DETAILED ACTION
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 Amendment
In response to the amendment received 07/06/2026, the 35 U.S.C. rejections of claims 1-6 have been withdrawn from the previous office action.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7 recites “…and the width D is a width in the central axis between an edge of the separator and an edge of direction of the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion” on the last two lines of the claim, which should be amended to read “…and the width D is a width in the central axis direction between an edge of the separator and an edge .
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-2 and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foreign Publication JP2001313079A (supplied by applicant, used previously attached machine translation), hereafter Higashimoto, in view of Published Application US20050287428A1 (supplied by applicant), hereafter Cheon, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 6,300,002, hereafter Webb.
Regarding claim 1, Higashimoto discloses:
A secondary battery ([0009], Fig 8) comprising:
an electrode winding body (21) having a structure in which a strip-shaped positive electrode (22, Fig 7, [0024]) and a strip-shaped negative electrode (23, Fig 7, [0024]) are stacked with a separator (27) interposed therebetween and wound (see Fig 7), a positive electrode collector plate, and a negative electrode collector plate ([0017] Fig 8, flange portion 7 of each of positive terminal 1a and negative terminal 1b is welded and electrically connected to lead pieces 9 just as the presently claimed first negative electrode active material non-covered portion and positive electrode active material non-covered portions are joined to their respective current collector plates) are housed in a battery can (5),
the strip-shaped positive electrode having a positive electrode active material covering portion covered with a positive electrode active material layer (26) and a positive electrode active material non-covered portion (25, 9) on a strip-shaped positive electrode foil ([0011] Fig 3, mixture layer 26 coated on aluminum foil, except for uncoated side edge portion 25),
the strip-shaped negative electrode having a negative electrode active material covering portion covered with a negative electrode active material layer (26) and a first negative electrode active material non-covered portion (25, 9) on a strip-shaped negative electrode foil ([0013] Fig 3, mixture layer 26 coated on rolled copper foil except for uncoated side edge 25),
the positive electrode active material non-covered portion (9) being joined to the positive electrode current collector plate (7) at one end portion of the electrode winding body ([0017], Fig 8, lead pieces 9 welded to flange portion 7 formed on positive terminal 1a),
the first negative electrode active material non- covered portion (9) being joined to the negative electrode current collector plate (7) at an other end portion of the electrode winding body ([0017], Fig 8, lead pieces 9 welded to flange portion 7 formed on negative terminal 1b),
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the electrode winding body (21) having a flat surface (see annotated Fig 8) formed by bending any one or both of the positive electrode active material non-covered portion (9) and the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion (9) and overlapping the wound structure with both of the positive electrode active material non-covered portion (9) and the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion (9) with the electrode assembly on opposite ends (Fig 8, [0017] lead pieces 9 gathered into bundle, bent, and deformed, then brought into contact with flange portion 7),
the strip-shaped negative electrode having a second negative electrode active material non-covered portion (24) at an end portion on a winding start side in a longitudinal direction (Fig 4, [0013] uncoated portions 24 on both winding start and winding end sides), and
a portion of the negative electrode active material covered portion where a boundary line between the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion and the negative electrode active material covered portion and a boundary line between the second negative electrode active material non-covered portion and the negative electrode active material covered portion intersect having a round shape (see annotated Fig 4, corner of coating appears to be in rounded shape; Figs 1, 2 – coating edges are rounded when formed, and thus are also rounded at the corners where the edges meet).
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Higashimoto is silent on one or both of the positive and first negative electrode active material non-covered portions being bent specifically toward a central axis of the wound structure, and a groove being formed in the flat surface.
In the analogous art of secondary batteries, Cheon discloses one or both of the positive and first negative electrode active material non-covered portions being bent specifically toward a central axis of the wound structure (Fig 1, [0047] uncoated regions 22b and 23b are bent toward the center of the electrode assembly in order to minimize contact resistance between the un-coated regions and the current collecting plates), and a groove being formed in the flat surface (see annotated Fig 1, space between bent uncoated regions 22b forms a spiral groove).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to modify the invention of Higashimoto to bend the un-coated electrode portions toward the central axis of the wound structure in order to minimize contact resistance between the un-coated regions and the current collecting plates, as suggested by Cheon ([0047]). After modification of Higashimoto by Cheon, and since the flat surface is formed of the bent and overlapping non-coated portions of the wound electrodes, a spiral groove would also necessarily be formed in the flat surface formed by bent and overlapping non-coated portions of spirally wound electrode layers as shown in annotated figure 1 of Cheon.
Higashimoto does not specifically disclose wherein in a plan view of the longitudinal direction and a central axis direction, the portion has the round shape when compared to a nearest corner of the separator which does not have the round shape.
In the analogous art of wound battery electrode assemblies, Webb discloses wherein in a plan view of the longitudinal direction and a central axis direction, the portion has the round shape when compared to a nearest corner of the separator which does not have the round shape (Fig 5, col 3 line 66-col 4 line 6, rounded electrode corners which facilitate the introduction of the electrode ends into winders, guides and rollers that are used in the production of both the electrode and cell).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to further modify the invention of Higashimoto to give the corners of the electrode active material layer a more pronounced rounded shape as disclosed by Webb in order to facilitate the introduction of the electrode ends into winders, guides, and rollers that are used in the production of both the electrode and cell, as suggested by Webb.
Regarding claim 2, Higashimoto further discloses wherein the negative electrode further includes a third negative electrode active material non-covered portion (24) at an end portion on a winding end side in the longitudinal direction (see annotated Fig 4, [0013] uncoated portions 24 on both winding start and winding end sides of the negative electrode).
