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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 03/04/2026 has been entered; support is found in Fig. 4 in view of Fig. 2, and their corresponding descriptions in the instant disclosure.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks pages 7-8, filed 03/04/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 7, and their dependent claims under 35 USC 103 over Chung in view of Guo have been fully considered and are persuasive, since neither Chung nor Guo teach the instant amended limitation now requiring “a first horn having a first tip formed as a first frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly and a second horn having a second tip formed as a second frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly”. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the amendment which necessitated further searching.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-10, and 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US 2018/0261807 A1) in view of Chung et al. (US 2023/0173606 A1, cited in 07/24/2025 Office action) and Guo et al. (CN-103071910-A, cited and attached in 10/20/2025 IDS; see also translated Fig. 8 of Guo attached to the previous Office action).
Regarding claim 1, Lim teaches a battery production method (sealing process, [0024]) comprising:
(a) accommodating an electrode assembly in a laminated casing (an electrode assembly and an electrolyte solution are embedded in a battery case of a laminate sheet, [0018]);
(b) forming a pressure-applied portion (sealing-planned parts 14a, 14b, and 14c which are external circumference ends of the battery case 14 are sealed; [0007]) by sandwiching the laminated casing surrounding a perimeter of the electrode assembly (perimeter as shown in Fig. 1) between … a first tip formed as a first frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly (first block 110, [0106] and Fig. 3 in view of Fig. 1) and … a second tip formed as a second frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly (second block 120, [0106] and Fig. 3 in view of Fig. 1); and
(c) forming a sealed portion surrounding the perimeter of the electrode assembly by applying [pressure and heat] from each of the first tip … and the second tip … to the pressure-applied portion (sealing apparatus includes a pair of sealing blocks for bonding the sealing-planned part by applying pressure and heat to the sealing-planned part at an upper portion and a lower portion; [0019, 0106]).
Lim fails to teach:
In (b), “a first horn having [the] first tip” nor “a second horn having [the] second tip”.
In (c), specifically “applying ultrasonic vibration from each of the first tip of the first horn and the second tip of the second horn to the pressure-applied portion, wherein the first horn has a first vibration direction, the second horn has a second vibration direction, the first vibration direction is parallel to a thickness direction of the laminated casing, the second vibration direction is non-parallel to the first vibration direction, and the second horn is vibrated in synchronism with the first horn.”
However, as cited above, Lim does teach in [0019] the frame-shaped blocks 110, 120 for sealing by applying pressure and heat to the sealing-planned part.
Chung is analogous in the art of a battery production method (a secondary battery manufacturing method, Chung [0002, 0079]) using a sealing apparatus ([0048]), and teaches such for applying heat and pressure to a sealing area of a battery laminate casing (sealing portion 32 is subjected to pressure, [0049]; heats and seals the sealing portion 32, [0048]) – at a sealing portion that extends along an edge surface of a battery case ([0008]) – by using a horn 120 ([0048-0050]) which is an ultrasonic welding horn that has uses vibration (ultrasonic waves applied through the horn, [0013, 0050]). Chung teaches ultrasonic wave applied in the sealing process for the secondary battery results in the uniformity in heat transfer to the first region of the sealing portion may be enhanced, and as a result, the first region of the sealing portion may be sealed without a failure ([0023, 0046, 0050]).
Therefore, Chung is pertinent to the problem of Lim by sharing the common inventive goal of sealing the perimeter edge region of a battery casing by applying heat and pressure; Chung teaches, as cited above, that an ultrasonic horn is a suitable apparatus for applying heat and pressure in order to seal the pressure-applied portion (which thereby becomes the sealed portion) of the battery casing.
