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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-3, 5-10, 12, and 13 in the reply filed on 6/17/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 24, 27, 30, and 33 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected groups, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/17/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because the limitation “wherein the first lattice structure can be separated from the first paste after extraction the first paste with the first frame and the first paste remains on the first printing pad” in lines 8-11 should be changed to “wherein the first lattice structure can be separated, with the first frame, from the first paste after extraction of the first paste and the first paste remains on the first printing pad” to avoid a run-on sentence.
Claim 6 is objected to because the term “is provided” should be moved from line 10 to after “element” in line 9 for clarity, and the limitation “wherein the second lattice structure can be separated after extraction of the second paste from the second paste with the frame and the second paste remains on the second printing pad” in lines 11-13 should be changed to “wherein the second lattice structure can be separated, with the second frame, from the second paste after extraction of the second paste and the second paste remains on the second printing pad” to avoid a run-on sentence.
Claim 7 is objected to because the term “is provided” should be moved from line 13 to after “element” in line 11 for clarity, and the limitation “wherein the third lattice structure is separable after extraction of the third paste with the third frame from the third paste and the third paste remains on the third printing pad” in lines 13-15 should be changed to “wherein the third lattice structure is separable, after extraction of the third paste, with the third frame from the third paste and the third paste remains on the third printing pad” to avoid a run-on sentence.
Claim 10 is objected to because the word “at” should be inserted before “least” in line 3.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 5-10, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2531588 to Moazzam et al. (cited and provided by Applicant), in view of CN 102211445 to Huh et al. (machine translation provided for citation).
Regarding claim 1, Moazzam et al. teaches a first screen printing machine (a first screen printing device) for producing a first electrode, e.g. cathode layer 307 or anode layer 308, a second screen printing machine (a second screen printing device) for producing a second electrode, e.g. the other of 307 and 308, and a lamination machine (a stack module), wherein a resulting energy store comprises a cell comprising the first electrode, the second electrode, and a separating layer including separator layers 310, 311 and/or at least one electrolyte layer 320 arranged between the two electrodes (Figs. 3 and 5; [0033-39]; [0044]; [0046]; [0059-61]).
Moazzam et al. does not expressly teach a device comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules including a first electrode module comprising the first screen printing device, a second electrode module comprising the second screen printing device, and the stack module.
Huh et al. also relates to a screen printing device for producing electrodes of an energy store and teaches a screen printing system comprising a plurality of screen printing units 2000A, 2000B to simultaneously operate on a plurality of substrates for printing the electrodes ([0005-33]; Fig. 9; [0107]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have assembled or turned the number of machines of Moazzam et al. into a system (a device comprising a plurality of modules) as claimed, because Moazzam et al. demonstrates that such a system or device can simultaneously print a plurality of products and include additional components for material supplying, further processing and inspection, and control unit, in order to improve the yield and space efficiency without greatly increasing cost ([0004-8]; Fig. 9; [0107]; [0108]; [0117]; [0118]).
Regarding claim 2, Moazzam et al. teaches that the separator layer 310, 311 is printed on top of at least one of the cathode layer 307 and the anode layer 308 ([0047]) and on top of at least one of the separator layers 310 and 311 is printed at least one electrolyte layer 320 ([0049]). This implies a third screen printing device for producing the separating layer and one skilled in the art would have incorporated a separating layer module containing this third screen printing device into the device or system based on the prior arts.
Regarding claim 3, the instant limitation does not tie the structure of the energy store to the claimed device. The prior art device would have been capable of producing the claimed energy store containing at least one of a first collector and a second collector as Moazzam et al. teaches that a cathode current collecting layer 104 and an anode current collecting layer 103 are provided (Fig. 3; [0020]; [0021]).
Regarding claim 5, Huh et al. teaches that the first screen printing device or one of the screen printing units 2000A, 2000B comprises a first printing pad or substrate and a first printing screen or screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10; [0095-102]; [0108]; [0109]), which has a first frame comprising a first lattice structure for receiving a first paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein a first application device including paste feeding units 3000A and 3000B is configured for applying the first paste to the first screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 2 and 9; [0101]; [0108]), wherein the first screen printing plate 2230 has recesses or openings which are configured to be filled with the first paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein a first extraction element including squeegee assembly 2223 is provided for extracting the first paste from the openings or recesses in the first screen 2230 onto the first printing pad or substrate (Figs. 2, 7, and 9; [0101]; [0102]), wherein the first lattice structure of the first screen printing plate 2230 can be separated, with the first frame, from the first paste after extraction of the first paste and the first paste remains on the first printing pad as the screen 2230 can move up and down ([0085]; [0096]; [0102]), wherein the first electrode is obtainable by drying the first paste in a first drying unit as Moazzam et al. teaches that printed layers are dried ([0059-62]; [0069-73]). The skilled artisan would have used and combined known devices and obtained expected results.
