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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on March 23, 2023, October 24, 2023, and July 18, 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The term ‘width length’ used throughout the specification is considered indefinite. While, the terms “width” and “length” are known in the art as individual dimensions with “length” typically being the longer of the two dimensions, the term “width length” is indefinite as to whether one or both dimensions is being claimed and in what respect. Clarification is required. For purposes of further examination, the examiner is interpreting “width length” as “a length.”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “width length” in claims 7, 12, and 13 is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. While, the terms “width” and “length” are known in the art as individual dimensions with “length” typically being the longer of the two dimensions, the term “width length” is indefinite as to whether one or both dimensions is being claimed and in what respect. Clarification is required. For purposes of further examination, the examiner is interpreting “width length” as “a length” in claims 7, 12, and 13.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by European Patent EP 2942832A1 (IDS dated 10/24/2023), hereinafter Jung.
Regarding claim 1, Jung teaches an electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) comprising:
an active material portion in which an active material is formed on a substrate; and (“An electrode active material is applied onto one or both surfaces of the prepared current-collecting foil to manufacture an electrode” [0028])
a non-coated portion in which the active material is not formed, (‘electrode tabs’ 111 and 121, Fig 3)
wherein the non-coated portion (111 and 121) comprises a first non-coated portion (first non-coated portion in annotated figure below) in which a non-coated portion tab is formed and a second non-coated portion (second non-coated portion in annotated figure below) extending from the first non-coated portion in a width direction of the active material portion, and an area of the first non-coated portion and an area of the second non-coated portion satisfy Expression 1 below:
(Expression 1) 1.0 < (A+B)/A < 2.0
wherein, in Expression 1, A represents the area of the first non-coated portion (mm2), and B represents the area of the second non-coated portion (mm2). (The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portions can be defined in a way to fit this expression. Additionally, the expression is in the form of a ratio and any area can be presented in mm2 therefore the unit do not matter. The figure below provides an example in which the areas of the first and second non-coated portions would fit this expression.)
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Regarding claim 2, Jung teaches the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 1, wherein the area of the first non-coated portion and the area of the second non-coated portion satisfy Expression 2 below:
(Expression 2) 1.2 < (A+B)/A < 1.8
wherein, in Expression 2, A and B are as defined in Expression 1 above. (The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portions can be defined in a way to fit this expression. Additionally, the expression is in the form of a ratio and similarly any area can be presented in mm2 therefore the unit do not matter. see above figure)
Regarding claim 3, Jung teaches the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 1, wherein the non-coated portion tab forms an electrode tab of the electrode plate (electrode tabs 111 and 121, Fig 3).
Regarding claim 4, Jung teaches the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 1, wherein the non-coated portion comprises a first region in contact with the active material portion and a second region spaced apart from the first region in a longitudinal direction of the active material portion (“Electrode tabs 111 and 112 protruding from the electrodes 110 and 120 extend and protrude from the thin current-collecting foil” [0029], Fig 3).
Regarding claim 5, Jung teaches the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 4, wherein the second non-coated portion comprises a straight line shape (‘straight portion’ 111a, Fig 3) connecting the first region and the second region. (“As illustrated in Fig. 3, the first and second electrode tabs 111 and 121 have linear portions 111a and 121a that are straight lines from one end to the other end thereof.” [0035])
Regarding claim 6, the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 4, wherein the first region is formed to have a longer length than the second region (Here, the electrode tabs 111 and 121 may have widths that gradually decrease in directions in which the electrode tabs 111 and 121 protrude outward from the electrodes 110 and 120, respectively.” [0030], Fig 3).
Regarding claim 7, the electrode plate of claim 4, wherein a width length of the second non-coated portion gets smaller from the first region to the second region. (Second non-coated portion in annotated figure below is a trapezoidal shape where the length of the second region is smaller than the length of the first region.)
Regarding claim 8, the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 4, wherein the second non-coated portion comprises a polygonal shape (“Each of the electrode tabs 111 and 121 may have a trapezoidal shape” [0030] i.e. a polygon, Fig 3).
