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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on April 1, 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1 and 10 are currently amended. Claims 5 and 6 are canceled. Claims 1-4 and 7-14 are pending review in this action.
New grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant’s amendments are presented below.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2012/0288746, hereinafter Abe in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0189570, hereinafter Park.
Regarding claim 1, Abe teaches a secondary battery (10) (paragraph [0050] and figures 1-3). The secondary battery (10) comprises an electrode assembly (1) (paragraph [0050] and figures 3 and 4). An electrode lead (3a) is bonded to the electrode assembly (1) (paragraphs [0050, 0068] and figure 3).
A laminated sheath (2, “pouch”) comprises an accommodation part (2s) accommodating the electrode assembly (1) therein (paragraph [0058] and figures 1 and 2). A front end of the electrode lead (3a) extends outside of the laminated sheath (2, “pouch”) in a longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0050] and figures 1-3). The longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) is perpendicular to a width direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0056]). The laminated sheath (2, “pouch”) has a sealing part (20) sealing the accommodation part (2s) (paragraphs [0050, 0058]).
A lead film (5) is bonded to and seals the sealing part (20) and the electrode lead (3a) (paragraphs [0059, 0060] and figure 3).
A lead pattern layer is provided on a surface of the lead film (5) (figure 3). A sealing pattern layer is provided on a surface of the sealing part (20) (paragraph [0060] and figure 3). The sealing pattern layer is in surface contact with and bonded to the lead pattern layer (paragraph [0060] and figure 3).
The lead pattern layer comprises a lead concave part and a lead convex part each extending in a width direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0076] and figure 1)).
The sealing pattern layer comprises a sealing concave part and a sealing convex part each extending in a width direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0076] and figure 1). The sealing concave part and the sealing convex part are in surface contact with and bonded to the lead convex part and the lead concave part (paragraph [0060] and figure 3).
The sealing part (20) has a structure in which a resin layer (2a), an aluminum layer (2b) and a nylon film (2c) (“insulating layer”) are sequentially stacked (paragraphs [0057, 0058] and figure 3). Only the resin layer (2a) is patterned to comprise the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part (paragraph [0082] and figure 6b). The aluminum layer (2b) and the nylon film (2c) (“insulating layer”) are not patterned to comprise the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part.
Abe teaches that when sealing the laminated sheath (2, “pouch”), excess melted resin from lead film (5) moves along the surface of the electrode lead (3a) and can cause the formation of lumps and poor, uneven sealing. The purpose of Abe’s arrangement (the convex/concave parts) is the creation of pockets/dents in the resin layer (2a) for receiving the excess melted resin from lead film (5) (paragraphs [0064, 0066]).
Abe fails to teach that the lead concave part and the lead convex part extend across an entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) and that the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part extend across an entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a).
The type of sealing described in Abe is customarily applied to pouch-type batteries and the problem of excess melted resin is known in the art. For example, Park teaches collecting the melted resin in a groove formed in the sealing part of the pouch case. The groove extends along the length of the sealing part (paragraph [0072] and figures 6 and 7).
Therefore it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form Abe’s pockets/dents in a linear shape (as grooves) extending along the entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) to collect the excess resin as this is a known solution to an analogous problem in the art.
In the combination of Abe and Park, the lead concave part and the lead convex part would extend entirety across the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) and that the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part would extend entirety across the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a).
Regarding claim 2, Abe teaches that the lead concave part and the lead convex part are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0076] and figure 3).
The sealing concave part and the sealing convex part are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0076] and figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, Abe teaches that the lead pattern layer and the sealing pattern layer are disposed only on surfaces of the lead film (5) and the sealing part (20) on which a surface of the electrode lead (3a) is disposed (paragraphs [0077, 0085] and figure 1 and 7a).
Regarding claim 7, Abe teaches that that lead convex part and the lead concave part together have a wavy shape in cross-section (figure 3).
The sealing convex part and the sealing concave part together have a wavy shape in cross-section (figure 3).
Regarding claim 8, Abe teaches that the lead film (5) has a portion (“lead pattern layer”) including the convex and concave parts (figure 3). This portion (“lead pattern layer”) is integral with the base of the lead film (5), which does not have the convex and concave parts. Given that the two are integral, they are attached to each other.
The layer (2a) is attached to a surface of the sealing part (20) that confronts the “lead pattern layer” (figure 3).
Regarding claim 9, Abe teaches that the “lead pattern layer” is integral with the lead film (5) – thus they are made of the same material. The layer (2a) is made of the same material as the lead film (5) (paragraph [0062]).
