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 without traverse of claims 32-52 and 54 in the reply filed on 02/25/2026 is acknowledged.
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) 35-41, 43-50, and 52 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca (WO-2019099642-A2), and in further view of Ma (US-20210159469-A1).
Regarding claim 35, Busacca discloses
a device for energy storage and for energy release (see e.g., Busacca; [0008] regarding secondary battery), the device comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising an electrode structure separated from, and stacked with, a counter-electrode structure along a longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig.1B-C, [00211], regarding electrode assembly 106 stacked in a longitudinal direction with counter-electrode structures 112, the Y direction in the figures corresponding to the longitudinal direction);
a constraint system (see e.g., Busacca; [00211], figs. 1A, 4A-B, 5, 6A, 8A regarding constraint system 151 and 152) comprising apertures having a slot-shape with an elongated dimension (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 6A, 10, [00502], regarding pores 176 to allow electrolyte to pass through to electrode assembly), the electrode assembly being disposed in the constraint system (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 1A, 4A-C, wherein electrode assembly 106 is disposed inside the constraint system); and
an enclosure configured to enclose the electrode assembly and the constraint system (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 20, [00207], [00383], regarding battery enclosure 104, the constraints and electrode assembly may be internal to the battery enclosure 104), the enclosure comprising opposing vertical surfaces disposed in a vertical direction normal to the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 20, [00613], wherein a vertical direction may be the Z direction in the figures, and the enclosure 104 has a body and a cap which are disposed in the Z direction that is normal to the longitudinal Y direction).
Busacca does not explicitly disclose a first thermal conductivity of the electrode assembly, along a first thermally conductive path between the opposing vertical surfaces of the enclosure, of at least two (2) Watts per meter Kelvin (W/m.K). However, Ma discloses a housing of a battery wherein a thermal conductivity of the member, which has opposing vertical surfaces, is at least 150 W/mK (see e.g., Ma; [0075], fig. 1, regarding thermal conductivity of housing member 20), which overlaps with the claimed range of at least two (2) Watts per meter Kelvin (W/m.K). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the housing of Busacca to have a thermal conductivity of at least 150 W/mK as disclosed by Ma in order to provide electrical stability due to electrical characteristics (see e.g., Ma; [0007], [0010]).
Regarding claim 36, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein the apertures are oriented in the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 1B-D, 6A-B, 20, regarding the pores oriented along the longitudinal Y direction).
Regarding claim 37, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein the constraint system is connected with the electrode assembly (see e.g., Busacca; [00207], figs. 1A-D, 4A-D, wherein electrode assembly is inside the constraint system and therefore connected), the constraint system being capable of restraining growth of the electrode assembly in the vertical direction (see e.g., Busacca; [00207], [00212], regarding restraining growth of electrode assembly from constraints, fig. 1A-D, 4A-C, regarding sides such as 162 and 160 which restrain growth in the vertical Z direction).
Regarding claim 38, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 37. Busacca discloses wherein the constraint system may comprise of stainless steel amongst a list of other materials (see e.g., Busacca; [00616]-[00617], regarding wherein the constraint systems may be stainless steel). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have selected stainless steel as the constraint system material as disclosed by Busacca in order to apply the desired force to the electrode assembly (see e.g., Busacca; [00616]).
Regarding claim 39, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 37, wherein the constraint system comprises a first longitudinal constraint and a second longitudinal constraint separated from each other in the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1A-D, wherein growth constraints are on either end in the longitudinal direction, such as ends 116 and 118 in the Y direction).
Regarding claim 40, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 37, wherein the constraint system comprises a first vertical growth constraint and a second vertical growth constraint separated from each other in the vertical direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 1A-D, 4A-C, regarding growth constraints in the vertical direction Z such as 162 and 160).
Regarding claim 41, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 37, wherein the constraint system comprises slots spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction, each of the slots having a longitudinal axis oriented along the longitudinal direction normal to the transverse direction and normal to the vertical direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1B, 1D, 6A, 20, regarding pores 176 which permit electrolyte to pass therethrough which correspond with the slots, the pores arranged in an X direction corresponding with the claimed transverse direction normal to the longitudinal Y direction, both of which are normal to the vertical Z direction).
Regarding claim 43, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein the device comprises an adjacent-facing pair of vertical surfaces of the electrode assembly along the vertical direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1C, which provides counter-electrodes 138, two of which may correspond with adjacent-facing pair of vertical surfaces as they have an extension in the vertical Z direction), the device comprising a thermally conductive material contacting each of the adjacent-facing pair of vertical surfaces, the thermally conductive material extending across at least 50% of a surface area of each of the adjacent facing pair of vertical surfaces of the electrode assembly (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1C, wherein counter-electrode current collector 140 contacts the pair of counter-electrodes 138 on either side, the figure showing wherein the counter-electrode current collector contacts the counter-electrode pair along the whole face of the counter-electrode, [00412] regarding the material of the counter-electrode current collector being metals which are thermally conductive).
