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 .
The Applicant’s amendment filed on 6/24/2026 was received. Claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12were amended. Claims 12-21 were withdrawn.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S.C. code not included in this action can be found in the prior Office action issued on 3/24/2026.
Drawings
The drawing objection on Fig. 1A and 1B are withdrawn because Applicant amended Fig. 1A and 1B.
Claim Objections
The claim objection on claims 5, 7, 10, 11 are withdrawn because Applicant amended claims 5, 7, 10, 11.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) on claims 1-4, 6 are withdrawn because Applicant amended independent claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al. (US 20020124949 A1) in view of Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) on claims 1, 8-10 are withdrawn because Applicant amended independent claim 1. The claim rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) on claim 5 is withdrawn because Applicant amended independent claim 1. The claim rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) in view of Oohira et al. (US 20160325448 A1) on claim 7 is withdrawn because Applicant amended independent claim 1.
Claims 1-6, 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) in view of Fukuda et al. (US 20020124949 A1).
Regarding to claim 1: Kobayashi et al. disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a bagged electrode (abstract). The apparatus comprises:
a pair of upper and lower long separator materials (41) (equivalent to a first separator and a second separator) configured to move in a longitudinal direction (fig. 5), the pair of upper and lower long separator materials (41) configured to be cut at intervals between adjacent electrode (11) (par. 69, 105, fig. 11, 24);
a second bonding unit (150) including a pair of upper and lower drum-like rotators (151, 152) (the upper drum-like rotator (151) is equivalent to a movable part and the lower drum-like rotator (152) is equivalent to a fixed part) (par. 84, 85 fig. 5, 24) (The upper and lower drum-like rotators (151) and (152) are aligned and position on two sides of the separators in fig. 5.); and
a cutting blade (162) (equivalent to a cutter) integrated into the upper drum-like rotator (151), the cutting blade (162) configured to cut the pair of separator materials (41) (par. 105, fig. 24),
wherein the second bonding unit (150) bonds the pair of long separator materials (41) by a heat-melting method (equivalent to the pair of upper and lower drum-like rotators (151, 152) being heated to a predetermined temperature and perform thermal fusing method) (par. 92) and cut the pair of long separator materials (41) (par. 105, fig. 24),
wherein the upper drum-like rotator (151) includes a roller configured to rotate while the upper and lower long separator materials (41) pass between the upper drum-like rotator (151) and the lower drum-like rotator (152) (fig. 5), and
wherein the upper drum-like rotator (151) is disposed on the second side of the upper and lower long separator materials (41).
Kobayashi et al. fail to explicitly disclose the movable part is configured to be slid toward the separators. However, Fukuda et al. disclose a method and apparatus for attaching a pouch-shaped separator to an electrode plate of a battery (par. 3). The apparatus comprises:
sheet-like separators (2) (equivalent to a first separator and a second separator) (par. 19, fig. 1) configured to be cut at intervals between adjacent electrode plate (1) (par. 19-22, fig. 1);
a fixed part positioned on a first side of the sheet-like separators (2) (see fig. below);
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a heating plate (11) (equivalent to a movable part) (par. 20, fig. 1) (The heating plate (11) is aligned with the fixed part in fig. 1.) positioned on a second side of the sheet-like separators (2); and
a cutting protrusion (12) (equivalent to a cutter) (par. 20, fig. 1) integrated into the heating plate (11), the cutting protrusion (12) configured to be heated to a predetermined temperature (par. 26), and configured to cut the sheet-like separators (2) (par. 19-22, 26),
wherein the sheet-like separators (2) are configured to be cut by the cutting protrusion (12) and bonding (equivalent to thermally fused) in one process (par. 22).
Fukuda et al. further teach the heating plate (11) is configured to be slid toward the sheet-like separators (2) (par. 21, fig. 1). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add sliding configuration of Fukuda et al. into the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi et al. because Fukuda et al. teach that pressing the heating plate (11) along a to-be-bonded edge of the separator (2) can prevent short circuiting (par. 21-22).
Regarding to claim 2: Kobayashi et al. disclose each of the upper and lower drum-like rotators (151, 152) rotates while the pair of upper and lower long separator materials (41) pass therebetween (par. 84, 94, fig. 15B, 18B), and the cutting blade (162) protrudes from a surface of the upper drum-like rotator (151) (fig. 18B) to press and cut the pair of upper and lower long separator materials (41) when the upper drum-like rotator (151) rotates (par. 94, 105, fig. 18B, 24).
Regarding to claim 3: Kobayashi et al. disclose a plurality of cutting blades (162) are disposed positioned at regular intervals on the surface of the upper drum-like rotator (fig. 18B).
Regarding to claim 4: Kobayashi et al. disclose two cutting blades (162) are disposed at an interval of about 180 degrees (fig. 18B).
Regarding to claim 5: Kobayashi et al. do not specifically disclose four cutters are disposed at an interval of about 90 degrees. However, four cutters are mere duplication parts of the two cutters. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention can duplicate the cutter to yield multiple cutters with a reasonable expectation of success. Mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 124 USPQ 378, 380 (CCPA 1960). Further, it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Regarding to claim 6: Kobayashi et al. disclose the shape of the cutting blades (162) in fig. 18B (The shape of the cutting blades (162) comprises opposing symmetrical inclined surfaces, and an end, at which the inclined surfaces, meet to form an edge).
Regarding to claim 8: Kobayashi et al. disclose the lower drum-like rotator (152) is positioned adjacent the lower long separator materials (41) (equivalent to the second separator) (fig. 21B) (As the lower drum-like rotator (152) extends along the width direction of the upper and lower long separator materials (41), the lower drum-like rotator (152) defines a bar shape) (fig. 24), and
the cutting blade (162) (equivalent to a cutter) is formed integrally to have a harp shape at an end of the upper drum-like rotator (151) (fig. 18B).
