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 .
Response to Arguments
The applicant submits that the amendments overcome the previous rejection.
The examiner agrees, and the previous rejection is withdrawn. A new basis for rejection appears below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 5 – 9, 13 – 14, 18 – 19, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita, JP2012204243A, and Lee, US20200185676A1, and Wang, US20190393558A1.
Regarding claim 1, Yamashita teaches a secondary battery [pg. 1 para. 1] comprising:
a flat wound electrode body (100) in which a positive electrode plate (20) and a negative electrode plate (30) are wound with a first separator and a second separator (40)(50) interposed therebetween [fig. 1]; and
a battery case (outer can)[pg. 18 para. 9] that houses the wound electrode body,
wherein the wound electrode body includes a pair of curved portions each having a curved outer surface, and a flat portion having a flat outer surface connecting the pair of curved portions (wound flat electrode assembly)[fig. 1],
one end portion of the positive electrode plate (20) in a longitudinal direction thereof is disposed as a positive electrode starting end portion on an inner side of the wound electrode body (20a), and the other end portion thereof is disposed as a positive electrode terminating end portion on an outer side of the wound electrode body (not labeled)[fig. 5],
one end portion of the negative electrode plate (30) in the longitudinal direction is disposed as a negative electrode starting end portion on the inner side of the wound electrode body (30a), and the other end portion thereof is disposed as a negative electrode terminating end portion on the outer side of the wound electrode body (not labeled)[fig. 5],
the positive electrode starting end portion (30a) includes a first region extending along the flat portion [fig. 5],
the negative electrode starting end portion (30a) includes a second region extending along the flat portion [fig. 5], a folded portion folded back from an end portion of the second region along the curved portion (portion of the electrode plate (30) extending along the bending region (10))[fig. 5], and a third region extending along the flat portion from an end portion of the folded portion (flat portion of negative electrode plate (30) extending from bending portion (10) to end (30a))[fig. 5] , and
the wound electrode body includes an electrode starting end stacked portion in which the first region, the second region, and the third region overlap each other in a thickness direction thereof [fig. 5]
a first extension portion (41) extending from the negative electrode starting end portion (30a) is formed at one end portion of the first separator (40) in the longitudinal direction, and a second extension portion (51) extending from the negative electrode starting end portion (30a) is formed at one end portion of the second separator (50) in the longitudinal direction [fig. 5]
the first extension portion comprising a first curved portion folded back along the curved portion (separator (40) along bending portion (10))[fig. 5],
the second extension portion comprising a second curved portion folded back along the curved portion (separator (40) along bending portion (10))[fig. 5],
a separator stacked portion in which each of the first extension portion (41) and the second extension portion (51) is folded back along at least one of the pair of curved portions and only the first separator and the second separator are stacked in the plane of the flat portion [fig. 8]
Yamashita does not teach an adhesive layer is provided on the first curved portion and the adhesive layer is provided on the second curved portion, and wherein the first separator is stacked in three or more layers and the second separator is stacked in two or more layers in the separator stacked portion
Lee teaches a secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly comprising a separator [0003] comprising a porous substrate layer (110), a heat resistant layer (120) on either side of the substrate (110), and an adhesive layer (130) disposed on the heat resistant layer (120)[fig. 1][0046]. Further, Lee teaches that the adhesive layer increases the binding strength between the porous layer and the heat resistant layers [0011][0021]. Then, as the curved portions of Yamashita comprise heat resistant layers and a porous substrate layer, adding the adhesive layer of Lee at the curved portions would increase the binding strength between the porous substrate layer (base material (A)(41)(51))[pg. 7 para. 10] and the heat resistant layers layer (porous layers (C (43)(53) and B (42)(52)))[pg. 8 para. 4] of Yamashita. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the adhesive layer to the heat-resistant layers (porous layers (52)(53)(43)(42)) of Yamashita to improve binding strength to the porous substrate layer (51)(41).
