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 and Other Notes
Claims 1, 3–5, and 7–19 are pending.
Claims 1, 3–5, 7, 8, and 14–19 are being treated on their merits.
Claims 9–13 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claims 2 and 6 are canceled.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The paragraph numbers cited in this Office Action in reference to the instant application are referring to the paragraph numbering of the PG-Pub of the instant application. See US 2023/0223551 A1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicants' amendments have overcome the rejections of claims 1, 3–5, 7, 8, and 14–16 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1, 4, 7, and 14–16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woo et al. (KR 10-1797978 B1, hereinafter Woo).
Regarding claim 1, Woo discloses a lithium ion cell (FIG. 1, [0044]), comprising:
an electrode-separator assembly (100) comprising an anode (20), a separator (30), and a cathode (10) in a sequence anode/separator/cathode (FIG. 3, [0061]),
the electrode-separator assembly (100) being formed as a winding (W) with a first terminal end face (12a) and a second terminal end face (22a, [0062]); and
a housing (200) enclosing the electrode-separator assembly (100, [0060]),
the housing (200) comprising a cylindrical first housing part (201) with a first circular opening and a second circular opening (FIG. 2, [0063]), a second housing part (400) closing the first circular opening (126, [0051]), and a third housing part (330) closing the second circular opening (FIG. 2, [0064]),
wherein the anode (20) comprises a ribbon-shaped anode current collector (22) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, and two ends (FIG. 3, [0061]),
the anode current collector (22) comprises a strip-shaped main region loaded with a layer of negative electrode material (24) and a free edge strip (22a) extending along the first longitudinal edge that is not loaded with the negative electrode material (FIG. 3, [0061]),
the cathode (10) comprises a ribbon-shaped cathode current collector (12) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, and two ends (FIG. 3, [0061]),
the cathode current collector (12) has a strip-shaped main region loaded with a layer of positive electrode material (14) and a free edge strip (12a) extending along the first longitudinal edge that is not loaded with the positive electrode material (FIG. 3, [0061]),
the anode (20) and the cathode (10) are formed and/or arranged within the electrode-separator assembly (100) relative to each other such that the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector (22a) protrudes from the first terminal end face and the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector (12a) protrudes from the second terminal end face (FIG. 3, [0061]);
the second housing part (400) is a circular contact sheet metal member (400) placed flat on the first terminal end face (22a) of the winding (W) and being in direct contact with the first longitudinal edge (22a) of the anode current collector (22, [0062]),
the circular contact sheet metal member (400) being connected to the first longitudinal edge (22a) of the anode current collector (22) by welding (FIG. 7, [0062]),
the third housing part (330) is a cover (330) comprising a pole bushing (335, [0078]), and
a second circular contact sheet metal member (310) placed flat one the second terminal end face (12a) of the winding and welded to the first longitudinal edge (12a) of the cathode current collector (12, [0062]),
the second circular contact sheet metal member (310) being electrically connected to an electrical conductor (320, [0064]),
the electrical conductor (320) being led out of the housing (200) through the pole bushing (335, [0077]).
Regarding claim 4, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a cell:
the third housing part (330) is welded into the second circular opening (FIG. 5, [0071]).
Regarding claim 7, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a cell:
wherein the second housing part (400) is welded into the first circular opening (FIG. 5, [0089]), and
the third housing part (310) is welded into the second circular opening (FIG. 5, [0071]).
Regarding claim 14, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a cell:
wherein the electrical conductor (320) is a metallic pole stud (320, [0077]), and
wherein the pole bushing (335) separates the metallic pole stud (320) and the third housing part (310, [0078]).
Regarding claim 15, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a cell:
wherein the metallic pole stud (320) forms the positive pole of the cell (FIG. 5, [0059]), and
wherein the housing (200) forms the negative pole of the cell (FIG. 7, [0059]).
Regarding claim 16, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a cell:
wherein the second housing part (400) is in direct contact with and welded to the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector (22a) via a spiral-shaped contact zone (FIG. 7, [0062]), and
wherein the second circular contact sheet member (310) is in direct contact with and welded to the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector (12a) along a second spiral-shaped contact zone (FIG. 5, [0062]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 3, 5, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo (KR 10-1797978 B1) as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Enomoto et al. (US 2001/0049054 A1, hereinafter Enomoto).
Regarding claims 3, 5, and 8, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose a cell:
the cell further comprises an electrical seal that electrically isolates the first housing part from the second housing part or the third housing part;
the cell further comprises an electrical seal that electrically isolates the first housing and the second housing part from each other; and
the third housing part is insulated from the first housing part via a seal.
