positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates, and separators; [0018], vertical stacking direction in Fig. 2), wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are made of powder materials (active substance particles, [0052]; positive and negative electrode active materials are dispersed into respective slurries, [0094, 0097]),
wherein the outer package has an obverse plate (top plate 12A of battery can 10B, [0069] and Fig. 2) and a reverse plate opposed to the obverse plate (bottom plate 13, [0068-0069] and Fig. 2 – 13 is opposite 12A in vertical stacking direction),
wherein the outer package has a … pressing portion (inward shifting central parts of 12A and 13, [0069]) formed integrally with an internal surface of said at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate of the outer package (A2 within 12A, B2 in 13; [0069] and Fig. 2) for locally pressing at least one of an obverse side and a reverse side of the object to be housed (compressing the center area of the electrode group 1 from above and below, [0069] and Fig. 2),
the outer package having a width direction (horizontal in Fig. 2) and a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction (into the plane of the page of Fig. 2, see also Fig. 9 showing the multi-dimensionality of the battery can), the width direction and the depth direction being perpendicular to the stacking direction (both perpendicular to vertical stacking direction, Fig. 2 in view of Fig. 9),
wherein said at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate has an inwardly curved shape in a state (12A assumes curved A2 shape and 13 assumes curved B2 shape in a vacuumed state, [0069] and Fig. 2) … and assumes a flat shape in a state in which the object is housed in the outer package (12A assumes flat A1 shape and 13 assumes flat B1 shape in a state where electrode group 1 is housed therein but before vacuum is applied, [0069] and Fig. 2 in view of Fig. 7), and
wherein [the one] pressing portion is disposed on a center of the outer package in the width direction and the depth direction (deformation of 12A,13 to states A2,B2 respectively are aligned at center part thereof, [0067, 0069] and Figs. 2,5).
Sakashita fails to explicitly teach:
wherein the intermediate layer is a solid-electrolyte layer being interposed between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer; the intermediate layer … [is] made of powder materials; nor
a plurality of pressing portions such that: the outer package has a plurality of pressing portions formed integrally with an internal surface of said at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate; the plurality of pressing portions separately arranged along the width direction or the depth direction; wherein one of the plurality of pressing portions is disposed on a center of the outer package; nor
wherein said at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate has an inwardly curved shape in a state in which the object is not housed in the outer package.
Regarding the intermediate layer: Sakashita teaches in [0048, 0053-0055] the intermediate separator layers being impregnated by liquid electrolyte for lithium ion transport. Kato is analogous in the art of stacked battery cells (Kato Fig. 1B) and teaches toward a solid electrolyte layer used therein (23, Kato Fig. 1B) which is stable towards atmospheric moisture (Kato [0067]) and exhibits high lithium ion conductivity for improving battery performance (Kato [0069]). Kato [0113] teaches the solid electrolyte layer made from a mixture powder. Tsukuda is also analogous in the art of stacked battery cells (Tsukuda Figs. 1-2) and teaches that instead of a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte (i.e., like that of Sakashita), solid electrolytes (i.e., like in Kato) may be used within the secondary battery (Tsukuda [0480]).
Thus, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute a solid electrolyte for the liquid electrolyte within Sakashita to serve as the intermediate layer between the positive and negative electrode layers and expect functionality thereof as taught by Tsukuda (see MPEP 2143 I B), and specifically to make such solid electrolyte from powder as taught by Kato, with the motivation of achieving atmospheric stability and improved battery performance as taught by Kato.
Regarding a plurality of pressing portions: Tsukuda is analogous in the art of stacked battery cells (Tsukuda Figs. 1-2; e.g. battery 500 in Fig. 35) and teaches an outer package (package container 60, Tsukuda Fig. 35) having a plurality of pressing portions formed integrally with an internal surface an obverse plate (protruding portions 310 in lid plate 80, Tsukuda Fig. 35) and a reverse plate (protruding portions 410 in bottom plate 71, Tsukuda Fig. 35). Tsukuda teaches in [0256, 0260-261] that inner surfaces of the respective plates at the protruding portions serve as pressing surfaces (e.g. 310a and 410a in Figs. 33-35) against the internal electrode assembly in its stacking direction. As shown in Tsukuda Figs. 29-39, the obverse and reverse plates can contain various quantities of pressing portions so that pressing force can be applied to the upper and lower electrode stack surfaces at multiple locations as desired (Tsukuda [0256, 0264]) to obtain reliable a stacked-type secondary battery with excellent life characteristics at high yields (Tsukuda [0017-0018]). Tsukuda also teaches toward applying pressing force only within a central region – not edges – of the electrode stack to prevent displacement and short-circuiting of electrodes within the stack (Tsukuda [0011-0014]). Sakashita has a similar goal of compress the center part of the electrode group via pressing force exerted by inner surfaces of the outer package against the electrode group in its stacking direction (Sakashita [0020, 0061, 0068]), as noted above.
