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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
“then reducing pressure” (claim 1, line 6) is vague and indefinite because it is unclear as to where and how the pressure is reducing and how it relates to the impregnated electrodes and separator, please clarify.
“arranging a plurality of stacks over the exterior film” (claim 2, line 3) is vague and indefinite because it is uncertain as to what is the structural elements of the stack
“performing sealing under reduced pressure and then dividing the exterior film into separate second battery” (claim 2, lines 5-6) is vague and indefinite because it is uncertain as to what being sealed and how the separated exterior film became secondary batteries, please clarify.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 3-9 as best understood are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent 10,096,860 to Ishida.
Regarding claim 1, Ishida discloses a method for fabricating a secondary battery,
comprising: dripping an electrolyte on one or more of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode (See S3 of Fig. 4); impregnating the one or more of the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode with the electrolyte (see (Col. 10, line 66 to Col. 11, line 2) and then reducing pressure (see Col. 11, lines 18-24); and sealing a stack of the one or more of the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode with an exterior film (see S5 of Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 3, Ishida discloses wherein the stack is stored to be surrounded by the exterior film (see Fig. 2)
Regarding claims 4-5, Ishida discloses the electrolyte comprises fluorine and an ionic liquid (see Col. 8, line 53 to Col. 9, line 26).
Regarding claims 7-9, Ishida discloses at least one any one or more of the
positive electrode and the negative electrode comprise graphene; the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode active material layer on one or both surfaces of a positive electrode current collector (12); and the negative electrode comprises a negative electrode active material layer on one or both surfaces of a negative electrode current collector (22, see Col. 6, line 61 to Col. 8, line 39).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 13-15 are allowed.
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 10-12 and 16-18 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 2, prior art fails to teach or suggest the method for fabricating a secondary battery comprising the steps of arranging a plurality of stacks of electrodes and separator over the exterior film, then dripping electrolyte on the stacks, sealing the impregnated stacks and dividing the sealing stacks into separated secondary batteries. Regarding claim 6, prior art fails to teach the steps of individually dripping electrolyte onto positive electrode, separator and negative electrode after sequentially stacking them on the exterior film.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art references cited for their general teaching of fabricating a secondary battery, such as U.S. Patent 6,371,996 to Takayama et al disclose the method of making battery by injected electrolyte into half sealed electrodes stack, the reducing pressure and completely sealing the stack. Similarly, U.S. Patent 9,553,298 to Shim et al disclose the stacking of electrodes and separator the partially seal the stack with exterior film; injecting electrolyte; and final sealing the package as shown in Figs. 3-6.
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/DN/ /DONGHAI D NGUYEN/January 10, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729