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 .
Response to Amendment
Amendments filed 11/21/2025 have been entered. Amendments do overcome the 102 rejection but do not overcome the 103 rejection as previously presented in non-final office action mailed 08/22/2025, see rejection below.
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 1-4, 6, 8-13, 15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by (US-20230223663-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Kadirvel’, in view of (US-20210005851-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Oh’, in further view of (US-20180315980-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Lee’
Regarding Claim 1,
Kadirvel teaches an electrode structure, comprising: an electrolyte; a first electrode assembly (Kardirval, battery cells, 200-2, Fig. 2B) ; a second electrode assembly (Kardirval, battery cell, 200-4, Fig. 2B) ; and a current collector plate comprising a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal (Kardirval, interconnect region, 208-2, See Fig. 2B), wherein each of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly comprises a plurality of unit cells, and each of the plurality of unit cells includes a positive electrode (Kardirval, positive electrode strip, 438, Fig. 4b), a negative electrode (Kardirval, negative electrode strip, 434, Fig. 4b), and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode (Kardirval, separator strip, 436, Fig. 4b), wherein the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode tab and a positive electrode dummy tab (Kardirval, negative tab, 432-2, Fig. 4b) (Kardirval, negative tab, 440-2, Fig. 4b) and the negative electrode comprises a negative electrode tab and a negative electrode dummy tab (Kardirval, negative tab, 432-4, Fig. 4b) (Kardirval, negative tab, 440-4 Fig. 4b) , wherein the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are disposed on a first side of the plurality of unit cells (Kardirval, “Each of a plurality of cathode strips 330 has a positive tab 332 at one end”, see [0046]), wherein the positive electrode tabs of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, and the negative electrode tabs of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal, and wherein the positive electrode dummy tabs and the negative electrode dummy tabs are disposed on a side of the plurality of unit cells other than the first side (see annotated figure below).
Kadirval does not teach a prismatic battery housing and an electrolyte.
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Oh teaches a prismatic battery housing (Oh, can, 140, Fig. 1) and an electrolyte (Oh, “In some examples, the electrolytic solution may include an organic solvent, such as ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), or dimethyl carbonate (DMC), and a lithium salt, such as LiPF6 or LiBF4.”, see [0045]), wherein the current collector plate seals the opening of the prismatic battery housing (Oh, cap plate, 151, Fig. 2B).
Oh teaches that this prismatic configuration can have improved sealing to prevent the leakage of electrolyte (Oh, “increased bending and welding workability and improved sealing efficiency to prevent or substantially prevent leakage of electrolyte.”, see [0084]).
Kardival and Oh are analogous as they both relate to the field of battery structures.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the case as taught in Kardival to be the same as the case as taught in Oh in order to improve the electrolyte sealing.
Modified Kardival does not teach wherein the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are fixed to the prismatic battery housing to support the first and second electrode assemblies.
Lee teaches the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab can be fixed to other surfaces (Lee, “battery case adjacent to the fixing parts”, see [0073]).
Lee teaches that these dummy tabs can act to suppress swelling and relieve stress (Lee, “fixing parts with the same polarity are bonded to each other via welding or soldering while being arranged in parallel in up and down directions to suppress swelling and to relieve stress generated in an electrode assembly.”, see [0057]) Lee, “the fixing parts 112 and 132 to effectively suppress widening of a gap between electrode plates compared with a conventional electrode assembly including only a tap-lead coupler.”, see [0058]).
Modified Kardival and Lee are analogous as they are both related to the field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dummy tabs as taught in Modified Kardival with the tabs as taught in Lee and attach them to the case as taught in Modified Kardival in order to support the electrode assembly and to suppress swelling and suppress widening between the pouch and the case.
Regarding Claim 2,
Modified Kadirvel teaches the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein a number of the unit cells in the first electrode assembly is the same as a number of the unit cells of the second electrode assembly (Kardival, battery cell, 200-2, Fig. 2B) (Kardival, battery cell, 200-4, Fig. 2B).
Regarding Claim 3,
Modified Kadirvel teaches the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode assemblies are folded toward the current collector plate with the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal as a center (Kadirvel, interconnect region, 208-2, Fig. 2B)(see structure of cells in Fig. 2B).
