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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 1, claims 5 and 6 in the reply filed on 3/16/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the asserted Species are in no way mutually exclusive. With respect to Species 1 and 2, this is found persuasive and therefore the species restriction of Species 1 and 2 is withdrawn. However, with respect to Species 3 and 4, this is not found persuasive because Figs. 5A & 5B (corresponding to Species 3) is one embodiment of the invention and Figs. 6A & 6B (corresponding to Species 4) is another embodiment of the invention, wherein each embodiment is associated with a mutually exclusive characteristic that would require serious search burden. Specifically, a search for the embodiment corresponding to Species 1 and 2 would not require searching for an electroless coating 114 of a metal (as shown in Figs. 5A & 5B) or a mesh 118 inserted within an area defined by the inner edge of the structure (as shown in Figs. 6A & 6B). Therefore, claims 14, 18, and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species 3 and 4, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/306,602 is granted for claims 1-22.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 2/6/23 are accepted by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 1-4, 7, 8, 10-13, 15-17, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lev (US 2013/0130096).
Regarding claims 1-4, 7, 8, 10-13, 15-17, 20, and 21, Lev discloses a battery “200” (bipolar battery) comprising a bipolar electrode assembly “100A” (current collector plate assembly), the bipolar electrode assembly comprising: a lead foil “120A” (electrode substrate/polygon-shaped electrically conductive substrate) having a first surface and a second, opposing, surface, and four edges; and a frame “110A” & “110A’” coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the lead foil;
a positive electrode material “132A” (first cladding of a positive active material layer) covering an area of the first surface of the lead foil;
a negative electrode material “134A” (second cladding of a negative active material layer) covering the second surface of the lead foil;
wherein the areas of the first and second surfaces covered by the respective positive electrode material and negative electrode material are circumscribed inside an inner edge of the frame;
wherein a composition of the lead foil comprises lead;
wherein the lead foil has an approximate thickness of 0.1 mm (100 micrometer) or 0.2 mm (200 micrometer); and
a plurality of grids “130A” & “130’” (ribs) coupled to the frame and spanning across both of the area of the first surface of the lead foil defined by the frame and the area of the second surface of the lead foil defined by the frame to provide structural support for the lead foil;
wherein the plurality of grids further span across both of: the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material to clamp the respective positive electrode material and negative electrode material, to the respective first and second surfaces of the lead foil;
wherein a composition of the frame comprises a polymer;
wherein the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material comprise a paste comprising at least one of: lead oxide and lead sulphate.
wherein the frame coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the lead foil comprises: a first portion of the frame coupled to regions of the first surface near the four edges of the lead foil; and a second portion of the frame coupled to regions of the second surface near the four edges; wherein the first and second portions of the frame are coupled to each other by at least one of: a thermal bonding process, an adhesive, an ultrasonic welding process, a laser ablation process in combination with application of mechanical compression forces;
wherein the frame coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the lead foil comprises an inner surface coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the lead foil, and wherein the inner surface is coated with an adhesion material “112A” to form a seal with the lead foil around the four edges of the lead foil;
wherein the regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the lead foil are coated with an adhesion coating “112A” to facilitate the seal with the inner surface of the frame ([0027],[0030],[0034],[0035],[0038] and Fig. 1A).
Claims 1-5, 12, 13, 15, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shaffer et al (US 2022/0013760).
Regarding claims 1-5, 12, 13, 15, and 21, Shaffer et al discloses a battery assembly (bipolar battery) comprising a battery plate “10” (bipolar plate/current collector plate assembly), the battery plate comprising: a substrate “11” (polygon-shaped electrically conductive substrate) having a first surface and a second, opposing, surface, and four edges and may be formed of an electrically conductive material; and a frame “20” coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the substrate;
a cathode “13” (first cladding of a positive active material layer) covering an area of the first surface of the substrate;
an anode “12” (second cladding of a negative active material layer) covering the second surface of the substrate;
wherein the areas of the first and second surfaces covered by the respective cathode and anode are circumscribed inside an inner edge of the frame;
wherein the frame comprises a raised edge “20a” (raised lip) at an inner edge of the frame;
wherein a composition of the frame comprises a polymer;
wherein the cathode and the anode comprise a paste comprising at least one of: lead oxide, lead sulfate, and lead;
wherein the frame coupled to regions of the first and second surfaces near the four edges of the substrate comprises: a first portion of the frame coupled to regions of the first surface near the four edges of the substrate; and a second portion of the frame coupled to regions of the second surface near the four edges ([0041],[0044],[0105], [0109] and Fig. 8).
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.
Claims 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lev (US 2013/0130096) in view of Navarrette et al (US 2017/0179495). The Lev reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Lev does not expressly teach a composition of the substrate that is selected from the group consisting of steel, silicon, silicon-cladded lead, silicon-cladded steel, and doped silicon (claim 7); a substrate that is silicon (claim 9).
Navarrette et al discloses a current collector substrate comprising silicon or doped silicon ([0027],[0028]).
Therefore, the invention as a whole would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made because the disclosure of Navarrette et al indicates that silicon or doped silicon is a suitable material for use as a current collector substrate. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use has generally been held to be prima facie obvious (MPEP §2144.07). As such, it would be obvious to use silicon or doped silicon.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lev (US 2013/0130096) in view of Moomaw et al (US 2016/0329535). The Lev reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Lev does not expressly teach a gasket to create a hermetic seal between the frame and the substrate (claim 22).
Moomaw et al teaches the concept of utilizing gaskets to hold current collectors (substrates) which inherently creates a hermetic seal ([0006]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Lev bipolar electrode assembly to include a gasket to create a hermetic seal between the frame and the substrate in order to utilize a flexible gasket to form a strong seal while allowing for variable compressive forces on the battery ([0006]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shaffer et al (US 2022/0013760). The Shaffer reference is applied to claim 5 for reasons stated above.
However, Shaffer et al does not expressly teach a raised lip at the inner edge of the frame that defines a knife edge by which the areas of the first and second surfaces covered by the respective first and second claddings are circumscribed at the inner edge of the frame at the time of cladding (claim 6).
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Shaffer battery plate to include a raised lip at the inner edge of the frame that defines a knife edge by which the areas of the first and second surfaces covered by the respective first and second claddings are circumscribed at the inner edge of the frame at the time of cladding because changes in shape was held to have been obvious (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)). There is no evidence of criticality of the claimed shape of raised lip.
Conclusion
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 4/10/2026
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