Changes in shape (MPEP 2144.04 IV B), duplication of parts (MPEP 2144.04 VI C), and use of known technique to improve similar devices in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C) are obvious modifications, such that a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to increase the number of pressing portions within Sakashita such that the outer package had a plurality of pressing portions formed integrally with an internal surface of said at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate and separately arranged along the width direction or the depth direction thereof as taught by the embodiments of Tsukuda, to similarly expect tailored pressing force against the electrode stack within modified Sakashita to obtain reliable a stacked-type secondary battery with excellent life characteristics at high yields and to prevent displacement and short-circuiting of electrodes within the stack as taught toward by Tsukuda.
Regarding outer package shape: Sakashita does not explicitly show the shape of outer housing 10 in a state before the electrode group object 1 is housed therein. However, Sakashita does teach the top and bottom plates being readily deformable material (Sakashita [0068, 0089]). Chen is analogous in the art of battery outer packages and teaches: an outer package (confining structure 40, Chen [0031] and Fig. 4A); and an object housed in the outer package being an electrode body (battery cell 10, Fig. Chen [0031] and 4A) wherein said at least one plate of the outer package (first confining member 41, Chen [0031] and Fig. 4A – which is an upper plate of outer package 40) has an inwardly curved shape (41 is curved near central portion 33, between ends 35 and 36, as shown in Chen Fig. 4A) in a state in which the object is not housed in the outer package (before cell formation, Chen [0031] and Fig. 4A) and assumes a flat shape in a state in which the object is housed in the outer package (the first/upper confining member is shown flattened out against the cell once the cell is inserted therein, Chen Fig. 4B – i.e. after cell formation per Chen [0032]). Per Chen [0032] and Fig. 4B, S3 can equal S1 such that the first/upper confining member is substantially flat. As shown, in Chen Figs. 4A-4B, the confining structure material is flexible/deformable. Chen [0034] teaches that, beneficially: the confining structure exerts a sustaining force on the battery cell during cell formation and a charging period so as to limit the inflation of the battery cell so that gas generated after the cell formation and during the charging period is squeezed out and exhausted to the peripheral regions of the battery cell, and the resulting efficiency and the lifetime of the battery device would not be adversely affected by the inflation of the battery cell.
Since the outer package surrounding the electrode group of both Chen and Sakashita serve to exert pressing force on the electrode group therein and since both package materials are deformable, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to ensure that the outer package of modified Sakashita behaved similarly to that of Chen such that: at least one of the obverse plate and the reverse plate has an inwardly curved shape in a state in which the object is not housed in the outer package and assumes a flat shape in a state in which the object is housed in the outer package, in order to exert the desired sustained pressing force on electrode group during cell formation and a charging period to limit the inflation of the electrode group so that gas generated after the formation charging period is squeezed out the efficiency and lifecycle of the resultant battery was improved, as taught by Chen.
Thereby, all limitations of claim 1 are rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 2, modified Sakashita teaches: The secondary cell according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is at least one protrusion provided on an inner surface of the outer package (A2, B2 concave protrusion at inner surfaces of 12A, 13 in Sakashita Fig. 2; similarly, Tsukuda teaches pressing surfaces 310a,410a on inner surfaces of outer package 60 in Figs 33 and 35 as cited above in regards to the modification of Sakashita).
Regarding claim 3, modified Sakashita teaches: The secondary cell according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is configured to press one of the obverse side and the reverse side of the object to be housed at least at a central portion of the outer package (A2, B2 are central to 12A, 13 and central to electrode group 1, Sakashita Fig. 2 in view of Figs. 5, 9; to effectively compress the center part of the electrode group per Sakashita [0021]; similarly, Chen [0031] and Figs. 4A-4B as applied to modified Sakashita above teaches pressing/clamping at central portion 33).
Regarding claim 4, modified Sakashita teaches: The secondary cell according to claim 1, wherein the outer package has a flat outer surface (12A,13 are flat in the A1,B1 states per Sakashita Fig. 2, before vacuum applied per Fig. 7; Sakashita also teaches Fig. 1 embodiment where bottom plate remains flat; similarly, Chen Figs. 4A-4B teach at least second confining member 42 having a flat outer surface).
Regarding claim 5, modified Sakashita teaches: The secondary cell according to claim 1, wherein a corner in the outer package includes an acute-angled portion (in A2/B2 state, all four corners of 10B exhibit acute angles in Sakashita Fig. 2; similarly in Chen Fig. 4A, in the state before housing the electrode body, an acute angle is formed between portions of 43 and 41 at end 36 within packaging structure 40).
Regarding claim 6, modified Sakashita teaches: The secondary cell according to claim 1, wherein the electrode body contains a powder material (positive and negative active substance particles dispersed into respective slurries, Sakashita [0052, 0094, 0097]; solid electrolyte layer made from a mixture powder, Kato [0113] as applied in modification of Sakashita above).
Relevant Art
The art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okamoto et al. (US 20230352724 A1) figures 1 and 3-4 are similar to the instant application; Okamoto shares a common inventive entity with the instant application.
Conclusion
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/JESSIE WALLS-MURRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728