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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/5/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 3 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan et al. (CN214525293U) in view of Satoshi et al. (JP2005255225A) in further view of Kushida et al. (US 2023027522 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Fan teaches a battery foil packaging box for containing battery foil wound onto a spool ([0041]), the storage case comprising: a case that covers the battery foil, wherein the storage case has a structure in which a space in which the battery foil is housed is enclosed by the case and protrusions of a spool/roller/reel (Fig. 1 element 4, corresponding to the claimed core), the protrusions protruding in an axial direction of the core from end surface of the battery foil body at both ends of the reel (Fig. 1-2 annotated below; [0041]-[0045]), the case includes a first case that covers one side of the electrode roll and a second case that covers an other side of the electrode roll, the first case and the second case overlap each other ([0047]) and the first case and the second case respectively have a structure in which a flat surface and a curved surface are connected to each other to form a semi-cylindrical space (Fig. 2-3; [0043]-[0045]). Fan teaches positioning pins and corresponding positioning holes provided on the upper and lower housing ([0047]).
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Fan does not teach wherein the case is for an electrode roll of a secondary battery having a hollow core and an electrode body wound around the core and a sealing portion sandwiched between the first case and the second case.
However, Satoshi teaches a storage case ([0007] packaging; [0024]) for an electrode roll of a secondary battery ([0008]; [0013]-[0020] the electrode plate is used in a secondary battery; [0003]; [0011]) having a hollow core ([0007]; [0020] tube shaped core) and an electrode body wound around the core ([0013]-[0020] electrode plate wound around a core) wherein the storage case has a structure in which a space in which the electrode body is housed is sealed by the case and protrusions of the core, the protrusions protruding in an axial direction of the core from end surfaces of the electrode body at both ends of the core ([0007]; [0008] “the opening is heat-sealed to form a cuff so that only the metal winding core can pass through”; the metal winding core 31 protrudes in an axial direction and the case 19 is sealed around the core protrusions sealing the space in which the electrode plate roll 2 resides; [0010]; Fig. 4 annotated below). Satoshi teaches that an electrode roll must be protected from moisture between the production of the electrode plate and the completion of the battery assembly ([0003]), further during storage and transportation, if the electrode roll is damaged by its own weight near the grounding point of the electrode plate, it will electrically short-circuit and generate heat ([0003]). Satoshi teaches the need for proper sealing ([0006]-[0008]). Satoshi teaches wherein an electrode roll comprises a current collector with an active material coating comprising at least a positive or negative electrode material and binder ([0013]-[0015]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the storage case taught by Fan as the case for an electrode roll of a secondary battery having a hollow core and an electrode body wound around the core as taught by Satoshi and to further include a sealing portion sandwiched between the first case and the second case as additionally taught by Satoshi.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the storage case taught by Fan as the case for an electrode roll of a secondary battery having a hollow core and an electrode body wound around the core as taught by Satoshi and to further include a sealing portion sandwiched between the first case and the second case as additionally taught by Satoshi to prevent damage due to transportation impact or moisture invasion ([0006]; [0040]-[0042]; [0018]).
Fan in view of Satoshi does not teach where the electrode body comprises a sulfide-based solid electrolyte.
However, Kushida teaches an all-solid-state battery comprising an electrode sheet manufactured by a roll-to-roll method ([0340]; [0348]) where the electrode sheet contains an active material, a binder, and a sulfide-solid electrolyte (Claim 7; [0374]-[0376]; [0102]-[0103]).
Fan in view of Satoshi teaches a storage case for an electrode roll comprising at least a positive or negative electrode material and binder ([0013]-[0015]). All-solid-state batteries utilizing electrode sheets containing an active material, a binder, and a sulfide-solid electrolyte and manufactured in a roll-to-roll process are known in the art (Kushida Claim 7; [0374]-[0376]; [0102]-[0103]). Further it is known in the art that all -solid-state batteries have improved safety (Kushida [0003]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the electrode roll taught by Satoshi by including a sulfide solid electrolyte in the active material coating layer as taught by Kushida to manufacture an electrode for an all-solid-state battery.
Regarding claim 3, modified Fan teaches the storage case of an electrode roll according to claim 1.
Modified Fan does not explicitly teach wherein the space in which the electrode body is housed has a positive pressure (for the purpose of examination positive pressure is considered any pressure such that the pressure within the case is greater, by any amount, than the environment that surrounds that case) in a state where the space is sealed by the case and the protrusions.
However, Satoshi teaches that the electrode tape roll packaging is sealed by filling the packaging with inert gas containing no moisture and the opening is then sealed ([0008]; [0027]). Satoshi teaches that complete gas replacement with inert gas containing no moisture prevents deterioration due to moisture absorption ([0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have filled the case taught by modified Fan with inert gas as taught by Satoshi, such that the space in which the electrode body is housed has a positive pressure (a pressure such that the pressure within the case is greater, by any amount, than the environment that surrounds that case).
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to fill the case taught by modified Fan with inert gas such that the space in which the electrode body is housed has a positive pressure to ensure residual moisture contamination is prevented and subsequent deterioration (Satoshi [0027]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan et al. (CN214525293U), reference is made to enclosed machine translation, in view of Satoshi et al. (JP2005255225A) in further view of Kushida et al. (US 2023027522 A1), as applied above, in further view of Nagaoka et al. (US 20220255169 A1).
Regarding claim 5, modified Fan teaches the storage case of an electrode roll according to claim 1.
Modified Fan does not teach wherein the sealing portion includes a first sealing portion provided in the first case and a second sealing portion provided in the second case and in contact with the first sealing portion, and a portion where the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are in contact with each other and which is in contact with the protrusion portion is softer than other portions of the sealing portion.
However, Nagaoka teaches a multilayer sealing member ([0073]-[0086]) including a bonding layer, an insulating layer, and a bonding layer stacked in order ([0073]). Nagaoka teaches that a first bonding layer is bonded to an upper outer package, and the second bonding layer is bonded to the lower layer outer package ([0085]). Nagaoka teaches that a multilayer sealing member improves adhesion ([0086]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the storage case taught by modified Fan to have a multilayer sealing structure as taught by Nagaoka, thereby meeting the limitation of “wherein the sealing portion includes a first sealing portion provided in the first case and a second sealing portion provided in the second case and in contact with the first sealing portion, and a portion where the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are in contact with each other”.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to modify the storage case taught by modified Fan to have a multilayer sealing structure as taught by Nagaoka to increase adhesion ([0086]).
Modified Fan does not teach wherein a portion where the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are in contact with each other and which is in contact with the protrusion is softer than other portions of the sealing portion.
However, the examiner notes that claim 5 does not provide any values for the “softer” limitation, such that even normal variations in softness within the sealing member, due to manufacturing or compression during assembly, would satisfy the claims.
Therefore, the storage case taught by modified Fan in view of Nagaoka meets the limitations of claim 5.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELICITY B. ALBAN whose telephone number is (703)756-5398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30-6:30.
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/F.B.A./Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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