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 .
Status of Claims
Claim 1-7, 10-14, and 16-23 are currently pending
Claims 1, 10, 16-17, and 19 are amended
Claims 8-9 and 15 have been cancelled
New claims 20-23 have been added
Status of Amendments
The amendment filed 10 April has been fully considered, but does not place the application in condition for allowance.
This action has been made final.
Status of Objections and Rejections of the Office Action from 20 February 2026
The 112 rejection of claims 17 and 18 has been withdrawn in view of applicant’s amendment.
The provisional double patenting rejection over copending Application No. 17/842,015 has been withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
The 103 rejections over Wang in view of Fujii and further in view, respectively, of Kawaguchi and of Wang ‘186, with evidence provided by Lu, are maintained in view of Applicant’s amendment and have been modified to address the new claims.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim 1 be found allowable, claim 19 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Claim Interpretation
Claims 1, 16, and 19 recite the limitations that “in the first direction, a ratio of a dimension of the negative electrode edge portion to a dimension of the negative active material layer is 0.01 to 0.2” and “in the first direction, a ratio of a dimension of the positive electrode edge portion to a dimension of the positive active material layer is 0.01 to 0.2.” Examiner notes that “a dimension” fails to distinguish which dimension should be compared. As such, one may pick any dimension on the electrode edge portion and any dimension on the active material layer to read on this limitation, including a different type of dimension and size for each. Further, “in the first direction” fails to distinguish whether the chosen dimensions themselves travel in the first direction or are physically spaced from each other in the first direction. One may further interpret the limitation to be comparing a dimension of the electrode edge portion to a dimension of the portion of the active material layer that lies only in the first direction, for example the length of the active material layer before the active material layer starts bending in the stacking direction at the dotted line of instant Fig. 5, rather than the total length of the active material layer in the whole battery.
Claim 23 recites the limitation that “in the first direction, a dimension of the negative electrode edge portion is 1 micron to 25 microns, a dimension of the positive electrode edge portion is 1 micron to 25 microns.” Examiner similarly notes, as above, that “a dimension” fails to distinguish which dimension should be inspected. As such, one may pick any arbitrary dimension on the electrode edge portion. Further, “in the first direction” fails to distinguish whether the chosen dimension itself travels in the first direction, lies within the claimed range while moving along the edge portion in the first direction, such as a thickness gradually decreasing from 25 microns to 1 micron in the first direction. One may further interpret the “in the first direction” limitation as only applying to the negative electrode edge portion and not the positive electrode edge portion, rather than both.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-3, 6-10, 13-16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20200313171 A1), hereinafter Wang, in view of Fujii (US 10505231 B2), hereinafter Fujii.
Regarding claims 1, 16, and 19, Wang teaches a battery cell, as required by claim 16, comprising:
a shell, in this case a package [Wang 0111]; and
at least one electrode assembly, as also required by claims 1 and 19, wherein the electrode assembly is accommodated in the shell [Wang 0111], the electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate that are stacked [Wang 0111], wherein
a positive active material layer of the positive electrode plate is disposed opposite to a negative active material layer of the negative electrode plate, in this case on opposite sides of a separator [Wang 0107-0108 and 0111], the negative active material layer comprising a negative electrode body portion 1 (Fig. 1) and a negative electrode edge portion, having a dimension in a first direction of 1 micron to 25 microns, as required by claim 23, in this case considered to be the 1 to 25 micron portion at the end of the second anode region 4, connected to the negative electrode body portion 1 [0044], in this case indirectly connected through an intermediate portion comprising the remainder of the second anode region not containing the edge portion, the negative electrode edge portion being located at an end of the negative active material layer along a first direction, as seen in Fig. 1, the first direction being perpendicular to a stacking direction of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and a thickness of the negative electrode edge portion being less than a thickness of the negative electrode body portion [0044]; and
the negative active material layer is configured in such a way that a capacity per unit area of the negative electrode edge portion, in this case the end of the second anode region 4, is greater than or equal to a capacity per unit area of the negative electrode body portion, in this case the first anode region 1 [0006]; and,
the positive active material layer comprises a positive electrode body portion 1 (Fig. 1) and a positive electrode edge portion, having a dimension in the first direction of 1 micron to 25 microns, as required by claim 23, in this case considered to be the 1 to 25 micron portion at the end of the second cathode region 4, connected to the positive electrode body portion 1 [0044], in this case indirectly connected through an intermediate portion comprising the remainder of the second cathode region not containing the edge portion, the positive electrode edge portion is located at an end of the positive active material layer along the first direction, as seen in Fig. 1, a thickness of the positive electrode edge portion is less than a thickness of the positive electrode body portion [0044], and the positive active material layer is configured in such a way that a capacity per unit area of the positive electrode edge portion, in this case the end of the second cathode region 4, is less than a capacity per unit area of the positive electrode body portion, in this case the first cathode region 1 [0014].