Regarding Claim 4,
Modified Kardirvel the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein each of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly further comprises a half cell including a positive electrode or a negative electrode on a separator (Kardirval, negative electrode strip, 434, Fig. 4b), (Kardirval, separator strip, 436, Fig. 4b).
Regarding Claim 6,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are electrically insulated from the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the current collector plate. (Lee, “In addition, an insulation tape may additionally surround the bonded fixing parts to strengthen a fixing state””, see [0023]).
Regarding Claim 8,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein both the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are disposed on a side of the plurality of unit cells opposite to the first side (Kardival, negative terminal and positive terminal, 204-4 and 204-4, Fig. 2B)(see Fig. 2B) (Kardival, negative terminals, 204-4 and 204-2, Fig. 2B).
Regarding Claim 9,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are fixed to an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing. (Lee, “battery case adjacent to the fixing parts”, see [0073]).
Regarding Claim 10,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 8, wherein each of a pair of the positive electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab and a pair of the negative electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are aligned in a straight line in a height direction of the prismatic battery housing (Kardival, positive terminals, 202-4 and 202-2, Fig. 2B).
Regarding Claim 11,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 8, wherein a pair of the positive electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab and a pair of the negative electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are not aligned in a straight line in a height direction of the prismatic battery housing (Kardival, positive terminals, 202, Fig. 2B)
Regarding Claim 12,
Modified Kardival teaches wherein each of a pair of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab and a pair of the negative electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab are aligned in a straight line in the height direction of the prismatic battery housing (Lee, parts and negative electrode tab, 213 and 232, Fig.4) (Lee, parts and positive electrode tab, 233 and 211, Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 13,
Modified Kardival teaches wherein one of the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab is electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing. (Lee, “In addition, an insulation tape may additionally surround the bonded fixing parts to strengthen a fixing state”, see [0023])
Regarding Claim 15,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 13, wherein the one of the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is fixed to an insulator installed on an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing (Lee, “In addition, an insulation tape may additionally surround the bonded fixing parts to strengthen a fixing state”, see [0023]).
Regarding Claim 18,
Modified Kardival teaches the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing (Lee, “In addition, an insulation tape may additionally surround the bonded fixing parts to strengthen a fixing state”, see [0023])
Regarding Claim 19,
Modified Kardival teaches the prismatic battery of claim 18, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are fixed to an insulator installed on an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing (Lee, “The insulation tape may bind fixing parts and may also ensure electrical insulation of fixing parts with respect to an internal surface of a battery case.”, see [0023]) (Lee, “battery case adjacent to the fixing parts”, see [0073]).
Claims 14,17, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by (US-20230223663-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Kadirvel’ in view of (US-20210005851-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Oh’, in view of (US-20180315980-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Lee’ in further view of (US-20200152952-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Heo’
Regarding Claim 14,
Modified Kardival does not teach the prismatic battery of claim 13, wherein the one of the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing has a polarity opposite to that of the prismatic battery housing.
Heo teaches wherein the one of the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing has a polarity opposite to that of the prismatic battery housing (Heo, “negative electrode tab is welded to the welding pole, whereby the battery case serves as a negative electrode terminal”, see [0013]).
Heo teaches that this allows for damage to the electrode assembly to be prevented (Heo, “and it is possible to prevent damage to the electrode assembly”, see [0013]).
Modified Kardival and Heo are analogous as they are both of the same field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrode as assembly as taught in Modified Kardival to have one of the electrodes be welded directly to the case in order to have it serve as an electrode terminal to prevent damage to the electrode assembly.
Regarding Claim 17,
Modified Kardival does not teach wherein a dummy tab that is not electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is welded to an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.
Heo teaches wherein a tab that is not electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is welded to an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.(Heo, “negative electrode tab is welded to the welding pole, whereby the battery case serves as a negative electrode terminal”, see [0013]).
Heo teaches that this allows for damage to the electrode assembly to be prevented (Heo, “and it is possible to prevent damage to the electrode assembly”, see [0013]).
Modified Kardival and Heo are analogous as they are both of the same field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrode as assembly as taught in Kardival to have one of the electrodes be welded directly to the case in order to have it serve as an electrode terminal to prevent damage to the electrode assembly.