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Regarding claim 5, Higashimoto further discloses the use of the secondary battery in an electronic device ([0002] used in portable devices and electric vehicles)
Regarding claim 6, Higashimoto discloses the use of secondary batteries in portable devices ([0002]).
Higashimoto is silent on the portable device being a power tool.
Cheon discloses the use of a secondary battery in a power tool ([0063] cordless vacuum cleaners).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to use the secondary battery of the combination of Higashimoto and Cheon in a power tool as disclosed by Cheon, since all of the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2143 (I) (A)).
Regarding claim 7, modified Higashimoto further discloses wherein the round portion has a length which is greater in both the longitudinal direction and in the central axis direction than a difference between a width B and a width D, where the width B is a width in the central axis direction between the boundary line and an edge of the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion, and the width D is a width in the central axis direction between an edge of the separator and an edge of the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion (Webb, see annotated Fig 5 below, the significantly more pronounced radius of curvature of the electrode active layer corner of modified Higashimoto produces a longer rounded corner on the active material layer than the difference between the widths in the central axis direction of the active material layer and separator to their respective edges, since as shown in annotated Fig 4 of Higashimoto below the respective distances are similar, thus the difference would be small, much smaller than the length of the round corner as can be seen in Fig 5 of Webb).
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Regarding claim 8, modified Higashimoto further discloses wherein a radius of curvature of the portion is greater than the any radius of curvature of the corner of the separator by at least an order of magnitude (Higashimoto was modified by Webb to prominently round the corners of the active material layer, and not modify the corners of the separator of Higashimoto).
Further, Webb discloses that the size of the radius of curvature is a function of the desire to maintain as much active material as possible while still achieving ease of manufacturing imparted by the rounded corners (col 4 lines 6-9).
As the amount of active material on the current collector and ease of manufacturing is/are variable(s) that can be modified, among others, by adjusting the radius of curvature of the rounded corners of the active material, with the amount of active material on the current collector decreasing and ease of manufacturing increasing as the radius of curvature of the rounded corner of the active material is increased, the radius of curvature of the rounded corner of the active material would have been considered a result effective variable by one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention. As such, without showing unexpected results, the claimed radius of curvature of the corner of the active material cannot be considered critical. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, would have optimized, by routine experimentation, the radius of curvature of the rounded corner of the active material in the invention of modified Higashimoto to obtain the desired balance between the amount of active material on the current collector and ease of manufacturing, as suggested by Webb (In re Boesch, 617 F.2d. 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980)), since it has been held that where the general conditions of the claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 223).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foreign Publication JP2001313079A (supplied by applicant, used previously attached machine translation), hereafter Higashimoto, in view of Published Application US20050287428A1 (supplied by applicant), hereafter Cheon, as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Published Application US20240250311A1, hereafter Zheng.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Higashimoto and Cheon is silent on wherein the negative electrode has, on the winding end side, a region where the negative electrode active material layer is formed only on one main surface.
In the analogous art of secondary batteries, Zheng discloses wherein the negative electrode has, on the winding end side, a region where the negative electrode active material layer is formed only on one main surface ([0037] first electrode and second electrode are of opposite polarity but each can be either positive or negative; Fig 4, [0039] first electrode first surface includes uncoated region of current collector 403 covered instead with insulating layer 406 without first active material disposed at end/outside of jelly roll; Fig 4, [0056] includes 2 straight portions 407, 408 and 2 bent portions 409, 410).
Zheng further discloses that the active material formed on one surface at the winding end side of the electrode current collector with an included insulating layer enhances safety by reducing the chance of a short circuit from the penetration of the battery ([0072]). Further, one skilled in the art would have understood, as Zheng appears to, that adding the insulating layer onto the external active material layer rather than onto a bare surface of the current collector would needlessly reduce the energy density of the cell, since the covered active material would take up space in the casing but would not contribute to the cell reaction, reducing efficiency.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to modify the combination of Higashimoto and Cheon to include a region on the winding end side of the negative electrode where the negative electrode active material layer is formed only on one main surface with an additional insulating layer as disclosed by Zheng, in order to enhance the safety of the battery by reducing the chance of a short circuit from the penetration of the battery, as suggested by Zheng ([0037], [0072]).
Regarding claim 4, Zheng further discloses wherein the region is three-quarters or more of the circumference and five-quarters or less of the circumference of the electrode winding body ([0039] first electrode first surface includes uncoated region without first active material disposed at end of jelly roll, includes 2 straight portions 407, 408 and 2 bent portions 409, 410 representing four quarters of the jelly roll circumference (see fig 4); [0042] can further include 3rd bent portion, which corresponds to four-five quarters of the circumference of the jelly roll, which lies inside the claimed range of three-quarters to five-quarters of the circumference of the electrode winding body).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s arguments regarding claim 1’s limitation of “a material covered portion where a boundary line between the first negative electrode active material non-covered portion and the negative electrode active material covered portion and a boundary line between the second negative electrode active material non-covered portion and the negative electrode active material covered portion intersect having a round shape” on pages 5-9 of applicant’s remarks, the examiner reiterates that the rejection cites Figures 1, 2, and 4 of Higashimoto, and emphasizes that, as stated in the rejection, one skilled in the art would understand a coated layer to have rounded corners in absence of any other methodology to otherwise change the shape of the corners into a more precise right angle.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the amendment are rendered moot in view of the new 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 1 and the Webb reference.
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 TIMOTHY HEMINGWAY whose telephone number is (571)272-0235. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Susan Leong can be reached at (571) 270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T.G.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/SUSAN D LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1754