Guo is analogous to Chung in the art of ultrasonic welding apparatuses (see Chung Figs. 5-6 and Guo Figs. 4-6). Guo teaches:
forming a pressure-applied portion (pressure applied between upper and lower heads pressing onto workpiece to-be-connected, Guo [0060-0062]) by sandwiching at least a portion of a workpiece (workpieces to be fused, Guo abstract; laminate of workpieces 70 in Guo Fig. 6; workpieces can be thin metal sheets per Guo [0067]) between a first horn (workbench 50 of lower ultrasonic vibration system 40, Guo Fig. 6) and a second horn (thermal head 32 of upper ultrasonic vibration system 20, Guo Fig. 6); and
applying ultrasonic vibration from each of the first horn (from vibration system transducer 42 through ultrasonic transformer 44 to lower horn at 50, Guo Fig. 6; ultrasonic waves by both upper and lower ultrasonic vibration systems, Guo [0065]) and the second horn (from vibration system transducer 22 through ultrasonic transformer 24 to upper horn at 32, Guo Fig. 6) to the pressure-applied portion (to laminate of workpieces 70 therebetween, Guo Fig. 6),
wherein the first horn has a first vibration direction (up-down dual-headed arrow in longitudinal direction of 44, Guo Fig. 6), the second horn has a second vibration direction (left-right dual-headed arrow in longitudinal direction of 24, Guo Fig. 6),
the first vibration direction is parallel to a thickness direction of the laminated casing (up-down arrow in vertical direction, thickness of laminated 70s also in vertical direction; Guo Fig. 6), the second vibration direction is non-parallel to the first vibration direction (right-left arrow is in horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the up-down arrow, Guo Fig. 6; perpendicular vibration directions of lower versus upper ultrasonic vibration systems 40/20 per Guo [0057]), and
the second horn is vibrated in synchronism with the first horn (parameters of the two ultrasonic waves in the dual ultrasonic mode are the same, Guo [0065]; specifically: Guo Fig. 8 – with translation attached and copied below – showing synchronized frequency and amplitude of lower and upper ultrasonic vibration waves).
PNG
media_image1.png
1045
1320
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Guo teaches their ultrasonic welding technique using the dual-horned synchronized apparatus (as cited above) achieves precise micro-connection of the laminated workpiece (Guo [0053, 0092]).
Since Lim and Chung share the inventive goal of sealing the battery casing edge by applying heat and pressure, and since Chung and Guo teach that ultrasonic horned apparatuses are useful for applying such necessary pressure to seal two layers of workpieces, it would have been obvious at the time of filing for a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lim in view of both Chung and Guo to select ultrasonic welding (as taught by Chung) to be the method of heating and pressing used to seal the battery casing periphery to enhance uniformity of heat transfer and mitigate sealing failure (as taught by Chung), and further to modify the apparatus performing said method to include dual-horns (as taught by Guo) in order to precise micro-connection of the laminated workpiece (i.e., battery casing of modified Lim) (as taught by Guo), such that the blocks 110 and 120 within Lim are modified to be first and second ultrasonic horns, but retaining their frame shape per Lim to surround and seal the perimeter of the electrode assembly.
Thereby, all limitations of claim 1 are rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 3, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and teaches the first horn has an amplitude (amplitude of 5 μm to 50 μm, Chung [0107] – as applied to modified Lim above when including ultrasonic vibration / waves), but fails to explicitly teach such amplitude being twice or less as large as a thickness of the laminated casing.
However, Chung teaches coating layers provided in the sealing portions have the thickness of 30 μm to 85 μm, Chung [0107]) (that is: 2*30μm=60μm and 2*85μm=170μm such that “twice as large as a thickness” is at minimum in the range of 60 to 170 μm since the coating layer is one layer within the laminate case; further, the amplitude range of 5 to 50 μm is indeed “less” than the twice-thickness since 5 to 50 μm falls below the range of 60 to 170 μm). Lim teaches in [0027-0029] toward the thickness of the sealing-planned part (i.e., of the laminate casing) being a result-effective variable which affects the selection of the shape of the protrusion part of the pressure-applying part. Further, Guo teaches that the amplitude is adjustable (Guo [0033]) and that parameters are set according to workpiece size (Guo [0059, 0066]). See also MPEP 2144.05 II.
Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to tailor the amplitude of the ultrasonic horn(s) to account for the thickness of the to-be-sealed portion of the laminate casing, in view of the combined teachings of the three references as cited, in order to sufficiently seal the sealed portion using said ultrasonic welding at the set amplitude.
Thereby, claim 3 is obvious.
Regarding claim 7, Lim teaches a battery production apparatus for forming a sealed portion of a laminated casing (a sealing apparatus for sealing a sealing-planned part of a battery case, Lim [0018, 0033]) in which an electrode assembly is accommodated (a battery cell having a structure in which an electrode assembly and an electrolyte solution are embedded in a battery case of a laminate sheet, [0018]) with the sealed portion surrounding a perimeter of the electrode assembly (Fig. 1), the battery production apparatus comprising:
… a first tip formed as a first frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly (first block 110, [0106] and Fig. 3 in view of Fig. 1);
… a second tip formed as a second frame configured to surround the perimeter of the electrode assembly (second block 120, [0106] and Fig. 3 in view of Fig. 1);
a pressure applying apparatus (a sealing apparatus having a structure in which an application area of pressure and heat is increased by a pair of sealing blocks and a pressurization part extending from the sealing block, Abstract).
