DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11/20/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment filed 11/20/2025 has been entered. Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 1-10 are pending in this application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahiro (JP5772364B2, refer to enclosed translation for citations).
Regarding claim 1,
Takahiro teaches a method [0055] producing an electrode body (Fig. 1, 10; [0028]:
including a positive electrode plate (Fig. 1, 20; [0028]) of a strip shape (Fig. 3, 20) and a negative electrode plate (Fig. 1, 30; [0028]) of a strip shape (Fig. 3, 30) are interposed with a pair of separators of a strip shape (Fig. 1, 40; [0057], “two strip-shaped separators”) into a cylindrical shape (Fig. 6; [0071]) to form a cylindrical-wound electrode body (Fig. 6) wherein a cross section (Fig. 6, cylindrical shape of 10, wherein the cross section of a cylinder is a circle; [0032]) taken in a plane perpendicular to a central axis (Fig. 6, AX) of the cylindrical-wound electrode body (Fig. 6) is circular in shape (Fig. 6, see circular cross sections of 40; [0032]),
and pressing (Fig. 4; [0032]) the cylindrical-wound electrode in a direction perpendicular to a central axis (Fig. 6, AX) of the cylindrical-wound electrode body (Fig. 6) body to be flattened to form a flat wound electrode body (Fig. 4, 10; [0032]) and the pressing is performed to position a positive electrode end portion (Fig. 4, 11; [0039]) at a winding end of the positive electrode plate (Fig, 4, wherein 11 ends along DL, see [0039]) in a flat portion (Fig. 4, flat portion of 10) of the flat (see Fig. 4) wound electrode body (Fig. 4, 10)
wherein the winding end of the positive electrode plate 11 is an end (Fig. 4, end of 11 along DL; [0039], “the positive electrode exposed wound portion 11 is located at each end of the major axis direction DL”) of a positive active material layer portion (Fig. 4, outermost winding layer of 14) of the positive electrode plate (Fig. 1, 20, see also Fig. 4, 10 wherein 11 is an end portion of 10) in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the cylindrical-wound electrode body (Fig. 4, wherein 11 ends along DL, see [0039], depicted as the bottom edge of 13, wherein DL is perpendicular to the winding direction DX).
Regarding claim 2,
Takahiro teaches the method of producing the electrode body according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above), wherein the winding to form the cylindrical-wound electrode body (Fig. 6) results in a circumferential position of the positive electrode end portion (Fig. 6, 11) and a circumferential position of a first separator end portion of a first separator of the pair of the separators (Fig. 6, 40 ends on the outer circumference because it is between 20 and 30; [0035]), being in a predetermined relationship with each other on the cylindrical would body before the pressing is performed which is finally finished with winding, being in a predetermined relation of the circumferential positions ([0057], wherein 40 is between 20 and 30 is pressed [0057] such that its position is predetermined) and the pressing is to place the cylindrical-wound electrode body in a posture to dispose the circumferential position of the first separator end portion in a predetermined circumferential position and to perform pressing ([0057], wherein the pressing creates a preterminal structure of Fig. 4, wherein the position of 40 is predetermined in relation to 20 and 30).
Regarding claim 3,
Takahiro teaches the method of producing a battery provided with a flat wound electrode body (see rejection of claim 1 above), wherein the method of producing a battery includes: producing the flat wound electrode body by the method according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above), and assembly the battery by use of the falt would electrode body (Fig. 1, which depicts the assembled battery using a flat wound electrode body 10).
Regarding claim 6,
Takahiro teaches a method of producing a battery provided with a flat wound electrode body (see rejection of claim 2 above), wherein the method includes: producing the flat wound electrode body by the method according to claim 2 (see rejection of claim 2 above), and assembling the battery by use of the flat wound electrode body (Fig. 1, which depicts the assembled battery using a flat wound electrode body 10). separators 33 and 35, each being of strip shape; [0001], “flat wound”), wherein the method includes: electrode-body producing of producing the flat-wound electrode body by the producing method of the flat-wound electrode body according to claim 2 (see rejection of claim 2 above): and battery assembling of assembling the battery by use of the flat-wound electrode body (Fig. 8B, positive electrode 34, Figs. 6-7, pressing mechanism 178; [0063]).
