DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment received on 07/01/2026:
Claim 8 has been amended.
Claim 11 has been newly added.
The previous prior art has been applied. All changes made are necessitated by the amendment. Thus the action is final.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/24/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 2015/0171461 to Akutsu et al.
With respect to claims 1 and 3, Akutsu et al. teach a pouch sealing apparatus configured to seal a pouch for batteries, the pouch 1 including an upper pouch and a lower pouch, the pouch 1 being configured to receive an electrode assembly 2 and an electrolytic solution, the pouch sealing apparatus comprising: a mounting unit (not shown) configured to seat a pouch receiving portion thereon; a press roller 13 configured to move the electrolytic solution into the pouch receiving portion while the press roller rolls 13 from open ends of the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 toward the pouch receiving portion; and a sealing tool (not shown) configured to seal parts C of the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 to be sealed (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
Akutsu et al. do not specifically teach the press roller is configured to fuse the upper pouch and the lower pouch in contact with each other, wherein the press roller includes a heating portion; wherein the heating portion of at least one of the upper press roller and the lower press roller is configured to heat to a temperature up to 250° C., and the upper press roller and the lower press roller are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
Akutsu et al. further teach a sealing process comprising a step of joining the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 by heat fusion. It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have the press roller integral with a heating portion; wherein the heating portion of at least one of the upper press roller 13A and the lower press roller 13B is configured to heat to fuse the pouch (a temperature up to 250° C), and the upper press roller 13A and the lower press roller 13B are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make plural parts unitary as a matter of engineering design choice. In re Larson, 144 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1965); In re Lockart 90 USPQ 214 (CCPA 1951).
With respect to claim 2, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing apparatus, wherein the press roller 13 comprises an upper press roller 13A and a lower press roller 13B, the upper press roller 13A and the lower press roller 13B being positioned such that the parts of the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 to be sealed are disposed therebetween (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 4, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing apparatus, wherein the upper press roller 13A is located at upper ends positioned between a pair of upper rails (not shown), the upper rails being horizontally spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the lower press roller 13B is located at upper ends positioned between a pair of lower rails (not shown), the lower rails being horizontally spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, wherein the pair of upper rails and the pair of lower rails are located so as to oppose each other, wherein the upper press roller is disposed between the pair of upper rails, the upper press roller 13A being configured to roll along a direction parallel to a longitudinal dimension of the upper rails, and wherein the lower press roller 13B is disposed between the pair of lower rails, the lower press roller being configured to roll along a direction parallel to a longitudinal dimension of the lower rails (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
Akutsu et al. do not specifically show both the pair of upper rails and the pair of lower rails; however, they are for holding the roller in order to move toward the electrode assembly, in other words, it is an essential element for the apparatus.
With respect to claim 5, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing apparatus, wherein a vertical distance between the pair of upper rails and the pair of lower rails is configured to adjust a distance between the upper press roller 13A and the lower press roller 13B (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 6, Akutsu et al. do not specifically teach the pouch sealing apparatus, wherein the predetermined distance between the pair of upper rails and the pair of lower rails is configured to be gradually reduced along a direction extending toward the electrode assembly (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
However, it would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have the predetermined distance be configured to be gradually reduced along a direction extending toward the electrode assembly, since changes in size of a known element have been held to be obvious. See Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984) and In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
With respect to claim 7, Akutsu et al. teach a pouch-shaped secondary battery manufactured using the pouch sealing apparatus, and an electrolyte (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 8, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing method to seal a pouch for secondary batteries using the pouch sealing apparatus, the pouch sealing method comprising: (s1) horizontally locating the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 on the mounting unit (not shown) and disposing a gas pocket portion of the pouch between a pair of rail units (not shown), the pair of rail units being vertically spaced apart from each other, the rail units each including a pair of rails, the rails in each pair being horizontally spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; (s2) bringing the upper pouch 1 of the gas pocket portion and the lower pouch 1 of the gas pocket portion into tight contact with each other while moving a pair of press rollers 13 on the pair of rail units from an end of the gas pocket portion of the pouch in a direction toward the electrode assembly 2; (s3) moving the pair of press rollers 13 in a direction away from the electrode assembly 2, so as to space the pair of press rollers 13 apart from the electrode assembly 2 by a predetermined distance (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
Akutsu et al. do not specifically teach (s4) sealing the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 at a position located between the press rollers 13 and the electrode assembly 2 using the sealing tool.
Akutsu et al. further teach a sealing process comprising a step of joining the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 by heat fusion. It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have sealing the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 at a position located between the press rollers 13 and the electrode assembly 2 using a sealing unit, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make plural parts unitary as a matter of engineering design choice. In re Larson, 144 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1965); In re Lockart 90 USPQ 214 (CCPA 1951).
With respect to claim 9, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing method, wherein a temperature of each of the press rollers 13 is increased to bring the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 of the gas pocket portions into tight contact with each other (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 10, Akutsu et al. teach the pouch sealing method, wherein a distance between the pair of rail units is adjusted to adjust a distance between the pair of press rollers 13 (Akutsu et al.: Sections [0055]-[0068]; Fig. 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 07/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the prior art does not teach the press roller includes a heating portion.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant's interpretation of the claim language applied to the prior art. Akutsu et al. further teach a sealing process comprising a step of joining the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 by heat fusion. It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have sealing the upper pouch 1 and the lower pouch 1 at a position located between the press rollers 13 and the electrode assembly 2 using a sealing unit, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make plural parts unitary as a matter of engineering design choice. In re Larson, 144 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1965); In re Lockart 90 USPQ 214 (CCPA 1951).
In this case, Akutsu et al. have a compressing with the rollers, a sealing process by heat fusion. It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to combine the two steps in one. Further more, the claim does not specify the structure of the heating portion or location of it.
Therefore the rejections will 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINGWEN R ZENG whose telephone number is (571)272-6649. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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/LINGWEN R ZENG/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 9/5/2026
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