Lim fails to teach “a first horn having [the] first tip” nor “a second horn having [the] second tip; nor:
a first ultrasonic wave generating apparatus; and
a second ultrasonic wave generating apparatus, wherein the first tip of the first horn and the second tip of the second horn are configured to sandwich the laminated casing around the perimeter surrounding the electrode assembly between the first tip of the first horn and the second tip of the second horn,
the pressure applying apparatus is configured to apply pressure applying force to at least one of the first horn and the second horn,
the first ultrasonic wave generating apparatus is configured to apply, to the first horn, ultrasonic vibration in a first vibration direction,
the second ultrasonic wave generating apparatus is configured to apply, to the second horn, ultrasonic vibration in a second vibration direction,
the first vibration direction is parallel to a thickness direction of the laminated casing,
the second vibration direction is non-parallel to the first vibration direction, and
the second horn is vibrated in synchronism with the first horn.
However, as cited above, Lim does teach in [0019] the frame-shaped blocks 110, 120 for sealing by applying pressure and heat to the sealing-planned part. Lim teaches the sealing apparatus has a structure in which the application area of pressure and heat of the sealing blocks with respect to the sealing-planned part is substantially increased by the protrusion part ([0026]),
Chung is analogous in the art of a battery production method (a secondary battery manufacturing method, Chung [0002, 0079]) using a sealing apparatus ([0048]), and teaches such for applying heat and pressure to a sealing area of a battery laminate casing (sealing portion 32 is subjected to pressure, [0049]; heats and seals the sealing portion 32, [0048]) – at a sealing portion that extends along an edge surface of a battery case ([0008]) – by using a horn 120 ([0048-0050]) which is an ultrasonic welding horn that has uses vibration (ultrasonic waves applied through the horn, [0013, 0050]). Chung teaches ultrasonic wave applied in the sealing process for the secondary battery results in the uniformity in heat transfer to the first region of the sealing portion may be enhanced, and as a result, the first region of the sealing portion may be sealed without a failure ([0023, 0046, 0050]).
Therefore, Chung is pertinent to the problem of Lim by sharing the common inventive goal of sealing the perimeter edge region of a battery casing by applying heat and pressure; Chung teaches, as cited above, that an ultrasonic horn is a suitable apparatus for applying heat and pressure in order to seal the pressure-applied portion (which thereby becomes the sealed portion) of the battery casing.
Guo is analogous to Chung in the art of ultrasonic welding apparatuses (see Chung Figs. 5-6 and Guo Figs. 4-6). Guo teaches:
forming a pressure-applied portion (pressure applied between upper and lower heads pressing onto workpiece to-be-connected, Guo [0060-0062]) by sandwiching at least a portion of a workpiece (workpieces to be fused, Guo abstract; laminate of workpieces 70 in Guo Fig. 6; workpieces can be thin metal sheets per Guo [0067]) between a first horn (workbench 50 of lower ultrasonic vibration system 40, Guo Fig. 6) and a second horn (thermal head 32 of upper ultrasonic vibration system 20, Guo Fig. 6); and
applying ultrasonic vibration from each of the first horn (from vibration system transducer 42 through ultrasonic transformer 44 to lower horn at 50, Guo Fig. 6; ultrasonic waves by both upper and lower ultrasonic vibration systems, Guo [0065]) and the second horn (from vibration system transducer 22 through ultrasonic transformer 24 to upper horn at 32, Guo Fig. 6) to the pressure-applied portion (to laminate of workpieces 70 therebetween, Guo Fig. 6),
wherein the first horn has a first vibration direction (up-down dual-headed arrow in longitudinal direction of 44, Guo Fig. 6), the second horn has a second vibration direction (left-right dual-headed arrow in longitudinal direction of 24, Guo Fig. 6),
the first vibration direction is parallel to a thickness direction of the laminated casing (up-down arrow in vertical direction, thickness of laminated 70s also in vertical direction; Guo Fig. 6), the second vibration direction is non-parallel to the first vibration direction (right-left arrow is in horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the up-down arrow, Guo Fig. 6; perpendicular vibration directions of lower versus upper ultrasonic vibration systems 40/20 per Guo [0057]), and
the second horn is vibrated in synchronism with the first horn (parameters of the two ultrasonic waves in the dual ultrasonic mode are the same, Guo [0065]; specifically: Guo Fig. 8 – with translation attached and copied below – showing synchronized frequency and amplitude of lower and upper ultrasonic vibration waves).