Regarding claim 7,
Takahiro teaches the method of producing the battery according to claim 6 (see rejection of claim 6 above), wherein the battery comprises a flat battery case (Fig. 1, 80; [0028]) including a pair of primary-side surfaces (Fig. 1, largest surfaces of 80; [0028]) opposing the flat portion of the flat wound electrode body (Fig. 1, wherein the pair of primary side surfaces oppose the flat faces of 40) and the battery assembling includes storing the flat wound electrode body (10) in the flat battery case (Fig. 1, 10 inside 80; [0028]).
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 4-5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahiro (JP5772364B2; refer to enclosed translation for citations) as applied to claims 3 and 6-7 above in view of Sato (JP2015204236A; refer to enclosed translations in office action mailed 03/12/2025).
Regarding claim 4,
Takahiro teaches the method of producing the battery according to claim 3 (see rejection of claim 3 above), wherein the battery comprises a flat battery case (see rejection of claim 7 above) including a pair of primary-side surfaces opposing the flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body (see rejection of claim 7 above) and the battery assembling includes storing the flat-wound electrode body in the flat battery case (see rejection of claim 7 above). While there is likely a normal force exerted on the flat-wound electrode body by the battery case 11, Takahiro fails to specifically mention the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion.
However, Sato, teaches a battery case (Fig. 1, 10) stored in a battery module (Fig. 5, 200A, 200B) bound by a binding unit from outside of a stacking direction (Fig. 5, endplates 202) so that a flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries is compressed in an electrode body thickness direction and a compression force is applied to cells 100 (Sato, [0045]), such that the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion (Sato, compressive force [0045] applied to sides of 100 opposing flat portion of the wound electrode body) such that the pressure of the configuration reduces electrode expansion [0011].
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion, by utilizing the battery module configuration taught by Sato for the batteries of Takahiro, in order to reduce electrode expansion (Sato [0011]) and thus improve battery performance.
Regarding claim 5,
Modified Takahiro teaches a method of producing a battery module [0055] in which:
a plurality of batteries (Sato, Fig. 5, 100), each of which includes a flat wound electrode body (flat electrode body 10 in Fig. 1 of Takahiro), are stacked in a battery thickness direction (Sato, Fig. 5, batteries 100 containing electrode bodies 40 stacked in thickness direction) and bound by a binding unit from outside of a stacking direction (Fig. 5, endplates 202) so that a flat portion of the flat wound electrode body of each of the respective batteries is compressed in an electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045], sides of 100 opposing flat portion of the wound electrode body)
wherein the method includes: producing each of the plurality of batteries by the method according to claim 3 (see rejection of claim 3 above), and assembling of assembling the battery module by stacking the plurality of batteries in the battery thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), binding the batteries by the binding unit from outside of the stacking direction (Sato, [0045]), and compressing the flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries in the electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]).
Regarding the combination of Sato with Takahiro as cited above for claim 5: it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion, by utilizing the battery module configuration taught by Sato for the batteries of Takahiro, in order to reduce electrode expansion (Sato [0011]) and thus improve battery performance. Additionally, producing a plurality of the flat-wound electrode bodies of Takahiro (see Takahiro, Fig. 4, 10) would have been obvious in view of Sato since Sato teaches the plurality of flat-wound batteries within a single module in Fig. 5, and further since the duplication of parts is obvious per MPEP 2144.04 VI B.
Regarding claim 8,
Modified Takahiro teaches a method of producing a battery module in which a plurality of batteries (Sato, Fig. 5, 100; [0001]), each of which includes a flat wound electrode body (flat electrode body 10 in Takahiro Fig. 1), are stacked in a battery thickness direction and bound by a binding unit from outside of a stacking direction (Sato Fig. 5: stacked electrodes 40 in batteries 100 bound by endplates 202) so that a flat portion of the flat wound electrode body of the respective batteries is compressed in an electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), wherein the method includes: battery producing of producing the battery by the producing method of the battery according to claim 4 (see rejection of claim 4 above), and module assembling of assembling the battery module by stacking the plurality of batteries in the battery thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), binding the batteries by the binding unit from outside of the stacking direction (Sato, [0045]), and compressing the flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries in the electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]).
