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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/20/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Status of Claims
The Applicant’s amendment and arguments, filed 02/11/2026, has been entered. Claims 1 and 15 are amended; claims 2-4 stand as originally or previously presented; claims 5-13 are withdrawn; and claim 14 is canceled. Support for the amendments is found in the original filing, and there is no new matter.
Upon considered said amendments and arguments, the previous 35 U.S.C.103 rejection set forth in Office Action mailed 11/20/2025 has been withdrawn. Amended and new grounds of rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 citing to new and originally cited art are set forth below as necessitated by the claim amendments.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (KR 20150049601 A, cited in “Notice of References Cited” dated 04/24/2025, hereinafter Kim), in view of Miyazaki et al. (US 20180233771 A1, cited in IDS filed 04/18/2022, hereinafter Miyzaki) and Ahn et al. (KR 20180106409 A, hereinafter Ahn).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses the limitations for an electrode assembly (Kim, electrode assembly, Title) in which a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode are repeatedly stacked (Kim, a basic unit may be formed by sequentially stacking an anode, a first separator, a cathode, and a second separator, and a unit stack portion can be formed by repeatedly stacking the basic units, [0018-0020, 0023]),
the electrode assembly comprising: an electrode stack in which a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode are repeatedly stacked in a vertical stacking direction to form a plurality of unit cells (Kim, a basic unit may be formed by sequentially stacking an anode, a first separator, a cathode, and a second separator, and a unit stack portion can be formed by repeatedly stacking the basic units, [0018-0020, 0023]),
the electrode stack having two side surfaces at opposite sides of the electrode stack (Kim, both side surfaces of the laminated electrode assembly, [0051]); and a film covering a first one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack, the film being bonded with an adhesive to the first one of the side surfaces (Kim, taping so as to wrap the front of the electrode assembly from both side surfaces of the laminated electrode assembly, [0051]; the Examiner notes that tape has both a film region and an adhesive region).
Kim is silent regarding the adhesive extends discontinuously in the vertical stacking direction, such that each of the unit cells is bonded to the film separately, wherein the film continuously covers an entire area of the first one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack.
Miyazaki discloses an electrode assembly (Miyazaki, stacked electrode assembly, Abstract) in which a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode are repeatedly stacked (Miyazaki, a plurality of pairs of electrodes are stacked, Abstract),
a film covering a first one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack (Miyazaki, provided with an insulating first fixing member that fixes the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator, [0008]),
the film being bonded with an adhesive to the first one of the side surfaces (Utaka, fixing tape which is placed astride both end portions of the stacked electrode assembly in an electrode-stacking direction, Abstract), wherein
the adhesive extends discontinuously in the vertical stacking direction, such that each of the unit cells is bonded to the film separately (Miyazaki, the adhesive layer 32 may be formed over the back surfaces of the bonded sections 33 and 34 and may be partly formed in the clearance portion 37 in a striped pattern (streaky pattern), a grid pattern, a dotted pattern, or the like, [0054], Figure 3; the Examiner notes that the patterns may go along the entire length and width of the adhesive side of the tape, so the adhesive will be interrupted at these points. Thus, the adhesive extends discontinuously in the vertical stacking direction, as claimed).
Miyazaki further discloses that the fixing tape 30 may have a configuration for further facilitating the separation of the bonded surfaces thereof. (Miyazaki, [0054], Figure 3). The Examiner notes that the separation of the bonded surfaces allows for each of the unit cell to be bonded with the film separately, as claimed.
Miyazaki teaches that the fixing tape reduces the concentration of stress at a tape-attached spot and prevents the displacement of the stacked electrodes (Miyazaki, [0051]).
Kim and Miyazaki are analogous to the current invention as they are directed towards a stacked electrode assembly comprising of a film and adhesive to secure the assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the adhesive side of the tape of Kim to have a striped pattern (streaky pattern), a grid pattern, a dotted pattern, or the like, as taught by Miyazaki, in order facilitate the separation of the bonded surfaces thereof.