Regarding Claim 21,
Modified Kardival does not teach wherein the device is an electric vehicle (EV).
Heo teaches a device comprising the prismatic battery of claim 5, wherein the device is an electric vehicle (EV) (Heo, “In addition, secondary batteries have attracted considerable attention as energy sources for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles,”, see [0003]).
Heo teaches that this can help solve problems caused by air pollution and fossil fuels (Heo, “which have been developed to solve problems, such as air pollution, caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuels.”, see [0003])
Modified Kardival and Heo are analogous as they both relate to the field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the use of the battery of Modified Kardival to be used in an electric vehicle or EV in order to reduce the pollution problems caused by fossil fuels.
Claims 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by (US 20230223663 A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Kadirvel’ in view of (US-20210005851-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Oh’, in view of (US-20180315980-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Lee’ in further view of (US-20120190252-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Pavlinsky’
Regarding Claim 16,
Modified Kardival does not teach the prismatic battery of claim 15, wherein: the insulator includes a tab insertion groove; and the one of the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is inserted into and fixed to the tab insertion groove.
Pavlinksy teaches tab insulator includes insertion groove; and the one of the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is inserted into and fixed to the tab insertion groove (Pavlinksy, “The stack insulator 30 may include a tab groove 36 and a tab aperture 32,”, see [0057]).
Pavlinsky teaches that the tab insertion groove allows for the tabs to be properly spaced apart and prevent a short circuit (Pavlinsky, “which may keep the first electrode tab 20 and the second electrode tab 22 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to prevent a short circuit therebetween”, see [0057])
Modified Kardival and Pavlinsky are analogous as they both relate to the same field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the insulating part of the tab as taught in Modified Kardival with the slot as taught in Pavlinsky in maintain the spacing and prevent a short-circuit.
Regarding Claim 20,
Modified Kardival does not teaches wherein: the insulator includes a tab insertion groove; and each of the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab is inserted into and fixed to the tab insertion groove.
Pavlinksy teaches wherein the insulator includes a tab insertion groove; and each of the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab is inserted into and fixed to the tab insertion groove. (Pavlinksy, “The stack insulator 30 may include a tab groove 36 and a tab aperture 32,”, see [0057]).
Pavlinsky teaches that the tab insertion groove allows for the tabs to be properly spaced apart and prevent a short circuit (Pavlinsky, “which may keep the first electrode tab 20 and the second electrode tab 22 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to prevent a short circuit therebetween”, see [0057]) .
Modified Kardival and Pavlinsky are analogous as they both relate to the same field of batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the insulating part of the tab as taught in Modified Kardival with the slot as taught in Pavlinsky in maintain the spacing and prevent a short-circuit.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/21/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pg. 7, the applicant argues:
“The office action appears to allege that [0073] and [0057] of Lee teaches that the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are fixed to the prismatic battery housing…This paragraph merely discloses that the fixing parts having the same polarity are bonded to each other…There is no disclosure that these fixing parts are fixed to or connected with the battery housing. ”
However, this is not convincing. The examiner agrees with the applicant’s statement that the reference alone does not teach the attachment to the case. Lee teaches that the fixing part can be affixed to other surfaces and that doing so (Lee, “fixing parts with the same polarity are bonded to each other via welding or soldering while being arranged in parallel in up and down directions to suppress swelling and to relieve stress generated in an electrode assembly.”, see [0057])(Lee, “the fixing parts 112 and 132 to effectively suppress widening of a gap between electrode plates compared with a conventional electrode assembly including only a tap-lead coupler.”, see [0058]). Lee is analogous with both Kardival and Oh, as they are both of the field of batteries and pouch cells. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have applied the fixing parts as they are taught in Lee and to affix them to the case as taught in Oh, in order to suppress swelling and suppress the widening of gap between parts of the assembly. The examiner has made this line of reasoning clearer in the above rejection. All dependent claims are similarly rejection.
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAMUS PATRICK MCNULTY whose telephone number is (703)756-1909. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:00am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas A. Smith can be reached at (571) 272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.P.M./Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/NICHOLAS A SMITH/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752