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 .
Election/Restriction and Claim Status
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 8–13 in the reply filed on 16 January 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 14 and 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
the limitation “a nitrogen element concentration A1 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound in an outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly” should instead read “a nitrogen element concentration A1 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound on an outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly”, as the Instant Specification (e.g. [0021]) makes clear that the isocyanate group-containing compound is being applied to, i.e. it will thus be present on, the outermost peripheral surface of the electrode assembly, and not in, i.e. embedded into, the outermost peripheral surface of the electrode assembly; note that for the purposes of this Office Action, Claim 8 is being interpreted in its corrected state recited above; and
“the positive electrode and the negative electrode that are wound with the separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode” should instead read “wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound with the separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode” to improve clarity.
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
the limitation “a nitrogen element concentration A2 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound in an inner wall of the battery case” should instead read “a nitrogen element concentration A2 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound on an inner wall of the battery case”, as the Instant Specification (e.g. [0021]) makes clear that the isocyanate group-containing compound is being applied to, i.e. it will thus be present on, the inner wall of the battery case, and not in, i.e. embedded into, the inner wall of the battery case; note that for the purposes of this Office Action, Claim 9 is being interpreted in its corrected state recited above; and
“the positive electrode and the negative electrode that are wound with the separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode” should instead read “wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound with the separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode” to improve clarity.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informality: “in the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly” should instead read “on the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly” for the same reason described above for Claim 8.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informality: “in the inner wall of the battery case” should instead read “on the inner wall of the battery case” for the same reason described above for Claim 9.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 8–13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2015/0307752 A1) as evidenced by Chun (US 2006/0240319 A1).
Regarding Claims 8–11, Park discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery (see secondary battery, [0062], which can include an electrolyte comprising a non-aqueous organic solvent, [0065]) comprising:
a wound electrode assembly (see electrode assembly, [0053], [0092], which is a jelly roll type, [0092]; one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that jelly roll type electrode assemblies are wound) including a positive electrode (see cathode, [0065], [0092]), a negative electrode (see anode, [0065], [0092]), and a separator (see separator, [0063], [0092]);
a non-aqueous electrolyte (see electrolyte, [0060], which can comprise a non-aqueous organic solvent, [0065]); and
a battery case (see can, [0060]) housing the wound electrode assembly and the non-aqueous electrolyte ([0060]).
Park does not explicitly disclose wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound with the separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. However, one of ordinary skill in the art in the field of secondary batteries will understand that this will necessarily be the case in the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of Park in order for it to function properly, as evidenced by Chun ([0009]).
Specifically regarding Claims 8 and 10, Park discloses wherein a nitrogen element concentration A1 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound on an outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly and a nitrogen element concentration B derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound in an inner region inside the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly satisfy a relation of A1 > B (Claim 8), and further wherein a ratio of the nitrogen element concentration B in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly to the nitrogen element concentration A1 on the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly (B/A1) is 0.5 or less (Claim 10), by teaching that a tape (see tape 101, [0054], FIG. 1) comprising polyurethane (see polyurethane film, [0006]) containing a nitrogen element (see nitrogen in the urethane (—NHCOO—), [0007]) derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound (see polyisocyanate compound, [0007]) can be attached to an object (see object 104, [0054], FIG. 1), wherein the object is the wound electrode assembly ([0059]–[0060], see also FIG. 3) for use in the non-aqueous secondary battery ([0060]), and the tape is attached to its circumferential outermost surface ([0063]). Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art will thus understand that because the tape containing the nitrogen element derived from the isocyanate group-containing compound is only present on the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly and is not present in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly in the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of Park, it will necessarily be the case that the above limitations, i.e. A1 > B and B/A1 is 0.5 or less, are satisfied, as A1 (the nitrogen element concentration derived from the isocyanate group-containing compound on an outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly) necessarily has a non-zero value, while B (the nitrogen element concentration derived from the isocyanate-containing compound in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly) is zero.
Specifically regarding Claims 9 and 11, Park discloses wherein a nitrogen element concentration A2 derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound on an inner wall of the battery case and a nitrogen element concentration B derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound in an inner region inside the outermost peripheral surface of the wound electrode assembly satisfy a relation of A2 > B (Claim 9), and further wherein a ratio of the nitrogen element concentration B in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly to the nitrogen element concentration A2 on the inner wall of the battery case (B/A2) is 0.5 or less (Claim 11), by teaching that a tape (see tape 101, [0054], FIG. 1) comprising polyurethane (see polyurethane film, [0006]) containing a nitrogen element (see nitrogen in the urethane (—NHCOO—), [0007]) derived from an isocyanate group-containing compound (see polyisocyanate compound, [0007]) can be attached to an object (see object 104, [0054], FIG. 1), wherein the object is the battery case ([0059]–[0060]) for use in the non-aqueous secondary battery ([0060]); one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the tape will necessarily be attached to the inner wall of the battery case, considering that the purpose of the tape is to fill a gap between the battery case inner wall and the wound electrode assembly ([0069], FIG. 3). Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art will thus understand that because the tape containing the nitrogen element derived from the isocyanate group-containing compound is only present on the inner wall of the battery case and is not present in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly in the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of Park, it will necessarily be the case that the above limitations, i.e. A2 > B and B/A2 is 0.5 or less, are satisfied, as A2 (the nitrogen element concentration derived from the isocyanate group-containing compound on the inner wall of the battery case) necessarily has a non-zero value, while B (the nitrogen element concentration derived from the isocyanate group-containing compound in the inner region of the wound electrode assembly) is zero.
Regarding Claims 12 and 13, Park discloses the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries of Claims 8 and 9. Park further discloses wherein the isocyanate group-containing compound is a compound represented by the chemical formula 2: O=C=N−X−N=C=O wherein X represents a C1 to C12 aliphatic hydrocarbon group (see e.g. 1,2-bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane, 1,3-bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane, 1,4-bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane, cyclohexanediisocyanate, and methylcyclohexanediisocyanate, [0013], and 2,2-dimethyl pentanediisocyanate, 22,4-trimethylhexanediisocyanate, butanediisocyanate, 1,3-butadiene-1,4-diisocyanate, 2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylenediisocyanate, [0014]), or a C6 to C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group (see e.g. toluene diisocyanate, bis(isocyanatobutyl)benzene, bis(isocyanatomethyl)naphthalene, phenylenediisocyanate, ethylphenylenediisocyanate, isopropylphenylenediisocyanate, dimethylphenylenediisocyanate, diisopropylphenylenediisocyanate, [0012]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA MARIE FEHR, Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)270-0860. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST.
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/J.M.F./Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/BASIA A RIDLEY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725