Enomoto discloses a cell comprising an electrical seal (17) that electrically isolates a first housing part (24) and a second housing part (15A) from each other (FIG. 1, [0085]); and a third housing part (15B) is insulated from the first housing part (24) via a seal (17, [0085]) to improve the cell assembly efficiency (see cell, [0082]). Woo and Enomoto are analogous because they are directed to lithium secondary batteries. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to make the cell of Woo with the seals of Enomoto in order to improve the assembly efficiency of the cell.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo (KR 10-1797978 B1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Okada et al. (US 2009/0098446 A1, hereinafter Okada).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose a cell:
wherein the circular contact sheet metal member has a thickness in a range of 50 microns to 600 microns; and
wherein the circular contact sheet metal member has a thickness in a range of 150 to 350 microns.
Okada discloses a circular contact sheet metal member (6) having a thickness in a range of 300 microns to 2000 microns (see thickness, [0052]) to improve the energy density of the cell (see secondary battery, [0030]). Woo and Okada are analogous because they are directed to lithium secondary batteries. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to make the circular contact sheet metal member of Woo with the thickness of Okada in order to improve the energy density of the cell.
Although Okada does not explicitly disclose a range of 50 microns to 600 microns or 150 microns to 350 microns, Okada does disclose an overlapping range. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have selected the overlapping portion of the ranges disclosed by the reference because selection of overlapping portion of ranges has been held to be a prima facie case of obviousness. In re Malagari, 182 USPQ 549.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo (KR 10-1797978 B1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakai et al. (US 2008/0292961 A1, hereinafter Nakai).
Regarding claim 19, Woo discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose a cell:
wherein the circular contact sheet metal member is formed from one of alloyed aluminum, unalloyed aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, stainless steel, or nickel-plated steel.
Nakai discloses a circular contact sheet metal member (11) formed from one of alloyed aluminum, unalloyed aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, stainless steel, or nickel-plated steel (see aluminum, [0035]) to reduce the internal resistance of the cell (see internal resistance, [0010]). Woo and Nakai are analogous because they are directed to lithium secondary batteries. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to make the circular contact sheet metal member of Woo with the metal of Nakai in order to reduce the internal resistance of the cell.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 29 May 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants argue Woo cannot teach the circular contact sheet metal member of amended claim 1 at least because (a) the lower assembly 400 of Woo is a multi-component assembly rather than a single contact sheet metal member (P7/¶3). The pending claims must be "given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification." Under a broadest reasonable interpretation, words of the claim must be given their plain meaning, unless such meaning is inconsistent with the specification. See MPEP § 2111. Claim 1 recites inter alia "a second housing part closing the first circular opening" and "the second housing part is a circular contact sheet metal member placed flat on the first terminal end face of the winding and being in direct contact with the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector, the circular contact sheet metal member being connected to the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector by welding." Claim 1 does not recite the "circular contact sheet metal member" is a single component or is not formed from multiple components. The term "member" is defined as a constituent piece of a complex structure (see member, New Oxford American Dictionary); and the term "sheet metal" is defined as metal formed into thin sheets, typically by rolling or hammering (see sheet metal, New Oxford American Dictionary). The broadest reasonable interpretation of "circular contact sheet metal member" is a circular constituent piece of a complex structure that is formed of a metal formed into thin sheets. The lower assembly (400) is a circular constituent piece of a complex structure (FIG. 1, [0044]). Therefore, Woo teaches the circular contact sheet metal member of claim 1 because the lower assembly 400 is a circular constituent piece of a complex structure that is formed of a metal formed into thin sheets that closes the first circular opening and is placed flat on the first terminal end face of the winding and is in direct contact with the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector by welding.
Applicants argue there is no single component of Woo's lower assembly 400 that integrates both a mechanical housing closure function and an electrical contacting function (P8/¶1). The pending claims must be "given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification." Under a broadest reasonable interpretation, words of the claim must be given their plain meaning, unless such meaning is inconsistent with the specification. See MPEP § 2111. Claim 1 recites inter alia "a second housing part closing the first circular opening" and "the second housing part is a circular contact sheet metal member placed flat on the first terminal end face of the winding and being in direct contact with the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector, the circular contact sheet metal member being connected to the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector by welding." Claim 1 does not recite the "circular contact sheet metal member" is a single component or is not formed from multiple components. The term "member" is defined as a constituent piece of a complex structure (see member, New Oxford American Dictionary); and the term "sheet metal" is defined as metal formed into thin sheets, typically by rolling or hammering (see sheet metal, New Oxford American Dictionary). The broadest reasonable interpretation of "circular contact sheet metal member" is a circular constituent piece of a complex structure that is formed of a metal formed into thin sheets. The lower assembly (400) is a circular constituent piece of a complex structure (FIG. 1, [0044]). Woo discloses lower assembly (400) both closes the mechanical housing (200, [0064]) and electrically contacts the electrode-separator assembly (100, [0062]). Therefore, the lower assembly 400 of Woo is a "circular contact sheet metal member" that integrates both a mechanical housing closure function and an electrical contacting function.
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 Sean P Cullen, Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)270-1251. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 6:00 am to 4:00 pm CT, Friday 6:00 am to 12:00 pm CT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia A Ridley can be reached at (571)272-1453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sean P Cullen, Ph.D./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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