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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/14/26 has been entered.
Claim 1 is amended. Claims 6 and 8 were previously canceled. Claims 1-5, 7, and 9-10 are rejected for the reasons provided below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 4/6/26 has been 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 1-5, 7, and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taguchi (US 2015/0243453) in view of Gardner et al. (US 2009/0029240).
Regarding claim 1, Taguchi teaches a power storage device, or electricity storage device, comprising a first electrode, or electrode body (2-1), having a strip first current collector, or aluminum foil (4) and a first active material layer (6) carried on the collector (Figures 1A, 2C, 5, [0033]);
a second electrode having the same structure (Figure 5, [0039]);
a separator (30) interposed between the electrodes, wherein the electrodes and separator are wound to form a columnar body (Figure 5); and
the first current collector has a plurality of first tabs, or electrode leading sections (12), electrically connected via the strip (4) and extending radially inward (Figure 6A).
Further regarding claim 1 and with regard to claim 2, the tabs (12) having a proximal end portion connected to the first current collector (4), or upper base edge (12-1), and a wide portion at a distal end, or lower base edge (12-2) (Figure 1B, [0035]).
Further regarding claim 1, the plurality of first tabs (12(2-1)) are overlapped and welded to each other at their respective wide portions, or bent and welded via first current collecting plate (48-1) (Figures 6B and 7, [0022], [0068]).
With further regard to claim 1, regarding the newly added limitation to the relative widths of the wide portions, Taguchi teaches that the shape of the tab stabilizes the form to reduce stress on the lead when it is bent after winding ([0012], [0106]). It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to form the tabs of Taguchi in the claimed shape since the particular configuration of the tab is significant for reducing stress when the tab is bent. It has been held that changes in shape are within the ordinary level of skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 IV B
With further regard to claim 1 and with regard to claim 10, Taguchi fails to teach that the first tabs have a first portion overlapped and welded to each other, and when an end surface of the columnar wound body is viewed in a winding axis direction, the tabs extend in radially different directions such that extension directions from the proximal end portions toward the first portion intersect.
Gardner teaches a power storage device comprising first and second electrodes each having first and second pluralities of tabs (6, 7) (Figure 1). Gardner teaches that the plurality of first tabs, specifically four current collecting tabs (61, 62, 63, 64), has a first portion overlapped and welded together with a first current collector plate (5) (Figures 1 and 7B, ([0010], [0062]). It is further seen in Figure 7 that each of the tabs extend from positions on different straight lines.
Gardner further teaches that this configuration, specifically the spacing of the tabs, is desirable for minimizing internal resistance (Figure 7A, [0059]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan to form the tabs of Taguchi with four tabs spaced apart and welded such as suggested by Gardner in order to minimize internal resistance.
As for claim 3, it is seen in Figures 1A, 3A, and 4 of Taguchi that the shape of the gaps, i.e. isosceles trapezoid, is the same as the shape of the tabs, i.e. isosceles trapezoid (see also [0035], [0050]).
Regarding claim 4, it is seen in Figure 4 of Taguchi that the first wide portion is continuously widened.
Regarding claim 5, it is seen in Figure 11 of Taguchi that the first wide portion is widened stepwise.
As for claim 7, it is seen in Figures 1A, 3A, and 4 of Taguchi that the first wide portion is extended toward both sides.
With regard to claim 9, it is seen in Figures 1, 7, and 15, and specifically Figure 8, of Gardner that the current collector plate (5) has a center portion and an arm that protrudes radially, and that the first portion overlaps the center portion since the overlap portion is in the center of the columnar wound body.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/14/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regard to the newly added limitation of claim 1, the limitation is obvious over Taguchi as discussed above.
As to the arguments that Gardner fails to teach the limitation to the relative widths of the tab, the argument is not convincing since Taguchi obviates the limitation. Applicant is reminded that one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Regarding the argument that Taguchi does not address tab width rations or dimensional design for welding stability, the examiner finds that this is not a claimed limitation and therefore it is not required that either of the references address welding stability. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALIX ECHELMEYER EGGERDING whose telephone number is (571)272-1101. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 4:30pm.
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/ALIX E EGGERDING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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