Ahn discloses an electrode assembly (Ahn, electrode assembly, [0001]), wherein the film continuously covers an entire area of the first one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack (Ahn, the functional tape 220 of the electrode assembly 200 may be provided to surround the entire side portion of the electrode laminate 110 except for the ends, [0043-0044], Figure 3).
Ahn teaches that the functional tape that surrounds the entire side portion of the electrode assembly alleviate shock when an external force is generated on the electrode assembly (Ahn, [0012]).
Modified Kim and Ahn are analogous to the current invention as they are all directed towards an electrode assembly comprising of a film and adhesive.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the tape of modified Kim to surround the entire side portion of the electrode assembly, as taught by Ahn, in order to alleviate shock when an external force is generated on the electrode assembly.
Regarding Claim 2, modified Kim discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim discloses the limitations for an electrode assembly (Kim, electrode assembly, Title), wherein the film is a first film, the electrode assembly further comprising a second film covering a second one of the side surfaces, the second film being bonded with the adhesive to the second one of the side surfaces defined (Kim, first and second tape covering and bonded to the side surfaces, Annotated Figure 10b below).
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Regarding Claim 4, modified Kim discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim discloses the limitations for an electrode assembly (Kim, electrode assembly, Title), wherein the film has a length in a vertical stacking direction of the electrode stack longer than a height of the first one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack in the vertical stacking (Kim, length of the tape is longer than the height of the electrode stack, Annotated Figure 10b above) and first and second opposite ends of the film extend from the first one of the side surfaces and are folded and bonded to a lowermost surface and an uppermost surface of the electrode stack, respectively (Kim, ends of the tape are folded and bonded to the top and bottom surface of the electrode stack, respectively, Annotated Figure 10b above).
Regarding Claim 15, modified Kim discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim discloses the limitations for an electrode assembly (Kim, electrode assembly, Title), wherein the second film continuously covers an entire area of the second one of the side surfaces of the electrode stack (Ahn, the functional tape 220 of the electrode assembly 200 may be provided to surround the entire side portion of the electrode laminate 110 except for the ends, [0043-0044], Figure 3).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (KR 20150049601 A, cited in “Notice of References Cited” dated 04/24/2025, hereinafter Kim), in view of Miyazaki et al. (US 20180233771 A1, cited in IDS filed 04/18/2022, hereinafter Miyzaki) and Ahn et al. (KR 20180106409 A, hereinafter Ahn), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Kasuga et al. (US 20030113616 A1, hereinafter Kasuga).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim discloses the limitations for an electrode assembly (Kim, electrode assembly, Title). Modified Kim is silent regarding the adhesive is one selected from of a flowable resin, a heat curable adhesive, or a UV curable resin material.
Kasuga discloses an electrode assembly, a film, and an adhesive (Kasuga, an end of the electrically insulating pressure sensitive adhesive tape is stuck to the nickel positive electrode plate, [0041]), wherein the adhesive is one selected from of a flowable resin, a heat curable adhesive, or a UV curable resin material (Kasuga, the electrically insulating tape contains a pressure sensitive adhesive agent which is heat-curable, Claim 6).
Kasuga teaches that the adhesive improves the fixing strength between an electrically insulating pressure sensitive adhesive tape and an electrode plate (Kasuga, [0007]).
Modified Kim and Kasuga are analogous to the current invention as they are all directed towards a film and adhesive bonded to an electrode assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the polymer tape of modified Kim to contain the heat-curable pressure sensitive adhesive agent of Kasuga, in order to improve the fixing strength between an electrically insulating pressure sensitive adhesive tape and an electrode plate.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, Pages 5-6, filed 02/11/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-2, 4, and 14-15 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kim et al. (KR 20150049601 A, cited in “Notice of References Cited” dated 04/24/2025, hereinafter Kim), in view of Miyazaki et al. (US 20180233771 A1, cited in IDS filed 04/18/2022, hereinafter Miyzaki) and Ahn et al. (KR 20180106409 A, hereinafter Ahn), as noted above.
Conclusion
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/K.N./Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/OSEI K AMPONSAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752