Producing a plurality of the flat-wound electrode bodies of Takahiro (see Takahiro Fig. 1, 10) would have been obvious in view of Sato since Sato teaches the plurality of flat-wound batteries within a single module in Fig. 5, and further since the duplication of parts is obvious per MPEP 2144.04 VI B
Regarding claim 9,
Modified Takahiro teaches a method of producing a battery module in which a plurality of batteries (Sato, Fig. 5, 100; [0001]), are stacked in a battery thickness direction and bound by a binding unit from outside of a stacking direction (Sato Fig. 5: stacked electrodes 40 in batteries 100 bound by endplates 202) so that a flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries is compressed in an electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), wherein the method includes: producing each of the batteries by the method of claim 6 (see rejection of claim 6 above), and assembling the battery module by stacking the plurality of batteries in the battery thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), binding the batteries by the binding unit from outside of the stacking direction (Sato, [0045]), and compressing the flat portion of the flat wound electrode body of the respective batteries in the electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]).
Regarding the combination of Sato with Takahiro in the rejection of claim 9 above, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion, by utilizing the battery module configuration taught by Sato for the batteries of Takahiro, in order to reduce electrode expansion (Sato [0011]) and thus improve battery performance. Additionally, producing a plurality of the flat-wound electrode bodies of Takahiro (see Takahiro Fig. 1, 10) would have been obvious in view of Sato since Sato teaches the plurality of flat-wound batteries within a single module in Fig. 5, and further since the duplication of parts is obvious per MPEP 2144.04 VI B.
Regarding claim 10,
Modified Takahiro teaches a producing method of a battery module in which a plurality of batteries (Sato, Fig. 5, 100; [0001] , are stacked in a battery thickness direction and bound by a binding unit from outside of a stacking direction (Sato Fig. 5: stacked electrodes 40 in batteries 100 bound by endplates 202) so that a flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries is compressed in an electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), wherein the method includes: producing each of the batteries by the method according to claim 7 (see rejection of claim 7 above), and module assembling of assembling the battery module by stacking the plurality of batteries in the battery thickness direction (Sato, [0045]), binding the batteries by the binding unit from outside of the stacking direction (Sato, [0045]), and compressing the flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body of the respective batteries in the electrode body thickness direction (Sato, [0045]).
Regarding the combination of Sato with Takahiro as cited above for claim 10 (see rejection of claim 10 above), it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have the flat battery case being configured to store the flat-wound electrode body in a state in which the pair of primary-side surfaces hold and press the flat portion, by utilizing the battery module configuration taught by Sato for the batteries of Takahiro, in order to reduce electrode expansion (Sato [0011]) and thus improve battery performance. Additionally, producing a plurality of the flat-wound electrode bodies of Takahiro (see Takahiro, Fig. 1, 10) would have been obvious in view of Sato since Sato teaches the plurality of flat-wound batteries within a single module in Fig. 5, and further since the duplication of parts is obvious per MPEP 2144.04 VI B.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/20/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the term “winding end” in view of the specification is clear to one of ordinary skill in art such that the newly amended recitation differentiates over Takahiro. However, this is not persuasive, as Takahiro still appears to teach the amended limitations under the broadest reasonable interpretation. The term “winding end” is used several times throughout the specification to refer to the winding end of several different end portions, that of the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator. The end portion of the positive electrode, 10e, is described as placed along the flat portion of the wound body, along the electrode body width direction BH, which is informed by instant Fig. 1. Similarly, the winding end 13 seen in Takahiro ends along this same width direction, referred to as DL (see Fig. 4 and [0039], “Among them, the positive electrode exposed wound portion 11 is located at each end of the major axis direction DL”). See also the rejection of claim 1 above.
Accordingly, even as informed by the instant specification, Takahiro appears to teach the amended limitations both in [0039] and Fig. 4. During the interview, it was noted how the exposed portions of the positive electrode may project in different directions; however, the exposed portion of Takahiro (projecting to the left and right sides in Fig. 4) appears to match that of 10d/20d in Fig. 2 of the instant application. Thus, it is unclear how the amendment differentiates over the prior art.
Applicant argues all other claims should be allowed based off an allowable claim 1, however, this is not persuasive, as the rejection on all claims have been sustained.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US-20230352743-A1, which is pertinent to at least the resulting structure of the method.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL WYROUGH whose telephone number is (571)272-4806. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIFFANY LEGETTE can be reached on (571) 270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL CHRISTIAN ST WYROUGH/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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