Regarding claim 44, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein the electrode structure comprises an electrode current collector (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1C, 7, [00220], regarding current collector such as 136) having (a) an electrode current collector body region (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1C, 7, wherein the body region may be the face of the current collector 136) and (b) an electrode current collector end region being bounded by, and extending from, a transverse end of the electrode current collector body region coupled with an electrode active material (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 55, which shows the end regions of the current collector extending from the body of the current collector with active material layer 132, 138), the transverse end of the electrode current collector body region being along a transverse direction normal to the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1B, which shows that the current collectors and electrodes, including the transverse end of the current collector, extends along the X direction which is a transverse direction normal to the longitudinal Y direction), the electrode current collector body region having a first height along the vertical direction normal to the transverse direction and normal to the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1B, which shows that the electrodes with current collectors have the width extending in the vertical Z direction which is normal to the X and Y direction, fig. 19 which shows that the current collector body with active material 132, 138 has a first heigh), the electrode current collector end region having a second height different from the first height (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 55, which shows that the end of the current collector has a hook shape which is a different height from the body of the current collector).
Regarding claim 45, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 44, further comprising an electrode busbar disposed along the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 16A-B, regarding busbar 600, 602 disposed along the longitudinal Y direction), the electrode busbar being operatively coupled with a surface of the electrode current collector (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A-B), the surface having (a) a first surface portion of the electrode current collector body region, the first surface portion being disposed normal to the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 1B, 27A-B, wherein the current collector first surface portion may by the current collector before being folded, which extends in the X direction that is normal to the longitudinal direction), and (b) a second surface portion of the electrode current collector end region, the second surface portion being disposed along the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A-B, wherein the second surface portion is the end portion of the current collector which extends in the longitudinal Y direction).
Regarding claim 46, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 44, wherein (A) the electrode current collector end region is spatially configured to increase energy density (see e.g., Busacca; [00209], [00223], regarding the design of the structure and dimensions of the electrode to increase energy density, which applies to the spatially configured shape of the current collector end region as shown in figs. 1B, 16A-B), (B) at least a portion of the electrode current collector end region is bent in a direction towards the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A-B, wherein the end region bends in the longitudinal Y direction), (C) the electrode current collector body region and a portion of the electrode current collector end region are aligned about the transverse direction (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A, 27A’, 27B, 27B’, wherein the corner of the bend of the current collector extends partially in the transverse X direction, so part of the body region and part of the current collector end region may be considered as aligned in the X direction), (D) the electrode current collector body region is coated by the electrode active material, and the transverse end of the electrode current collector body region is coupled with the electrode active material (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A’, 27B’, wherein the active material 138, 132 coats the body region including the transverse end of the body region).
The claimed “and/or” is interpreted according to the broadest reasonable interpretation as “or”. Therefore, because Busacca teaches elements (A)-(D) as claimed, element (E), a unit cell of the electrode assembly comprises the electrode structure and the counter-electrode structure, the electrode assembly comprising unit cells similar to, and including, the unit cell, the unit cells being stacked along the longitudinal direction, is not required. However, Busacca does also disclose that the electrode assembly comprises of unit cells stacked along the longitudinal Y direction (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1B, 25A-H, [0065], [00361]-[00362]).
Regarding claim 47, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 46, wherein the electrode current collector body region is coated by the electrode active material (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A’, 27B’), the transverse end of the electrode current collector body region is coupled with the electrode active material (see e.g., Busacca; figs. 27A’, 27B’), and the electrode active material comprises silicon (see e.g., Busacca; [0060], [00216], [00620]-[00621]).
Regarding claim 48, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 46, wherein the unit cell of the electrode assembly comprises the electrode structure and the counter-electrode structure (see e.g., Busacca; [0065], [00145], figs. 25A-H, regarding the units cells with the electrode and counter-electrode structure), the electrode assembly comprising unit cells similar to, and including, the unit cell (see e.g., Busacca; [0065], [00145], figs. 25A-H, as previously described), the unit cells being stacked along the longitudinal direction and the electrode assembly comprises at least four unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [00359], fig. 1B, regarding the unit cells 504 arranged in the longitudinal Y direction, the figure showing more than four unit cells).
Regarding claim 49, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 46, wherein the unit cell of the electrode assembly comprises the electrode structure and the counter-electrode structure, the electrode assembly comprising unit cells similar to, and including, the unit cell, the unit cells being stacked along the longitudinal direction (see e.g., Busacca; [0065], [00145], figs. 25A-H, regarding the units cells with the electrode and counter-electrode structure, [00359], fig. 1B, regarding the unit cells 504 arranged in the longitudinal Y direction); and
wherein (a) a length LE of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1B, [0058], regarding length LE which is in the X direction) and a length LCE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [00642], regarding LCE), are measured in the transverse direction, (b) a width WE of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [00642], regarding WE in the longitudinal Y direction) and a width WCE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [00642], regarding WCE), are measured in the longitudinal direction, and (c) a height HE of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [0010], regarding height HE) and a height HE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells (see e.g., Busacca; [0317] regarding HCE measured in vertical Z axis), is measured in the vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
wherein (i) a ratio of LE to each of WE and HE of each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure is at least 2:1, respectively (see e.g., Busacca; [0058], regarding LE to HE and WE is at least 5:1, see also [00639] and [00647] regarding LCE to WCE and HCE of at least 5:1), (ii) a ratio of HE to WE for each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure is at least 0.4:1 (see e.g., Busacca; [00641], regarding HE to WE of at least 0.4:1, [00649] regarding same ratio for counter-electrode structure), (iii) a ratio of LCE to each of WCE and HcE of each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure is at least 2:1, respectively (see e.g., Busacca; [00647]), and/or (iv) a ratio of HCE to WCE for each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure is at least 0.4:1 (see e.g., Busacca; [00641]).
