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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/10/23 was filed on 3/10/23. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 3/10/23 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 § 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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (WO 2020/141684 A1) using (US 2022/0102810) as an equivalent English translation.
Regarding claims 1-4, Kim et al discloses a lithium secondary battery that may be prismatic in shape comprising: a flat-shaped wound electrode body in which a band-shaped positive electrode “114”, a band-shaped negative electrode “112” and a band-shaped separator “113” are wound in a longitudinal direction; and
a battery case that accommodates the wound electrode body, wherein
the positive electrode has a positive active material layer including a lithium-transition metal complex oxide such as lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide as a positive electrode active material and a positive electrode binder,
the negative electrode has a negative active material layer containing graphite as a negative electrode active material,
the separator has a porous substrate (base material layer), a heat-resistant layer “20” on both sides of the porous substrate, and an adhesive layer “10” on both sides of heat-resistant layer which inherently results in the heat-resistant layer opposing the positive electrode and the adhesive layer opposing the negative electrode,
wherein the heat-resistant layer contains inorganic particles “2” (ceramic particles) and a heat-resistant binder, wherein an example of heat-resistant layer comprises heat-resistant binder:inorganic particles in a weight ratio of 1:30 corresponding to a mass ratio of the inorganic particles (ceramic particles) relative to a total mass of the heat-resistant layer that is 97 mass%, and the adhesive layer contains an adhesive layer binder, wherein a mass ratio of adhesive layer binder (adhesive layer binder) relative to a total mass of the adhesive layer is 100 mass%;
wherein the heat-resistant layer binder contains an acrylic heat-resistant binder and does not contain a fluorine-based binder that contains fluorine as a constituent element;
wherein the positive electrode binder contains polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), a mass ratio of the PVdF relative to a total mass of the positive electrode binder, in the positive electrode active material layer, is 100 mass%, the negative electrode active material layer contains styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as negative electrode binders, in addition to the negative electrode active material, and a total mass of a mass of the SBR and a mass of the CMC relative to a total mass of the negative electrode binder, in the negative electrode active material layer, is 100 mass% ([0153],[0161]-[0165],[0184]-[0186],[0195]-[0197] and Figs. 1 and 2); wherein the coating may be performed by inkjet printing ([0144]).
However, Kim et al does not expressly teach defining a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is 100 mm or larger (claim 1); a height H of the wound electrode body as a length thereof in a direction perpendicular to a winding axis direction of the wound electrode body and perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wound electrode body, a ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body, is 2 or higher (claim 4).
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim battery to include a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is 100 mm or larger; and a height H of the wound electrode body as a length thereof in a direction perpendicular to a winding axis direction of the wound electrode body and perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wound electrode body, a ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body, that is 2 or higher because it has been held that the discovery of an optimum value of a result effective variable in a known process is ordinarily within the skill of the art. In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). The length of the positive electrode active material in a width direction and the height of the wound electrode body are result effective variables of optimizing the dimensions of the positive electrode active material layer and wound electrode body for a desired size and energy density battery. Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454. 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955)). There is no evidence of criticality of the claimed length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body.
Claims 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (WO 2020/141684 A1) in view of Sato et al (US 2021/0344048). The Kim reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Kim et al does not expressly teach adhesive layer including a region formed to have a dotted shape, in a plan view (claim 5); adhesive layer including a region formed to have a striped shape, in a plan view (claim 6); adhesive layer having in a plan view, a first region formed to have at least one of a striped shape and a band shape, and a second region formed to have a dotted shape (claim 7); adhesive layer having, in a plan view, a first region formed to have a band shape extending along the longitudinal direction, and a second region formed to have a dotted shape; and in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first region is provided at a pair of end portions of the separator in a width direction thereof, and the second region is provided between the pair of end portions (claim 8); adhesive layer having, in a plan view, a first region formed to have a band shape extending in the longitudinal direction, and a second region formed to have a striped shape; and in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first region is provided at a pair of end portions of the separator in a width direction thereof, and the second region is provided between the pair of end portions (claim 9).
Sato et al discloses an adhesive material that may be applied to only part of the affixing surface, wherein the adhesive material can be applied such as to have any shape in plan view, such as a striped shape, a dotted shape, or a lattice shape, without any specific limitations. Of these shapes, application of the adhesive material with a dotted shape is preferable from a viewpoint of increasing injectability of electrolyte solution in production of a secondary battery using a laminate for a secondary battery ([0081]); wherein a coated region “81A” (second region) of each first coated section “81” is disposed throughout the entirety of the first coated section and adhesive material is not applied at parts of the first coating section “81” located at both sides in a width direction (up/down direction in Fig. 5) (first region having a band shape extending along the longitudinal direction / pair of end portions) of the affixing surface “80” ([0099] and Fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim separator to include an adhesive layer including a region formed to have a dotted shape, in a plan view; an adhesive layer including a region formed to have a striped shape, in a plan view; an adhesive layer having in a plan view, a first region formed to have at least one of a striped shape and a band shape, and a second region formed to have a dotted shape; an adhesive layer having, in a plan view, a first region formed to have a band shape extending along the longitudinal direction, and a second region formed to have a dotted shape; and in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first region is provided at a pair of end portions of the separator in a width direction thereof, and the second region is provided between the pair of end portions; an adhesive layer having, in a plan view, a first region formed to have a band shape extending in the longitudinal direction, and a second region formed to have a striped shape; and in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first region is provided at a pair of end portions of the separator in a width direction thereof, and the second region is provided between the pair of end portions in order to arrange the adhesive material in a specific pattern such that the adhesive material is applied by an inkjet method from a viewpoint of ease of application and arrangement of the adhesive material ([0081]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (WO 2020/141684 A1) in view of Okada (WO 2021/241280 A1) using (US 2023/0187784) as an equivalent English translation. The Kim reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Kim et al does not expressly teach upon division of the separator, in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, into a pair of end regions and a central region positioned between the pair of end regions, a basis weight of the adhesive layer that is larger in the end regions than in the central region.