Regarding claim 6, Huh et al. teaches that the second screen printing device or the other one of the screen printing units 2000A, 2000B comprises a second printing pad or substrate and a second printing screen or screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10; [0095-102]; [0108]; [0109]), which has a second frame comprising a second lattice structure for receiving a second paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein a second application device including paste feeding units 3000A and 3000B is configured for applying the second paste to the second screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 2 and 9; [0101]; [0108]), wherein a second distribution device is optional and thus not required, wherein the second screen printing plate 2230 has recesses or openings which can be filled with the second paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein a second extraction element including squeegee assembly 2223 is provided for extracting the second paste from the openings or recesses in the second screen 2230 onto the second printing pad or substrate (Figs. 2, 7, and 9; [0101]; [0102]), wherein the second lattice structure of the second screen printing plate 2230 can be separated, with the second frame, from the second paste after extraction of the second paste and the second paste remains on the second printing pad as the screen 2230 can move up and down ([0085]; [0096]; [0102]), wherein the second electrode is obtainable by drying the second paste in a second drying unit as Moazzam et al. teaches that printed layers are dried ([0059-62]; [0069-73]). The skilled artisan would have used and combined known devices and obtained expected results.
Regarding claim 7, since Moazzam et al. implies a third screen printing device for producing the separating layer including the separator layers 310, 311 and/or at least one electrolyte layer 320 ([0047]; [0049]), one skilled in the art would have used a known device such as that disclosed by Huh et al. and obtained expected results. The third screen printing device would have been like one of the screen printing units 2000A, 2000B comprising a third printing pad, which may be the cathode layer, anode layer, or the separator layer in the case that the electrolyte layer is considered to correspond to the claimed separating layer, and a third printing screen or screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10; [0095-102]; [0108]; [0109]), which has a third frame comprising a third lattice structure for receiving a third paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein at least the third lattice structure of the screen printing plate 2230 is configured to be filled with the third paste in order to form the separating layer ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein the third paste is configured to be applied by a third application device including paste feeding units 3000A and 3000B to the third screen printing plate 2230 (Figs. 2 and 9; [0101]; [0108]), wherein a third distribution device including a component in squeegee assembly 2223 belonging to the third screen printing device is configured to distribute the third paste on the third lattice structure, wherein the third screen printing plate 2230 has recesses or openings which can be filled with the third paste ([0096]; [0101]; [0108]; [0132]), wherein a third extraction element including another component of the squeegee assembly 2223 is provided for extracting the third paste from the openings or recesses in the third screen 2230 onto the third printing pad (Figs. 2, 7, and 9; [0101]; [0102]), wherein the third lattice structure of the third screen printing plate 2230 is separable, after extraction of the third paste, with the third frame from the third paste and the third paste remains on the third printing pad as the screen 2230 can move up and down ([0085]; [0096]; [0102]), wherein the separating layer can be obtainable by drying the third paste in a third drying unit as Moazzam et al. teaches that printed layers are dried ([0062]; [0069-73]). The skilled artisan would have used and combined known devices and obtained expected results.
Regarding claim 8, the instant limitation does not tie the structure of the electrode to the claimed device. The prior art device would have been capable of producing the first electrode and/or second electrodes consisting of a plurality of layers by, for example, printing a plurality of layers of the electrode material.
Regarding claim 9, the instant limitation does not tie the structure of the electrode to the claimed device. The prior art device would have been capable of producing the first electrode and/or the second electrode in the claimed thickness by, for example, controlling the amount of paste applied or the number of layers printed.
Regarding claim 10, the instant limitation does not tie the structure of the energy store to the claimed device as the claimed energy store containing a plurality of cells can be provided after the output of the device. The prior art device would have been capable of producing a plurality of cells and would have allowed the plurality of cells to form the claimed energy store.
Regarding claim 12, the instant limitation does not tie the structure of the electrode or separating layer to the claimed device. The prior art device would have been capable of working with a porous material in the first or second electrode or the separating layer.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art device would have been capable of producing a plurality of corresponding first or second electrodes or separating layers for a plurality of cells are arranged side by side on a first printing pad or on a second printing pad or on a third printing pad by, for example, adjusting the printing pattern to produce a plurality of layers arranged side by side on the corresponding printing pad or substrate ([0032]; [0101]; [0132]; [0143]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENG M CHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5859. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am - 5:30 pm on Monday, 9 am - 3 pm on Tuesday, and 9 am to 1 pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
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/Heng M. Chan/Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/BASIA A RIDLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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