Regarding claim 10, Abe teaches a method of manufacturing a secondary battery (10).
The method comprises providing an electrode assembly (1) and bonding an electrode lead (3a) to the electrode assembly (paragraph [0068]). The method further comprises providing a laminated sheath (2, “pouch”) comprising a sealing part (20) and an accommodation part (2s) (paragraph [0069]).
The sealing part (20) has a structure in which a resin layer (2a), an aluminum layer (2b) and a nylon film (2c) (“insulating layer”) are sequentially stacked (paragraphs [0057, 0058] and figure 3).
The accommodation part (2s) accommodates the electrode assembly (1) with a front end of the electrode lead (3a) extending outside of the laminated sheath (2, “pouch”) in a longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0050] and figures 1-3). The longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) is perpendicular to a width direction of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0056]).
A lead film (5) is attached to a portion of the electrode lead (3a) (paragraph [0070]).
The method comprises compressing a surface of the lead film (5) to form a lead pattern layer on which a lead concave part and a lead convex part are patterned (paragraphs [0072, 0077] and figure 6a). The method further comprises thermally fusing the sealing part (20) to seal the accommodation part (2s) such that a sealing pattern layer is formed on the sealing part (20). The sealing pattern layer includes a sealing concave part and a sealing convex part in surface contact with the lead pattern layer (paragraphs [0072, 0077] and figure 6a). Only the resin layer (2a) is patterned to comprise the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part (paragraph [0082] and figure 6b). The aluminum layer (2b) and the nylon film (2c) (“insulating layer”) are not patterned to comprise the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part.
During the compressing of the surface of the lead film (5), the lead concave part and the lead convex part are formed extending in a width direction of the electrode lead (3a) and the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part extend in the width direction of the electrode lead (paragraph [0076] and figure 1).
Abe teaches that when sealing the laminated sheath (2, “pouch”), excess melted resin from lead film (5) moves along the surface of the electrode lead (3a) and can cause the formation of lumps and poor, uneven sealing. The purpose of Abe’s arrangement (the convex/concave parts) is the creation of pockets/dents in the resin layer (2a) for receiving the excess melted resin from lead film (5) (paragraphs [0064, 0066]).
Abe fails to teach that the lead concave part and the lead convex part extend across an entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) and that the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part extend across an entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a).
The type of sealing described in Abe is customarily applied to pouch-type batteries and the problem of excess melted resin is known in the art. For example, Park teaches collecting the melted resin in a groove formed in the sealing part of the pouch case. The groove extends along the length of the sealing part (paragraph [0072] and figures 6 and 7).
Therefore it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form Abe’s pockets/dents in a linear shape (as grooves) extending along the entirety of the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) to collect the excess resin as this is a known solution to an analogous problem in the art.
In the combination of Abe and Park, the lead concave part and the lead convex part would extend entirety across the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a) and that the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part would extend entirety across the electrode lead (3a) in the width direction of the electrode lead (3a).
Regarding claim 11, Abe teaches that during the compressing of the surface of the lead film (5), the lead concave part and the lead convex part are formed extending in a longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) and the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part are alternately formed in the longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (paragraph [0076] and figures 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 12, Abe teaches that during the compressing of the surface of the lead film (5), the lead concave part and the lead convex part are alternately formed in a longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (3a) and the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part are alternately formed in the longitudinal direction of the electrode lead (paragraph [0076] and figures 1 and 3). The lead concave part and the lead convex part together have a wavy shape in cross section and the sealing concave part and the sealing convex part together have a wavy shape in cross section (figure 3).
Regarding claim 13, Abe teaches that during the thermally fusing of the sealing part (20), a portion of the sealing part (20) is inserted in the lead concave part of the lead pattern layer to form a sealing convex part. A remaining portion of the sealing part (20) is recessed relative to the lead convex part of lead pattern layer to form a sealing concave part (figures 3, 6a, 6b).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2012/0288746, hereinafter Abe in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0189570, hereinafter Park as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2016/0118640, hereinafter Miyake.
Regarding claim 14, Abe teaches a secondary battery (10) for use in electric vehicles and the like (paragraph [0003]).
Abe fails to teach a battery pack comprising the secondary battery (10).
It is well-known in the art that electric vehicles require multiple secondary batteries connected together and forming a battery pack – see, e.g. Miyake (paragraphs [0232, 0233])
Therefore it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form a battery pack including multiple secondary batteries (10) for the purpose of being able to power an electric vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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LILIA V. NEDIALKOVA
Examiner
Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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