PNG
media_image1.png
1045
1320
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Guo teaches their ultrasonic welding technique using the dual-horned synchronized apparatus (as cited above) achieves precise micro-connection of the laminated workpiece (Guo [0053, 0092]).
Since Lim and Chung share the inventive goal of sealing the battery casing edge by applying heat and pressure, and since Chung and Guo teach that ultrasonic horned apparatuses are useful for applying such necessary pressure to seal two layers of workpieces, it would have been obvious at the time of filing for a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lim in view of both Chung and Guo to select ultrasonic welding (as taught by Chung) to be the method of heating and pressing used to seal the battery casing periphery to enhance uniformity of heat transfer and mitigate sealing failure (as taught by Chung), and further to modify the apparatus performing said method to include dual-horns (as taught by Guo) in order to precise micro-connection of the laminated workpiece (i.e., battery casing of modified Lim) (as taught by Guo), such that the blocks 110 and 120 within Lim are modified to be first and second ultrasonic horns, but retaining their frame shape per Lim to surround and seal the perimeter of the electrode assembly.
Thereby, all limitations of claim 7 are rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 2 and claim 8, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 7 above and teaches the second vibration direction is orthogonal to the first vibration direction (right-left arrow is in horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the up-down arrow, Guo Fig. 6; perpendicular vibration directions of lower versus upper ultrasonic vibration systems 40/20 per Guo [0057] – as cited above and applied to modified Lim in regards to claims 1 and 7).
Regarding claim 5 and claim 9, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 7 above and teaches at least one of the first horn and the second horn includes a knurled portion (protrusions of horn, Chung [0114] – horns of Chung as applied to modified Lim above when incorporating ultrasonic welding), and the knurled portion is in contact with the laminated casing (the sealing surface has protrusion marks of the horn, Chung [0114] and Fig. 14).
Regarding claim 6 and claim 10, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 7 above and wherein the sealed portion includes a first region and a second region (within sealing-planned part of Lim Fig. 1; see also Lim abstract),
in the first region, portions of the laminated casing are welded to each other (14b, Lim Fig. 1),
in the second region, an electrode tab is sandwiched between the portions of the laminated casing (11 / 12 sandwiched at respective end within regions 14a / 14c, Lim Fig. 1)
at least one of the first horn and the second horn (110,120 blocks of Lim modified to be dual ultrasonic horns per modifications in view of Chung and Guo – see rejections of claims 1 and 7 above) includes a first portion and a second portion (Lim [0107] and Figs. 3 and 5),
the first portion is configured to form the first region (202 and extended/sandwiching portion within 110 and 120 to left/right of 202, Lim Figs. 3 and 5; the first block 110 and the second block 120 pressurize the sealing-planned part per Lim [0122] in view of Fig. 1),
the second portion is configured to form the second region (201, Lim Figs. 3 and 5 in view of Figs. 1 and 6; the first block 110 and the second block 120 may have an inner surface shape – at groove 210 – corresponding so that the electrode lead per Lim [0112-0113]), and
the second portion is located backward with respect to the first portion in the thickness direction of the laminated casing (201 vertically “backward” from/beyond 202 to thus form groove 210, Lim Figs. 3 and 5).
Regarding claim 12 and claim 14, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 7 above and wherein the first frame includes a first pair of peripheral edge members spaced from each other such that the electrode assembly can be positioned therebetween (protrusion parts 300, Lim Figs. 3-4 – “A” and “B” as annotated below), and the first frame includes a second pair of peripheral edge members extending between the first pair of peripheral edge members (left and right lateral extensions of each 110, 120; Lim Figs. 3-4 – “B” and “C” as annotated below, extending between “A” and “B”) and spaced from each other such that the electrode assembly can be positioned therebetween (to form the sealed region of the casing around the electrode assembly as shown in Lim Fig. 1 – at each side “a, b, c, d” as annotated below, and in view of Fig. 6).
PNG
media_image2.png
1023
586
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
782
660
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 13 and claim 15, modified Lim teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 7 above wherein the first frame includes four peripheral edge members (“A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” as annotated in Lim Figs. 3-4 provided above in regards to claims 12 and 14).
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 Jessie Walls-Murray whose telephone number is (571)272-1664. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, typically 10-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571) 270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JESSIE WALLS-MURRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728