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 .
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18128933, filed on 3-31-2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11-11-25; 4-21-2025; 1-27-2025, 10-24-2024, 5-3-2023 and 6-26-2024 were filed after the mailing date on 5-3-2023. 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
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 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.
Claims 1-3, 6-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over MASAAKI EP-1202371-B1, hereinafter MASAAKI
Regarding Claim 1, MASAAKI teaches an electrode assembly (2, Fig. 1), comprising:
an electrode laminate [0059];
a protective block (frame) that wraps around an edge portion of the electrode laminate (19, Fig. 1); and
MASAAKI’s embodiment of fig. 1 does not teach at least one fixing tape is wound around an outer surface of the electrode laminate and an outer surface of the protective block in a full width direction or a full-length direction. However, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches a fixing tape wound around an outer surface of the electrode laminate in a full width direction (64, Fig. 10). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use MASAAKI’s third Embodiment fixing tapes in MASAAKI’s preferred battery casing with protective blocks (frame) to reliably withstand vibration or impact [0090]. Wherein one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that combining the frame and tape elements from the different embodiments of Masaaki for the same purpose would lead to a third variation for the very same purpose MPEP 2144.06.
wherein the protective block (19) is made up of a first protective panel (31, Fig. 1), and a second protective panel (32, Fig. 1) extending vertically from one longitudinal side of the first protective panel (31, Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 2, MASAAKI teaches the protective block (frame 19)
wraps around the edge portion in the full-length direction of the electrode laminate (19, Fig 2)
wraps around the edge portion in the full width direction of the electrode laminate except for an electrode tab (37, Fig. 3)
Regarding Claim 3, MASAAKI teaches the four protective blocks
a) wrap around the corner four respective edge portions of the electrode laminate in the full-length direction, and are provided at each of the four respective edge portions in the full-length direction of the electrode laminate (23,24, Fig. 2)
b) wrap around the four respective edge portions in the full width direction of the electrode laminate except for the electrode tab, and are provided at each of the four respective edge portions in the full width direction of the electrode laminate (34,37, Fig.3)
Regarding Claim 6, MASAAKI teaches the protective blocks has a separation distance from an adjacent one of the protective blocks (22, Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 7, MASAAKI teaches the protective block (frame 19) is manufactured from polypropylene [0059].
Regarding Claim 8, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches at least one fixing tape is a plurality of fixing tapes provided at a plurality of positions and spaced apart from each other (64,67, Fig. 13).
Regarding Claim 9, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches that at least one fixing tape is wound around the outer surface (pointed corners) of the electrode laminate and the outer surface (pointed corners) of the protective block by one or more turns in the full width direction (64,67, Fig. 13).
Regarding Claim 10, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches that at least one fixing tape is a plurality of fixing tapes are fixed at symmetrical positions relative to a full width line on a midpoint in the full length direction of the electrode assembly (64,67, Fig. 13).
Regarding Claim 11, MASAAKI’s preferred embodiment does not teach that at least one fixing tape is wound around the outer surface of the electrode laminate and the outer surface of the protective block by one or more turns in the full length direction. However, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches at least one fixing tape is wound around the outer surface of the electrode laminate by one or more turns in the full length direction (68, Fig. 16). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use MASAAKI’s third Embodiment fixing tapes in MASAAKI’s preferred battery casing with protective blocks so that the inside resin layer of the laminate sheet is protected from pointed corners or sharp edges of the electrode assembly even when the battery is subjected to vibration or impact [0086].
Regarding Claim 12, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches that at least one fixing tape is a plurality of fixing tapes fixed at symmetrical positions relative to a full length line on a midpoint in the full width direction of the electrode assembly (64,67, Fig. 13).
Regarding Claim 13, MASAAKI’s preferred embodiment does not teach that the electrode laminate has a separator interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode; and has a shape in which a length in the full length direction of the electrode laminate is longer than a length in the full width direction orthogonal to the full length direction. However, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches a separator (12) interposed between a positive electrode (9) and a negative electrode (4) ; and has a shape in which a length in the full length direction of the electrode laminate is longer than a length in the full width direction orthogonal to the full length direction ([0085] & 12, Fig. 37). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use MASAAKI’s third Embodiment separator in MASAAKI’s preferred battery casing to prevent positive and negative electrode plates from contacting the laminate sheet casing [0053]
Regarding Claim 14, MASAAKI teaches An electrode assembly, comprising:
an electrode laminate [0059];
four protective blocks that each wrap around a respective one of four edge portions of the electrode laminate (23,24,31,32, Fig. 2); and
MASAAKI’s preferred embodiment does not teach at least one fixing tape is wound around an outer surface of the electrode laminate and an outer surface of the protective block in a full width direction or a full-length direction. However, MASAAKI’s third embodiment teaches a fixing tape wound around an outer surface of the electrode laminate in a full width direction (64, Fig. 10). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use MASAAKI’s third Embodiment fixing tapes in MASAAKI’s preferred battery casing with protective blocks to reliably withstand vibration or impact [0090].
wherein the protective block (frame)is made up of a first protective panel (31, Fig. 1), and a second protective panel (32, Fig. 1) extending vertically from one longitudinal side of the first protective panel (31, Fig. 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TELGE S PEIRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-6591. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached on (571)270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TELGE SHAVINDA PEIRIS/Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724