Okada disclose an adhesive layer (pNS) that may be formed so that the dot density is set to be low in the above-mentioned region 382 (central region) with the low basis weight and the dot density is set to be high in the above-mentioned region 392 (end regions) with the high basis weight, to thereby form a region with the low basis weight and a region with the high basis weight as desired ([0074]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim separator to include upon division of the separator, in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, into a pair of end regions and a central region positioned between the pair of end regions, a basis weight of the adhesive layer that is larger in the end regions than in the central region in order to improve liquid pouring property of the secondary battery, thereby forming bonded regions and not-bonded regions by the adhesive layer to other layers on the surfaces of the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer, and as a result, in the secondary battery, permeation of the electrolytic solution between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer can be further facilitated, and the performance of the secondary battery can be further improved ([0074]).
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (WO 2020/141684 A1) using (US 2022/0102810) as an equivalent English translation, in view of Okabe et al (US 2024/0079632).
Regarding claims 1-4, Kim et al discloses a lithium secondary battery that may be prismatic in shape comprising: a flat-shaped wound electrode body in which a band-shaped positive electrode “114”, a band-shaped negative electrode “112” and a band-shaped separator “113” are wound in a longitudinal direction; and
a battery case that accommodates the wound electrode body, wherein
the positive electrode has a positive active material layer including a lithium-transition metal complex oxide such as lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide as a positive electrode active material and a positive electrode binder,
the negative electrode has a negative active material layer containing graphite as a negative electrode active material,
the separator has a porous substrate (base material layer), a heat-resistant layer “20” on both sides of the porous substrate, and an adhesive layer “10” on both sides of heat-resistant layer which inherently results in the heat-resistant layer opposing the positive electrode and the adhesive layer opposing the negative electrode,
wherein the heat-resistant layer contains inorganic particles “2” (ceramic particles) and a heat-resistant binder, and an example of heat-resistant binder:inorganic particles in a weight ratio of 1:30 corresponding to a mass ratio of the inorganic particles (ceramic particles) relative to a total mass of the heat-resistant layer that is 97 mass%, and the adhesive layer contains an adhesive layer binder, and a mass ratio of core-shell adhesive binder (adhesive layer binder) relative to a total mass of the adhesive layer is 100 mass%;
wherein the heat-resistant layer binder contains an acrylic heat-resistant binder and does not contain a fluorine-based binder that contains fluorine as a constituent element;
wherein the positive electrode binder contains polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), a mass ratio of the PVdF relative to a total mass of the positive electrode binder, in the positive electrode active material layer, is 100 mass%, the negative electrode active material layer contains styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as negative electrode binders, in addition to the negative electrode active material, and a total mass of a mass of the SBR and a mass of the CMC relative to a total mass of the negative electrode binder, in the negative electrode active material layer, is 100 mass% ([0153],[0161]-[0165],[0184]-[0186],[0195]-[0197] and Figs. 1 and 2); wherein the coating may be performed by inkjet printing ([0144]).
However, Kim et al does not expressly teach defining a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is 100 mm or larger (claim 1); a height H of the wound electrode body as a length thereof in a direction perpendicular to a winding axis direction of the wound electrode body and perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wound electrode body, a ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body, is 2 or higher (claim 4).
Okabe et al discloses a positive active material layer having a width (w1) of 166.2 mm and an electrode assembly having a second dimension (height) (H) of 135.6 mm ([0067],[0070]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim battery to include a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is 100 mm or larger in order to provide dimensions of the positive electrode active material layer that is suitable for improvement of energy density of the battery and the desired size of the battery. In addition, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim/Okabe battery to include a height H of the wound electrode body as a length thereof in a direction perpendicular to a winding axis direction of the wound electrode body and perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wound electrode body, a ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body, that is 2 or higher because changes in size/proportion was held to have been obvious (In re Rose, 220 F.2d 459, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955)). There is no evidence of criticality of the claimed ratio (w1/H) of a length w1 of the positive electrode active material layer in a width direction thereof, relative to the height H of the wound electrode body.
Conclusion
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 11/25/2025
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