Regarding to claim 9: Kobayashi et al. disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a bagged electrode as described above. Kobayashi et al. fail to explicitly disclose the movable part is configured to be dislocated to pass through the first separator and the second separator to face a surface of the fixed part and move relative to the fixed part. However, Fukuda et al. disclose the cutting protrusion (12, 20) configured to be dislocated to passes through the sheet-like separators (2) to face a surface of the fixed part and move relative to the fixed part (fig. 1, 3B). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add dislocation configuration of Fukuda et al. into the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi et al. because Fukuda et al. teach that pressing the heating plate (11) along a to-be-bonded edge of the separator (2) can prevent short circuiting (par. 21-22).
Regarding to claim 10: Kobayashi et al. disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a bagged electrode as described above. Kobayashi et al. fail to explicitly disclose the end of the movable part is formed so that a first surface facing the fixed part is a flat surface, and a second opposing surface is an inclined surface, wherein an angle of the inclined surface is about 15° or more. However, Fukuda et al. disclose an end of the cutting protrusion (12) is formed so that a first surface facing the fixed part is a flat surface and an second opposing surface is an inclined surface, wherein an angle between the first surface and the second surface is about 90° (see picture above). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the flat surface and inclined surface at the end of the heating plate (11) of Fukuda et al. in the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi et al. because Fukuda et al. teach that pressing the heating plate (11) along a to-be-bonded edge of the separator (2) can prevent short circuiting (par. 21-22).
Regarding to claim 11: Kobayashi et al. disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a bagged electrode as described in above. Kobayashi et al. fail to explicitly disclose the angle of the inclined surface formed on the end of the movable part is formed in a range of about 15° to about 120°. However, Fukuda et al. disclose an end of the cutting protrusion (12) is formed so that a first surface facing the fixed part is a flat surface and an second opposing surface is an inclined surface, wherein an angle between the first surface and the second surface is about 90° (see picture above). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the flat surface and inclined surface at the end of the heating plate (11) of Fukuda et al. in the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi et al. because Fukuda et al. teach that pressing the heating plate (11) along a to-be-bonded edge of the separator (2) can prevent short circuiting (par. 21-22).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (US 20210083313 A1) in view of Fukuda et al. (US 20020124949 A1) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Oohira et al. (US 20160325448 A1).
Regarding to claim 7: Kobayashi et al. disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a bagged electrode as described in paragraph 6 above. Kobayashi et al. and Fukuda et al. fail to explicitly disclose an angle between both the inclined surfaces of the cutter is 15° or more. However, Oohira et al. disclose a separator slitting apparatus (par. 1). The apparatus comprises a slitting blade (72) (equivalent to the cutter) for cutting a separator (par. 71, fig. 5B). The slitting blade (72) has an angle of 25° (par. 81, fig. 7). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the angle of the slitting blade (72) of Oohira et al. as the angle of the cutting blade (162) of Kobayashi et al. because Oohira et al. teach the separator slitting apparatus provides a good-quality slit separator (par. 12).
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments filed on 06/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant primarily argues:
Kobayashi does not disclose that the movable part "is configured to be slid toward the separators."
Fukuda does not disclose that "the movable part includes a roller configured to rotate while the first separator and the second separator pass between the movable part and the fixed part.”
There would be no rationale in Kobayashi FIG. 24, for example, to provide the rotator 151 having the cutting blade 162 in a manner that can slide, because the rotator 151 is part of the bonding unit 150 (See Kobayashi [0105]), which would make the bonding unit 150 of Kobayashi unsuitable for bonding and notch forming (See Kobayashi [0105]), if the roller unit is configured to be slid toward and away from the electrode sheets to perform the cutting, in the manner of the heating plate 11 or 13 of Fukuda.
There would be no rationale to provide the heating plate 11 or 13 with rotation, such as a rotator 151 having cutting blade 162 as shown in Kobayashi FIG. 24, because a curved surface that is slid toward and away from the electrode sheets would reduce the effective width of the shoulder portion on the sides of the protrusion and make the bonding of the bonding portion less secure.
In response:
Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive. Fukuda teaches the heating plate (11) is configured to be slid toward the sheet-like separators (2) as the arrow indicated in fig. 1. The sliding motion can be incorporated in the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi to obtain the benefits of preventing short circuiting.
Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive. Kobayashi teaches the upper drum-like rotator (151) includes a roller configured to rotate while the upper and lower long separator materials (41) pass between the upper drum-like rotator (151) and the lower drum-like rotator (152) (fig. 5).
Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive. The sliding motion of Fukuda can be incorporated in the upper drum-like rotator 151 of Kobayashi to obtain the benefits of preventing short circuiting. Kobayashi teaches the separating unit 160 can be integrated in the bonding unit 150 (par. 105) and the notch forming unit may be integrated in the first bonding unit 140 (par. 104). Kobayashi further teaches the rotator 151 of the second bonding unit 150 and the rotator 161 of the separating unit 160 can be modified to adjust pressure (par. 97, fig. 19A-C). Therefore, the notch is formed before the separators pass through the rotator 151. When the sliding motion is added to the rotator 151, one of ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation of success by using the rotator 151 shown in fig. 19B and 19C in Kobayashi.
Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive. One of ordinary skill in the art can add the sliding motion of Fukuda in the upper drum-like rotator (151) of Kobayashi and modify the curved surface of the protrusion part of the roller (161) (fig. 19B, 19C of Kobayashi) to be a flat surface like the cutting protrusion (12) of Fukuda (fig. 1). Therefore, the bonding width can be maintained.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PIN JAN WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7057. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/PIN JAN WANG/Examiner, Art Unit 1717
/Dah-Wei D. Yuan/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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