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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 18 December 2025 has been entered.
Status of Claims and Other Notes
Claims 1–4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12–15 are pending.
Claims 5, 8, and 11 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 2023/0223658 A1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ariga (JP 2016-152170 A) in view of Cho et al. (US 2005/0287429 A1, hereinafter Cho).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Ariga discloses a lithium-ion cell (100, [0011]), comprising:
a ribbon-shaped electrode-separator assembly (3) comprising an anode (32), a cathode (34), and a separator (33) in a sequence anode/separator/cathode (FIG. 3, [0022]),
the electrode-separator assembly (3) being in the form of a winding with two terminal end faces (FIG. 3, [0022]),
wherein the anode (32) comprises a negative electrode material (32b) and a ribbon-shaped anode current collector (32c) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, and two ends (FIG. 3, [0022]),
wherein a strip-shaped main region of the anode current collector (32c) is loaded with a layer of the negative electrode material (32b, [0022]) and
a free edge strip (32c) of the anode current collector (32c), extending along the first longitudinal edge, is not loaded with the negative electrode material (32b, [0015]),
the cathode (34) comprises a positive electrode material (34b) and a ribbon-shaped cathode current collector (34c) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, and two ends (FIG. 3, [0022]),
wherein a strip-shaped main region of the cathode current collector (34c) is loaded with a layer of the positive electrode material (34b, [0022]) and
a free edge strip (34c) of the cathode current collector (34c), extending along the first longitudinal edge, is not loaded with the positive electrode material (34b, [0015]), and
a housing (1) enclosing the electrode-separator assembly (3, [0012]); and
a metallic contact element (24, 44; [0015]),
wherein the anode (32) and the cathode (34) are offset within the electrode-separator assembly (3) so that the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector (32c) protrudes from a first terminal end face of the terminal end faces and the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector (34c) protrudes from a second terminal end face of the two terminal end faces (FIG. 3, [0022]),
wherein a respective first longitudinal edge is in direct contact with the metallic contact element (24, 44; [0015]),
the respective first longitudinal edge being the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector (32c) or the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector (34c, [0015]), and
wherein the metallic contact element (22, 44) is connected to the respective first longitudinal edge by a weld (FIG. 1, [0024]),
wherein a respective free edge strip (32c, 34c) is coated with a support material (34, [0034]),
the respective freed edge strip (32c, 34c) being the free edge strip of the anode current collector (32c) or the free edge strip of the cathode current collector (34c, [0034]),
the support material (50, [0041]) being different from both the negative electrode material (32b, [0028]) and the positive electrode material (34b, [0039]), and
wherein the separator (33) comprises a coating (33b) comprising at least one inorganic material (FIG. 4, [0025]),
the coating (33b) being disposed at least in a region that covers a boundary (C) between the support material (50) and a respective adjacent electrode material (34b, [0035),
the respective adjacent electrode material (34b) being the negative electrode material (32b) or the positive electrode material (34b, [0035]).
Ariga does not explicitly disclose:
a metallic contact element resting flat on one of the two terminal end faces; and
wherein the metallic contact element resting flat on one of the two terminal end faces is a sheet metal plate or a sheet metal strip having first and second faces and an edge,
the first and second faces extending perpendicular to a winding axis of the winding,
the first face being connected to the respective first longitudinal edge by the weld.
Cho discloses a lithium-ion cell (FIG. 1, [0024]) comprising a metallic contact element (20) resting flat on a terminal end face (11a) of electrode-separator assembly (10, [0034]); and wherein the metallic contact element (20) resting flat on the terminal end face (11a) is a sheet metal plate or a sheet metal strip having first and second faces and an edge (FIG. 3, [0033]), the first and second faces extending perpendicular to a winding axis of the winding (10, [0034]), the first face being connected to a respective first longitudinal edge by a weld (FIG. 3, [0030]) to improve the current collecting efficiency (FIG. 3, [0013]). Ariga and Cho are analogous because they are directed to lithium-ion cells. 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 lithium-ion cell of Ariga with the metallic contact element of Cho in order to improve the current collecting efficiency.
Regarding claim 2, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein the electrode-separator assembly (3) additionally comprises a second separator (35, [0022]),
wherein the second separator (35) and the separator (33) are identical (FIG. 4, [0025]), and
wherein the electrode-separator assembly (3) has a sequence anode/separator/cathode/second separator or the sequence second separator/anode/separator/cathode (FIG. 3, [0022]).