Wang is silent as to the alignment of the negative electrode edge portion in relation to the positive active material layer. However, Fujii teaches a lithium-ion secondary battery element comprising a positive electrode 10 and a negative electrode 30 wherein the negative electrode active material layer thin part 322 is disposed to face the positive electrode active material layer thin part 122 [Fujii 0065] through the separator. This is considered to be equivalent to at least part of the negative electrode edge portion overlapping at least part of the positive electrode edge portion.
Wang and Fujii are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of electrode assemblies with narrowed electrode edge portions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to stack the positive and negative electrodes of Wang in the same manner as taught by Fujii. Doing so would have more effectively reduced the expansion of the end of the battery element [Fujii 0066].
Wang is further silent as to a ratio of a dimension of the negative electrode edge portion to a dimension of the negative active material layer and a ratio of a dimension of the positive electrode edge portion to a dimension of the positive active material layer being 0.01 to 0.2 in the first direction. However, it would have been obvious to adjust the dimensions of each electrode edge portion in relation to the respective active material layer in order to optimize the degree of lithium deposition of the electrochemical device to enhance the safety of the electrochemical device [0047]. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). MPEP 2144.05.
Regarding claim 2, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches a weight ratio of an active material of the negative electrode edge portion, in this case SiC-2000, to the negative electrode edge portion being greater than a weight ratio of the active material of the negative electrode body portion to the negative electrode body portion 1. In this case, embodiment 6 teaches the first anode region 1, the body portion, comprising 100% graphite and the second anode region 4, including the edge portion, comprising 95% graphite and 5% SiC-2000 (Wang Table 4)[Wang 0150].
Regarding claim 3, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches a gram capacity of an active material of the negative electrode edge portion being greater than a gram capacity of the active material of the negative electrode body portion 1. In this case, the gram capacity of SiC-2000 of the negative electrode edge portion is inherently greater than the gram capacity of SiC-2000 of the negative electrode body portion 1 because there is no SiC-2000 present in the negative electrode body portion 1. Further, SiC-2000 is taught to have a per gram capacity of 2000 mAh/g compared to the per gram capacity of 370 mAh/g for graphite (Wang Table 1). Therefore, a composition of 5% SiC-2000 and 95% graphite for the negative electrode edge portion, such as in embodiment 6 [Wang 0150], would have a greater total per gram capacity compared to the 100% graphite negative electrode body portion 1.