Wang teaches a secondary battery [0002] comprising a wound electrode assembly (1) comprising a first (30) and second (40) separator wherein the wound electrode assembly comprise a separator stacked portion (separator fold back section (80))[fig. 7] wherein the first separator is stacked in three or more layers and the second separator is stacked in two or more layers in the separator stacked portion [fig. 7]. Further, Wang teaches the stacked portion configured to have the claimed layers increases production efficiency. Then, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the stacked portion layers of Wang into the secondary battery of combined Yamashita to improve production efficiency.
Regarding claim 5, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein the positive electrode (20) starting end portion (20a) is disposed at a position closer to one curved portion of the pair of curved portions, and the positive electrode terminating end portion (not labeled) is disposed at a position closer to the other curved portion than the positive electrode starting end portion [fig. 5].
Regarding claim 6, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 5,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein at least one of the positive electrode (20) terminating end portion (not labeled) and the negative electrode (30) terminating end portion (not labeled) is disposed in the other curved portion [fig. 5].
Regarding claim 7, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein the separator includes a porous base material layer (base material (A)(41)(51))[pg. 7 para. 10] made of a resin [pg. 8 para. 4], and
a porous surface layer (porous layers (C (43)(53) and B (42)(52)))[pg. 8 para. 4] that is formed on a surface of the porous base material layer and contains ceramic particles and a binder [pg. 8 para. 4], and
a porosity of the porous surface layer in a region not facing the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is 30% to 60% (30 – 70%)[pg. 15 para. 3]. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists [MPEP 2144.05 I].
Regarding claim 8, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 7,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein a thickness of the porous surface layer in the separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is equal to of a thickness of the porous surface layer in the region not facing the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate (porous layers (52)(42)(53)(43) not described as having a variable thickness)[fig. 5].
Regarding claim 9, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein the wound electrode body (100) is produced by winding a stacked body in which a first separator (50), the negative electrode plate (30), a second separator (40), and the positive electrode plate (20) are stacked in order [fig. 5].
Regarding claim 13, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 9.
Further, Lee teaches wherein an adhesive layer is provided on at least one surface of each of the first separator and the second separator (an adhesive layer (130) disposed on the heat resistant layer (120))[fig. 1][0046].
Regarding claim 14, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 13,
Further, Lee teaches wherein a mesh-shaped protruding portion is formed on a surface of the adhesive layer in a plan view (protruding structure)[0063]
Regarding claim 18, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein the positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode core body that is a band-shaped metal foil, and a positive electrode active material layer applied to a surface of the positive electrode core body (preparation of positive electrode plate)[pg. 18 para. 6], and
the negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode core body that is a band-shaped metal foil, and a negative electrode active material layer applied to a surface of the negative electrode core body (preparation of negative electrode plate)[pg. 18 para. 7].
Regarding claim 19, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 18,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein a positive electrode tab group (21) including stacked positive electrode tabs with the positive electrode core body exposed is formed at one end portion of the wound electrode body in a winding axis direction thereof [fig. 5], and
a negative electrode tab group (31) including stacked negative electrode tabs with the negative electrode core body exposed is formed at the other end portion of the wound electrode body in the winding axis direction [fig. 5].
Regarding claim 21, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Further, Yamashita teaches wherein the positive electrode (20) starting end portion (20a) is disposed at a position closer to one curved portion of the pair of curved portions,
the positive electrode (20) terminating end portion (not labeled) and the negative electrode (30) terminating end portion (not labeled) are disposed at a position closer to the other curved portion than the positive electrode starting end portion (20a)[fig. 5].
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita, JP2012204243A, and Lee, US20200185676A1 and Wang, US20190393558A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of, Morikawa, US20120058373A1.
Regarding claim 2, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1.
Combined Yamashita does not teach wherein a length of the electrode starting end stacked portion in the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate is 0.5 mm to 10 mm.
Morikawa teaches a flat wound electrode assembly [0004] comprising an electrode stacking end stacked portion of the electrode plate (area defined by L1)[fig. 4] wherein the electrode starting end stacked portion is 0.5 – 2.5 mm [0055]. Further, Morikawa teaches that having a starting stacked end portion (winding start) having the claimed dimension allows for less stress on the electrode plates [0056]. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the length of Morikawa into the combined battery of Yamashita to reduce stress on the electrode plates during winding.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita, JP2012204243A, and Lee, US20200185676A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of, Kim, US20120052341A1.
