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 .
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP20063022799 to Kyosuke et al.
Regarding claim 1, Koyosuke et al disclose a mandrel (see Figs. 2-3) for manufacturing an electrode assembly (see Abstract), the mandrel comprising: a first mandrel member (6) having a semicircular cross-section and a predetermined length; and a second mandrel member (7) configured to define a cylindrical shape of the mandrel by being coupled to the first mandrel member while facing the first mandrel member, wherein a concave-convex part (of members 6 and 7, respectively) is provided on joint surfaces (a long joint surfaces) of the first and second mandrel members, and wherein the concave-convex part includes a protrusion (on member 7) and a groove (on member 6) formed in a longitudinal direction so as to engage with each other (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, Koyosuke et al disclose the first and second mandrel members are asymmetrically formed in the longitudinal direction (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Koyosuke et al disclose the joint surfaces (are flat or parallel as shown in Fig. 2) of the first and second mandrel members are inclined at an angle of 0 to 1° with respect to a center axis of the mandrel in the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 4, Kyosuke et al disclose the mandrel having two members (6/7) having a concave-convex part is formed on the remaining joint surface joint surfaces except for a section in which an end of a stack constituting the electrode assembly (4/5) is interposed (see Fig. 2)
Regarding claim 5, Koyosuke et al disclose the concave-convex part is provided in plurality (see Fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kyosuke et al in view of KR20150037312 hereafter ‘312.
Regarding claims 6-7, Kyosuke et al disclose the groove and protrusion are rounded except for having a quadrangular cross-section and a width and a height of the protrusion are 50% or less of a diameter of the mandrel. ‘312 teaches a mandrel having a quadrangular cross-section and a width and a height of the protrusion are 50% or less of a diameter of the mandrel (see Figs. 8-9) for fixing the laminated sheet together (see Abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention Kyosoke et al by utilizing the grooves and protrusions of having a quadrangular cross-section and width and height dimensions as taught by ‘312 for securely clamping the electrode sheets together.
Regarding claims 8-9, Kyosuke/’312 does not disclose the exact limitations of an edge of the protrusion is rounded by 0.01 to 0.5 mm; and two opposite surfaces in a width direction of the protrusion are inclined at an angle of 80 to 100° with respect to the corresponding joint surface. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to round an edge of the protrusion by 0.01 to 0.5 mm and form an inclined surface at an angle of 80 to 100° with respect to the corresponding joint surface, since it held been held that where the general condition of a claimed are disclose in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art cited for their general teachings of a mandrel for forming a cylindrical winding electrode of a battery.
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/DN/ /DONGHAI D NGUYEN/November 15, 2025 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729