Regarding claim 50, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein opposing longitudinal surfaces of the electrode assembly have a combined surface area LSA, opposing transverse surfaces of the electrode assembly have a combined surface area TSA, opposing vertical surfaces of the electrode assembly have a combined surface area VSA, and a ratio of VSA to each of LSA and TSA is at least 5:1 (see e.g., fig. 1A-B, wherein opposing longitudinal surfaces of the electrode assembly may be the surfaces at each end in the Y direction, opposing transverse surfaces of the electrode assembly may be the surfaces at each end in the X direction, and opposing vertical surfaces are the top and bottom of the battery in the Z direction, and the figures show visually that the top and bottom surfaces in the Z direction are significantly larger than the surfaces in the Y and X direction, see further [00483] regarding the surface area in the longitudinal direction may be as small as less than 10% of the surface area of the total surface of the electrode assembly).
Regarding claim 52, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein (A) the enclosure is hermetically sealed (see e.g., Busacca; [00691], regarding hermetically sealed) and/or (B) the enclosure comprises a top cover and a bottom holder (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 1A).
Claim(s) 42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca (WO-2019099642-A2) and Ma (US-20210159469-A1), and in further view of Kurahashi (US-20130295430-A1).
Regarding claim 42, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35, wherein the electrode structure and the counter-electrode structure are each operatively coupled with respective tabs, the device comprising the tabs (see e.g., Busacca; fig. 20, [00229], regarding connecting electrode and counter electrodes to electrode tabs 190, 192).
Busacca does not explicitly disclose wherein a heat sink is thermally connected with the tabs. However, Kurahashi discloses wherein a heat-dissipating body contacts electrode leads (see e.g., Kurahashi; figs. 1-2, [0037], regarding heat-dissipating bodies 60, 70 which come into contact with the electrode leads). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added the heat sinks disclosed by Kurahashi to thermally connect with the tabs of Busacca in order to prevent overheating, prevent battery performance deterioration, prevent decomposition of electrolytic solution, and prevent increase in gas generation (see e.g., Busacca; [0007]).
Claim(s) 51 and 54 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca (WO-2019099642-A2) and Ma (US-20210159469-A1), and in further view of Sastry (US-20190088990-A1).
Regarding claim 51, modified Busacca teaches the device of claim 35.
Busacca does not explicitly disclose a second thermal conductivity of the electrode assembly, along a second thermally conductive path between vertically opposing regions of external vertical surfaces of the enclosure in the vertical direction of at least 10 Watts per meter Kelvin (W/m.K). However, Ma discloses a housing of a battery wherein a thermal conductivity of the member, which has vertical surfaces, is at least 150 W/mK (see e.g., Ma; [0075], fig. 1, regarding thermal conductivity of housing member 20), which overlaps with the claimed range of at least 10 Watts per meter Kelvin (W/m.K). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the housing of Busacca to have a vertical surfaces with a thermal conductivity of at least 150 W/mK as disclosed by Ma in order to provide electrical stability due to electrical characteristics (see e.g., Ma; [0007], [0010]).
Busacca does not explicitly disclose wherein (C) a core energy density of the device is at least 700 Watt hour per Liter (Whr/liter). However, Sastry discloses wherein the energy density of a battery may be at least 700 Watt-hours per liter (see e.g., Sastry; [0052]). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have had the battery disclosed by Busacca also have an energy density of 700 Watt hour per Liter (Whr/liter) as disclosed by Sastry in order to be applied in machines such as hybrid vehicles and mobile computing devices (see e.g., Sastry; [0022]-[0023]), all of which benefit from higher energy density.
Modified Busacca therefore teaches a combination of (A) and (C), which meets the limitation of claimed (E) being any combination of (A), (B), (C), and (D).
Regarding claim 54, Busacca teaches the device in claim 35. Busacca does not explicitly disclose a control unit for facilitating energy storage and for energy release, the control unit being configured to electrically couple with the device in claim 35, the control unit being configured to direct execution of one or more operations to use the device, the control unit being configured to couple with an electrical connection.
However, Sastry discloses a controller which facilitates energy storage and energy release, which is electrically coupled to a battery, an directs executions to operate the battery in the context of a hybrid vehicle, and thereby couples with an electrical connection (see e.g., Sastry; [0043]-[0045], fig. 5, regarding controller 22 operating the vehicle using the battery). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a controller for operating the battery as disclosed by Sastry in order to use in the battery in vehicles (see e.g., Sastry; [0043]-[0045]).
Conclusion
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/KEVIN SONG/ Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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