Regarding claim 4, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein the at least one inorganic material is further contained in the separator (33) as particulate filler material (FIG. 4, [0025]).
Regarding claim 7, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein at least one of the following additional features is present the separator (33) comprises the coating (33b) comprising the at least one inorganic material only in regions (FIG. 4, [0025]), the separator (33) has an edge strip along a first and/or the second longitudinal edge of the separator (33), the separator (33) comprising the coating (33b) comprising the at least one inorganic material along the edge strip (FIG. 4, [0025]), or the separator (33) comprises a ribbon-shaped main region not coated with the at least one inorganic material (FIG. 4, [0025]).
Regarding claim 9, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein at least one of the following additional features is present the respective free edge strip (34c) comprises a first region and a second region (FIG. 6, [0034]), wherein the first region is coated with the support material (50) while the second region is uncoated, the first region and the second region each have a shape of a line or a strip and run parallel to each other, or the first region is disposed between a respective strip-shaped main region the second region (FIG. 6, [0034]),
the respective strip-shaped main region being the strip-shaped main region of the anode current collector (32c) or the strip-shaped main region of the cathode current collector (34c, [0034]).
Regarding claim 10, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein the free edge strip of the anode current collector (34c) is coated with the support material (50) up to the first longitudinal edge thereof and/or the free edge strip of the cathode current collector (34c) is coated with the support material (50) up to the first longitudinal edge thereof (FIG. 6, [0034]).
Regarding claim 14, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein, in the winding, the separator (33) and a respective electrode (34) comprising the respective adjacent electrode material (34b) are in contact such that the coating (33b) contacts (i) a first portion of the respective electrode (34) being coated with the support material (50) and (ii) a second portion of the respective electrode (34) being coated with the respective electrode material (34b, [0044]).
Claims 3, 6, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ariga (JP 2016-152170 A) in view of Cho (US 2005/0287429 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Guo (US 2019/0379022 A1).
Regarding claims 3, 6, and 13, modified Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lithium-ion cell:
wherein the separator (33) is a ribbon-shaped plastic substrate (33a) with first and second longitudinal edges and two ends (FIG. 4, [0025]),
the first and second longitudinal edges of the separator (33) form the terminal end faces of the electrode-separator assembly (33, [0022]).
Ariga does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the separator comprises a ribbon-shaped plastic substrate having a thickness in a range of 5 μm to 50 μm,
wherein the coating comprising the at least one inorganic material has a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm to 5 μm, and
wherein the at least one inorganic material comprises a ceramic material;
wherein at least one of the following additional features is present the at least one inorganic material is or comprises an electrically insulating material, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of ceramic material, glass-ceramic material, and glass, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises a lithium ion conducting ceramic material, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises an oxidic material, and/or the ceramic or oxide material is aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, a silicon oxide, or titanium carbonitride.
Guo discloses a separator comprising a ribbon-shaped plastic substrate having a thickness in a range of 5 μm to 50 μm (see porous substrate, [0074]) and a coating containing at least one inorganic material with a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm to 5 μm (see porous layer, [0074]), and wherein the at least one inorganic material comprises a ceramic material; wherein at least one of the following additional features is present the at least one inorganic material is or comprises an electrically insulating material, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of ceramic material, glass-ceramic material, and glass, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises a lithium ion conducting ceramic material, the at least one inorganic material is or comprises an oxidic material, and/or the ceramic or oxide material is aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, a silicon oxide, or titanium carbonitride (see aluminum oxide, [0074]) in order to improve safety performance of the lithium-ion cell (TABLE 1, [0079]). Ariga and Guo are analogous because they are directed to lithium-ion cells. 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 separator of modified Ariga with the separator of Guo in order to improve safety performance of the lithium-ion cell.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ariga (JP 2016-152170 A) in view of Cho (US 2005/0287429 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Damlencourt et al. (US 2015/080038 A1, hereinafter Damlencourt).
Regarding claim 12, Ariga discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose a lithium-ion cell:
wherein the support material is an electrically insulating ceramic material having a higher melting point than a metal from which the respective free edge strip is formed.