Regarding claim 6, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches the negative electrode plate comprising a negative current collector 3 [Wang 0051], the negative current collector comprising a negative coating region 1 and 4, in this case where the first and second anode regions are coated, and a negative tab 2, in this case a tab region [0044], at least a part of the negative active material layer is coated on the negative coating region 1 and 4, and the negative tab 3 is connected to an end of the negative coating region 1 and 4 along the first direction [0044]; and
the negative electrode edge portion is located on a side that is of the negative electrode body portion 1 and that is close to the negative tab 3 along the first direction, in this case oriented between the negative electrode body portion 1 and the negative tab 3, as seen in Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 7, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches the thickness of the negative electrode edge portion gradually decreasing along a direction that faces back from the negative electrode body portion 1 and that is parallel to the first direction, as seen in Wang Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 10, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches a weight ratio of an active material, in this case NCM811, of the positive electrode edge portion to the positive electrode edge portion being less than a weight ratio of the active material of the positive electrode body portion to the positive electrode body portion 1 and a gram capacity of an active material of the positive electrode edge portion being less than a gram capacity of the active material of the positive electrode body portion 1. In this case, embodiment 4 teaches the first cathode region 1, the body portion, comprising 100% NCM811 and the second cathode region 4, including the edge portion, comprising 50% NCM811 and 50% NCM523 (Wang Table 3)[Wang 0132]. Further, NCM811 is taught to have a per gram capacity of 220 mAh/g compared to the per gram capacity of 180 mAh/g for NCM523 (Wang Table 2). Therefore, a composition of 50% NCM811 and 50% NCM523 for the positive electrode edge portion, such as in embodiment 4 [0132], would have a lesser total per gram capacity compared to the 100% NCM811 positive electrode body portion 1.
Regarding claim 13, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches the positive electrode plate comprising a positive current collector 3 [Wang 0067], the positive current collector comprising a positive coating region 1 and 4, in this case where the first and second cathode regions are coated, and a positive tab 2, in this case a tab region [0044], at least a part of the positive active material layer is coated on the positive coating region 1 and 4, and the positive tab 3 is connected to an end of the positive coating region 1 and 4 along the first direction [0044]; and
the positive electrode edge portion is located on a side that is of the positive electrode body portion 1 and that is close to the positive tab 3 along the first direction, in this case oriented between the positive electrode body portion 1 and the positive tab 3, as seen in Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 14, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches the thickness of the positive electrode edge portion gradually decreasing along a direction that faces back from the positive electrode body portion 1 and that is parallel to the first direction, as seen in Wang Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 20, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches a thickness of the negative electrode edge portion being smaller than a thickness of the negative electrode body portion by 1 to 50 microns, in this case as seen in the embodiments of Tables 3-5. Wang further teaches the thickness of the positive electrode edge portion gradually decreasing along a direction that faces back from the positive electrode body portion 1 and that is parallel to the first direction, as seen in Wang Fig. 1. Wang is silent as to the specific thickness of the positive electrode body portion and as to the thickness the edge portion decreases to. However, Fujii teaches a positive electrode comprising a body portion with a thickness of 10-100 microns [0037] and an edge portion that gradually decreases toward a border part between the positive electrode active material applied part and the positive electrode active material non-applied part [0049] and is seen to decrease from the body portion thickness to 0 (Fig. 1). An edge portion gradually decreasing from a thickness of 10-100 microns down to 0 will at some point have a thickness that is smaller than a thickness of the body portion by 1 to 50 microns.
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the positive electrode of Wang with the body portion thickness and gradual thickness decrease of Fujii. Doing so would have made the positive electrode active material layer easier to form [0037], prevented deterioration of the charge-discharge performance at a high rate [0037], and suppressed the generation of lithium dendrites [0067].
Regarding claim 21, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches the positive electrode plate further comprising an insulation layer, a part of the insulation layer being coated on a positive coating region, and another part of the insulation layer being coated on a root position of a positive tab. In this case Wang teaches an insulative third cathode region [0075] that may be adjacent to both the edge portion of a coating region and the empty foil region [0077], the empty foil region acting as a tab or have a tab connected thereto [0044].
