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/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 1/26/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Examiner has failed to show a serious burden since there will be overlapping search between the groups. This is not found persuasive because Groups I and II lack unity of invention since the technical feature is not a special technical feature as it does not make a contribution over the prior art in view of Yuhara and Hong. Claims 9 and 10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/17/23, 11/10/25, 2/25/26 were filed on 3/17/23, 11/10/25, 2/25/26. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
Figures 1A and 1B 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 § 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuhara et al (JP 2015099708 A, machine translation) in view of Hong (US 2004/0168307).
Regarding claim 1, Yuhara et al discloses a processing machine “10” (apparatus) for manufacturing a unit cell comprising:
a first separator “61” and a second separator “61” configured to move in a longitudinal direction, the first and second separators configured to be cut at intervals between adjacent electrodes “70”;
a first base “100”/“130” (first block) positioned on a first side of the first and second separators, the first base including a pair of protrusions defining a recessed groove “130e” therebetween on a surface of the first base;
a second base “100”/“130” (second block) positioned on a second side of the first and second separators opposite the first side and aligned with the first block along an axis, the second base including a pair of protrusions defining a recessed groove “130e” therebetween on a surface of the second base; and
wherein, when the first base and the second base press the first separator and the second separator, a cutting portion “620” (heating wire cutter) is configured to contact the separators to cut the separators ([0016],[0091]-[0095] and Figs. 1 and 10).
However, Yuhara et al does not expressly teach a heating wire cutter disposed in any one of the recessed groove of the first block or the recessed groove of the second block configured to cut each of the separators using heat when being in contact with the separator (claim 1).
Hong discloses a cutting member comprising a heating cutter “258” which is provided with a heating wire “252”, the heating wire heated to a predetermined temperature to cut a separator ([0040]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara cutting portion to include a heating wire cutter disposed in any one of the recessed groove of the first block or the recessed groove of the second block configured to cut each of the separators using heat when being in contact with the separator in order to enhance the overall efficiency of production due to the employment of the automated manufacturing system ([0054]).
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuhara et al in view of Hong as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Hanawa (JP 2015188962 A, machine translation).
However, Yuhara et al as modified by Hong does not expressly teach a heating wire cutter comprising a nichrome wire, and the nichrome wire is configured to generates resistance heat when current is applied (claim 2); wherein the heating wire cutter is heated in a range of about 200°C to about 300°C (claim 3).
Hanawa discloses heating element that is a nichrome wire that is arranged in a straight line and applying voltage to heat them, which then moves towards the direction in which a separator is installed, wherein the voltage applied to the heating element is controlled so that its temperature reaches a predetermined temperature ([0022],[0033],[0043]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara/Hong cutting portion to include a heating wire cutter comprising a nichrome wire, and the nichrome wire is configured to generates resistance heat when current is applied in order to control the temperature of the heating element to a constant temperature without being affected by external disturbances, thus stabilizing the cutting conditions ([0049]). In addition, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara/Hong/Hanawa cutting portion to include heating wire cutter that is heated in a range of about 200°C to about 300°C because it has been held that the discovery of an optimum value of a result effective variable in a known process is ordinarily within the skill of the art. In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). The temperature of the heating wire cutter is a result effective variable of allowing for a smooth cut surface, while preventing excessive heat from being applied to the object to be cut. Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454. 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955)). There is no evidence of criticality of the claimed temperature of the heating wire cutter.
Claims 4, 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuhara et al in view of Hong as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Fukuda et al (US 2002/0124949).
However, Yuhara et al as modified by Hong does not expressly teach each of the first block and the second block comprising a built-in heater configured to heat the pair of protrusions, and the separators are sealed at points at which the pairs of protrusions press the separators together (claim 4); wherein the first block is formed by coupling a first sealing block to a first heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the first sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators, and the second block is formed by coupling second sealing block to a second heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the second sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators (claim 5); wherein the built-in heater of the first heating block and the second heating block heats the protrusion of the first sealing block and the protrusion of the second sealing block, respectively, in a range of about 70°C to about 110°C (claim 7); wherein each of the first sealing block and the second sealing block is made of a metal material (claim 8).
Fukuda et al discloses heating plate “13” (first block / second block) comprising heaters “17” & “18” (built-in heaters) to heat a pair of protrusions “15” to bond (seal) the separator “2” at points at which the pair of protrusions press the separators together; wherein the heating plate (first block) is formed by coupling a first sealing block to a first heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the first sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators, and the heating plate (second block) is formed by coupling second sealing block to a second heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the second sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators; wherein the built-in heater of the first heating block and the second heating block heats the protrusion of the first sealing block and the protrusion of the second sealing block; wherein each of the heating plate (first sealing block / second sealing block) is made of aluminum (metal material) ([0020],[0023] and Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara/Hong cutting portion to include each of the first block and the second block comprising a built-in heater configured to heat the pair of protrusions, and the separators are sealed at points at which the pairs of protrusions press the separators together; wherein the first block is formed by coupling a first sealing block to a first heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the first sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators, and the second block is formed by coupling second sealing block to a second heating block provided with a built-in heater, wherein the second sealing block includes a recessed groove and a protrusion and is disposed in a direction facing the first and second separators; wherein the built-in heater of the first heating block and the second heating block heats the protrusion of the first sealing block and the protrusion of the second sealing block, respectively; wherein each of the first sealing block and the second sealing block is made of a metal material in order to facilitate bonding and cutting properly in a single process ([0024]). In addition, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara/Hong/Fukuda cutting portion to include built-in heater of the first heating block and the second heating block that heats the protrusion of the first sealing block and the protrusion of the second sealing block, respectively, in a range of about 70°C to about 110°C because it has been held that the discovery of an optimum value of a result effective variable in a known process is ordinarily within the skill of the art. In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). The temperature of the built-in heater is a result effective variable of optimizing the bonding of separators together. Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454. 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955)). There is no evidence of criticality of the claimed temperature of the built-in heater.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuhara et al in view of Hong and Fukuda et al as applied to claim 5, and further in view of Sawada et al (JP H08339811 A, machine translation).
However, Yuhara et al as modified by Hong and Fukuda et al does not expressly teach the built-in heater of the first heating block and the second heating block comprising a sheath heater (claim 6).
Sawada et al discloses a battery cell assembling apparatus comprising a sheath heater ([0020]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Yuhara/Hong/Fukuda cutting portion to include a sheath heater because the substitution of one known type of heater for another would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONY S CHUO whose telephone number is (571)272-0717. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:30pm.
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 7/16/2026
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