Damlencourt discloses a support material (23) made of an electrically insulating ceramic material (see alumina, [0042]) having a higher melting point than a metal (see aluminum current collector, [0042]) from which a respective free edge strip (10) is formed (FIG. 4D, [0042]) to improve the bond between the support material and the current collector (see beads, [0038]). Ariga and Damlencourt are analogous because they are directed to lithium-ion cells. 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 support material of modified Ariga with the electrically insulating ceramic material of Damlencourt in order to improve the bond between the support material and the current collector.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 18 December 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants argue neither the negative electrode current collector plate 24 nor the positive electrode current collector plate 44 of Ariga rests flat on a terminal end face of the winding group (P7/¶2). Nonobviousness cannot be shown by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Cho discloses a current collector plate (20) rests flat on a terminal end face (11a) of the winding group (10, [0033]) in order to improve the current collecting efficiency (FIG. 3, [0013]). Therefore, the combination of references a current collector plate rests flat on a terminal end face of the winding group.
Applicants argue the adhesive layer 50 of Ariga does not provide any thermal or mechanical stabilization and is not a support material (P8/¶1). It is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the support material provides thermal or mechanical stabilization) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Claim 1 recites "the support material being different from both the negative electrode material and the positive electrode material." Claim 1 does not recite any limitation related to the ability of the support material to provide thermal or mechanical stabilization. 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. The broadest reasonable interpretation of "support" is give assistance to, based on its plain meaning (see support, New Oxford American Dictionary). The adhesive layer (50) gives assistance for adhesion of the current collector (34c) to the separator (33, [0041]). Therefore, the adhesive layer 50 of Ariga provide assistance and is a support material.
Applicants argue Ariga does not describe that the heat-resistant layers 33a, 35a provide for thermal shielding of welding interfaces or structural support of current collector edges or the heat-resistant layers 33a, 35a interact with any support material or metallic contact element (P8/¶2). It is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the coating provides for thermal shielding of welding interfaces or structural support of current collector edges or the heat-resistant layers 33a, 35a interact with any support material or metallic contact element) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Claim 1 recites "the coating being disposed at least in a region that covers a boundary between the support material and a respective adjacent electrode material." Claim 1 does not recite any limitation related to the ability of the coating to provide thermal shielding of welding interfaces or structural support of current collector edges or interacting with the support material or metallic contact element.
Applicants argue the heat-resistant layers 33a, 35a laminated on base material layers 33b, 35b of Ariga do not provide a separator coated with an inorganic material at least in a region that covers a boundary between a support material and an adjacent electrode material (P8/¶2). Ariga illustrates the heat-resistant layers 33a, 35a laminated on base material layers 33b, 35b are disposed in a region that covers a boundary between a support material and an adjacent electrode material in FIG. 9.
Applicants argue Guo and Damlencourt fail to cure the above-described deficiencies of Ariga (P9/¶1). Ariga is not deficient as detailed above.
Applicants argue claims 3, 6, and 13 are allowable because they depend from claim 1 (P9/¶2). Claim 1 is not allowable as detailed above.
Applicants argue claim 15 is allowable because it depends from claim 1 (P9/¶3). Claim 1 is not allowable as detailed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Han (US 2014/0255740 A1) discloses a lithium-ion cell comprising a metallic contact element resting flat on a terminal end face of electrode-separator assembly; and wherein the metallic contact element resting flat on the terminal end face is a sheet metal plate or a sheet metal strip having first and second faces and an edge, the first and second faces extending perpendicular to a winding axis of the winding, the first face being connected to a respective first longitudinal edge by a weld (FIG. 3, [0070]).
Kim (US 2013/0095374 A1) discloses a lithium-ion cell comprising a metallic contact element resting flat on a terminal end face of electrode-separator assembly; and wherein the metallic contact element resting flat on the terminal end face is a sheet metal plate or a sheet metal strip having first and second faces and an edge, the first and second faces extending perpendicular to a winding axis of the winding, the first face being connected to a respective first longitudinal edge by a weld (FIG. 2, [0044]).
Akita (US 2004/0191612 A1) discloses a lithium-ion cell comprising a metallic contact element resting flat on a terminal end face of electrode-separator assembly; and wherein the metallic contact element resting flat on the terminal end face is a sheet metal plate or a sheet metal strip having first and second faces and an edge, the first and second faces extending perpendicular to a winding axis of the winding, the first face being connected to a respective first longitudinal edge by a weld (FIG. 3, [0055]).
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