Regarding claim 22, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang further teaches:
the negative electrode plate comprising a negative current collector 3 [Wang 0051], the negative current collector comprising a negative coating region 1 and 4, in this case where the first and second anode regions are coated, and a negative tab 2, in this case a tab region [0044], at least a part of the negative active material layer is coated on the negative coating region 1 and 4, and the negative tab 3 is connected to an end of the negative coating region 1 and 4 along the first direction [0044], and
the positive electrode plate comprising a positive current collector 3 [Wang 0067], the positive current collector comprising a positive coating region 1 and 4, in this case where the first and second cathode regions are coated, and a positive tab 2, in this case a tab region [0044], at least a part of the positive active material layer is coated on the positive coating region 1 and 4, and the positive tab 3 is connected to an end of the positive coating region 1 and 4 along the first direction [0044].
The electrode assembly according to claim 1 taught by modified Wang further includes the negative electrode active material layer thin part being disposed to face the positive electrode active material layer thin part through the separator with the start ends coming to the same position, as illustrated in Fujii Fig. 7 [Fujii 0065]. This is considered to be equivalent to the positive tab and the negative tab being located on a same side of the electrode assembly along the first direction.
Claims 4-5 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Fujii, as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Wang et al. (US 20200313186 A1), hereinafter Wang ‘186, as evidence provided by Lu et al. (Effect of carbon blacks on electrical conduction and conductive binder domain of next-generation lithium-ion batteries), hereinafter Lu.
Regarding claim 4, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang is silent as to the negative electrode edge portion comprising a first negative coating and a second negative coating. However, Wang ‘186 teaches an electrode assembly wherein the negative electrode edge portion comprises an undercoat layer as a first negative coating and an active material layer as a second negative coating [Wang ‘186 0076] that are stacked along the stacking direction. Embodiment 14 (Wang ‘186 Table 2) teaches the undercoat layer as being conductive carbon black, having a gram capacity of <170 (evidence provided by Lu Fig. 7f), and the active material layer as being graphite, having a gram capacity of 370 mAh/g (Wang Table 1). Therefore, a weight ratio of the graphite active material of the second negative coating to the second negative coating is inherently greater than a weight ratio of the graphite active material of the first negative coating to the first negative coating and a gram capacity of the graphite active material of the second negative coating is inherently greater than a gram capacity of the graphite active material of the first negative coating due to the lack of graphite present in the second negative coating. Further, a total gram capacity of the graphite second coating would also be greater than a total gram capacity of the conductive carbon black first coating based on the gram capacities taught by Wang and Lu.
Wang and Wang ‘186 are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of electrode assemblies with narrowing electrode edge portions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang to include the undercoat taught by Wang ‘186. Doing so would have improved the kinetic performance of the electrode [Wang ‘186 0076].
Regarding claim 5, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang is silent as to the particle diameter of an active material of the negative electrode edge portion being less than a particle diameter of the active material of the negative electrode body portion 1. However, Wang ‘186 teaches an electrode assembly wherein an anode active material having a smaller median particle diameter Dv50 may be adopted to coat the anode thin region, and an anode active material having a larger median particle diameter Dv50 may be adopted to coat the anode body region [0066].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the active material of Wang with the particle diameter relationship taught by Wang ‘186. Doing so would have further enhanced the kinetic performance of the negative electrode edge portion [Wang ‘186 0066].
Regarding claim 11, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang is silent as to the positive electrode edge portion comprising a first positive coating and a second positive coating. However, Wang ‘186 teaches an electrode assembly wherein the positive electrode edge portion comprises an undercoat layer as a first positive coating and an active material layer as a second positive coating [Wang ‘186 0094] that are stacked along the stacking direction. Wang ‘186 teaches that the undercoat layer may be conductive carbon black [Wang ‘186 0094], having a gram capacity of <170 (evidence provided by Lu Fig. 7f), and the active material layer may be lithium cobalt oxide [Wang ‘186 0085], which may have a gram capacity of 140 mAh/g (Wang Table 2). Therefore, a weight ratio of the conductive carbon black active material of the second positive coating to the second positive coating is inherently less than a weight ratio of the conductive carbon black active material of the first positive coating to the first positive coating and a gram capacity of the conductive carbon black active material of the second positive coating is inherently greater than a gram capacity of the conductive carbon black active material of the first positive coating due to the lack of conductive carbon black present in the second positive coating. Further, a total gram capacity of the lithium cobalt second coating would also be less than a total gram capacity of the conductive carbon black first coating based on the gram capacities taught by Wang and Lu.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang to include the undercoat taught by Wang ‘186. Doing so would have weakened the kinetic performance of the cathode thin region [Wang ‘186 0092] which would allow the area to deintercalate ions slowly and reduce the probability of the formation of lithium dendrites, thereby enhancing the safety of the cell [Wang ‘186 0082].