Regarding claim 3, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Combined Yamashita does not teach wherein a plurality of the wound electrode bodies are housed in the battery case.
Kim teaches a secondary battery [0003] wherein a plurality of the wound electrode bodies (10) are housed in the battery case (15)[fig. 4]. Further, it is known in the art that combining a plurality of battery assemblies in a case allows for greater capacity. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the plurality of assemblies as in Kim into the battery of combined Yamashita to improve capacity.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita, JP2012204243A, and Lee, US20200185676A1 and Wang, US20190393558A1 and Kim, US20120052341A1 as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of, Morikawa, US20120058373A1.
Regarding claim 4, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 3.
Combined Yamashita does not teach wherein each of the plurality of wound electrode bodies has a different length of the electrode starting end stacked portion in the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate.
Morikawa teaches a flat wound electrode assembly [0004] comprising an electrode stacking end stacked portion of the electrode plate (area defined by L1)[fig. 4] wherein the electrode starting end stacked portion is 0.5 – 2.5 mm [0055]. Further, Morikawa teaches that having a starting stacked end portion (winding start) having the claimed dimension allows for less stress on the electrode plates [0056]. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the length of Morikawa into the combined battery of Yamashita to reduce stress on the electrode plates during winding.
Morikawa does not teach a plurality of cells wherein the starting end stacked portion has different lengths in each of the plurality of wound electrode bodies.
However, Morikawa teaches that the dimensions of starting end stacked portion controls the distribution of stress on the electrode plates. Then, it would have been obvious to arrive at the claimed relationship of relative lengths of the starting end stacked portions as a matter of routine optimization to reduce stress.
Claim 15, 16, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita, JP2012204243A, and Lee, US20200185676A1 and Wang, US20190393558A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of, Hosokawa, US20210351441A1.
Regarding claim 15, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Combined Yamashita does not teach wherein the separator is interposed between the second region and the third region in the electrode starting end stacked portion, and a distance between the second region and the third region in the thickness direction of the wound electrode body is smaller than a thickness of the negative electrode plate.
Hosokawa teaches a secondary battery comprising a flat wound electrode assembly [0001] wherein the separator (13) is interposed between the second region and the third region in the electrode starting end stacked portion (bending portion at stacked end portion (12a))[fig. 4], and a distance between the second region and the third region in the thickness direction of the wound electrode body is smaller than a thickness of the negative electrode plate (separator is 1/10 the thickness of the electrode plates)[0031]. Further, reducing the thickness of the inactive components such as the separator reduces the overall thickness of the battery which increases energy density [0006][0027]. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the thickness of Hosokawa into the battery of combined Yamashita to improve energy density.
Regarding claim 16, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 15,
Further, Hosokawa teaches wherein a value obtained by subtracting the total thickness of the separator interposed between the second region and the third region from the distance between the second region and the third region in the thickness direction of the wound electrode body is 50 μm or less (separator thickness – 14 μm times two since it is folded = 28 μm, negative electrode plate (collector + active material) = 77 μm)[0037][0040].
Regarding claim 17, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 15,
Further, Hosokawa teaches wherein three or more layers of the separators are interposed between the second region and the third region of the negative electrode starting end portion (separator is wound extra times at curved portions)[0031].
Regarding claim 20, combined Yamashita teaches the secondary battery according to claim 1,
Combined Yamashita does not teach wherein a proportion of a thickness of the positive electrode plate to a thickness of the negative electrode plate is 65% to 95%.
Hosokawa teaches wherein a proportion of a thickness of the positive electrode plate to a thickness of the negative electrode plate is 65% to 95% (thicknesses of electrode plates)[0035][0037](84% in embodiment 1). Further, controlling the thickness of the active components increases energy density [0006][0027]. Then, it would have been obvious to combine the thickness of Hosokawa into the battery of combined Yamashita to improve energy density.
Conclusion
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 PATRICK M GREENE whose telephone number is (571)270-1340. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at (571)270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK MARSHALL GREENE/Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724