Regarding claim 12, modified Wang teaches the electrode assembly according to claim 1. Wang is silent as to the particle diameter of an active material of the positive electrode edge portion being greater than a particle diameter of the active material of the positive electrode body portion 1. However, Wang ‘186 teaches an electrode assembly wherein a cathode active material having a smaller median particle diameter Dv50 may be adopted to coat the cathode body region, and a cathode active material having a larger median particle diameter Dv50 may be adopted to coat the cathode thin region [0084].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the active material of Wang with the particle diameter relationship taught by Wang ‘186. Doing so would have weakened the kinetic performance of the cathode thin region [Wang ‘186 0084] which would allow the area to deintercalate ions slowly and reduce the probability of the formation of lithium dendrites, thereby enhancing the safety of the cell [Wang ‘186 0082].
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Fujii, as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Kawaguchi et al. (JP2018174098A), hereinafter Kawaguchi.
Modified Wang teaches the battery cell according to claim 16. Wang further teaches a battery comprising the battery cell of claim 16, as required by claim 17 [0084], and an electrical device comprising the battery [0103-0104], as required by claim 18. Modified Wang is silent as to the at least one battery cell, that is already in a shell, being further accommodated in a box. However, Kawaguchi teaches a power storage element comprising at least one power storage element 1, that is a wound electrode body 2 housed in case 3 (pg. 2, ¶ 6), being used in a power storage device 100 (Fig. 7 and pg. 2, ¶ 5).
Wang and Kawaguchi are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wound electrode assembly battery cells in electrochemical devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrochemical device of Wang to house each electrode assembly in a shell to form a battery cell and then further house at least one battery cell in a box to form a power storage device, or battery module, as taught by Kawaguchi. Doing so would have increased the output and the voltage of the setup (pg. 2, ¶ 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10 April 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Wang does not disclose any relationship between the dimensions of an electrode edge portion and the dimension of the active material layer and, thus, does not teach that such a ratio should fall within 0.01 to 0.2. Examiner respectfully points out that Wang teaches the importance of partitioning the anode and the cathode into a plurality of regions and the effect that doing so would have on the degree of lithium deposition of the electrochemical device during charge and discharge and the resulting safety of the electrochemical device [0047]. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the dimensions of each of the plurality of regions, in this case the electrode edge portion in relation to the respective active material layer, in order to obtain the optimal disclosed benefits. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). MPEP 2144.05.
Applicant argues that Wang does not teach increasing the capacity per unit area of the negative electrode edge portion to be greater than or equal to that of the body portion while also decreasing the capacity per unit area of the positive electrode edge portion to be lower than that of the body portion. Examiner respectfully points out that Wang does teach both the capacity per unit area of the negative electrode edge portion being greater than or equal to that of the body portion [0006] and the capacity per unit area of the positive electrode edge portion being lower than that of the body portion [0014].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fujii further teaches an insulating member 13 that covers at least a part of the positive electrode active material thin part 122 and at least a part of the positive electrode active material non-applied part.
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 DUSTIN KENWOOD VAN KIRK whose telephone number is (703)756-4717. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST.
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/DUSTIN VAN KIRK/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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