Regarding claim 9, the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 4, wherein the second non-coated portion comprises a round shape connecting the first region and the second region (“According to another embodiment, the trapezoidal first and second electrode tabs may have side surfaces with curved portions 111b and 121b” [0036], Fig 3-5).
Regarding claim 10, the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) of claim 9, wherein the round shape is a convexly protruding shape (“According to further another embodiment, the trapezoidal first and second electrode tabs 111 and 121 may have side surfaces with curved portions 111c and 121c of which respective central portions convexly protrude to form protruding portions 111c and 121c” [0037], Fig 5).
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Regarding claim 11, The electrode plate of claim 9, wherein the round shape is a concavely indented shape (“That is, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the electrode tabs 111 and 121 may have curved portions 111b and 121b that are gradually recessed from both ends towards the centers thereof” [0036], Fig. 4).
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Regarding claim 12, the electrode plate of claim 1, wherein a width length of the first non-coated portion and a width length of the active material portion have a ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 (The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portion can be defined in a way to fit this ratio. The first annotated pictures provides an example in which the first non-coated portion and active material lengths have a ratio of 1:1.6)
Regarding claim 13, the electrode plate of claim 1, wherein a width length of the first non-coated portion and a width length of the active material portion have a ratio of 1:1 to 1:2 ((The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portion can be defined in a way to fit this ratio. The first annotated pictures provides an example in which the first non-coated portion and active material lengths have a ratio of 1:1.6)
Regarding claim 14, An electrode assembly (Fig 2, 100) comprising:
a cathode; (“Here the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 120 may be electrodes opposite to each other” [0027], Fig 2)
an anode; and (For example, when the first electrode 110 is a negative electrode, the second electrode 120 may be a positive electrode, and vice versa” [0027], Fig 2)
a separator (Fig 2, 130) interposed between the cathode and the anode,
wherein the cathode or the anode comprises an electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120),
wherein the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) comprising:
an active material portion in which an active material is formed on a substrate; and (“An electrode active material is applied onto one or both surfaces of the prepared current-collecting foil to manufacture an electrode” [0028])
a non-coated portion in which the active material is not formed, (‘electrode tabs’ 111 and 121, Fig 3)
wherein the non-coated portion (111 and 121) comprises a first non-coated portion (first non-coated portion in first annotated figure) in which a non-coated portion tab is formed and a second non-coated portion (second non-coated portion in first annotated figure) extending from the first non-coated portion in a width direction of the active material portion, and an area of the first non-coated portion and an area of the second non-coated portion satisfy Expression 1 below:
(Expression 1) 1.0 < (A+B)/A < 2.0
wherein, in Expression 1, A represents the area of the first non-coated portion (mm2), and B represents the area of the second non-coated portion (mm2). ( The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portions can be defined in a way to fit this expression. Additionally, the expression is in the form of a ratio and any area can be presented in mm2 therefore the unit do not matter. The first annotated figure provides an example in which the areas of the first and second non-coated portions would fit this expression.)
Regarding claim 15, A secondary battery (‘The secondary battery according to the related art includes a unit cell A’ [0004], unit cell A is described the exact same way in [0004] and [0007] but just references Fig 1 rather than Fig 2) comprising an electrode assembly (Fig 2, 100),
the electrode assembly (Fig 2, 100) comprising:
a cathode; (“Here the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 120 may be electrodes opposite to each other” [0027], Fig 2)
an anode; and (For example, when the first electrode 110 is a negative electrode, the second electrode 120 may be a positive electrode, and vice versa” [0027], Fig 2)
a separator (Fig 2, 130) interposed between the cathode and the anode,
wherein the cathode or the anode comprises an electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120),
wherein the electrode plate (Fig 2, 110 and 120) comprising:
an active material portion in which an active material is formed on a substrate; and (“An electrode active material is applied onto one or both surfaces of the prepared current-collecting foil to manufacture an electrode” [0028])
a non-coated portion in which the active material is not formed, (‘electrode tabs’ 111 and 121, Fig 3)
wherein the non-coated portion (111 and 121) comprises a first non-coated portion (first non-coated portion in first annotated figure) in which a non-coated portion tab is formed and a second non-coated portion (second non-coated portion in first annotated figure) extending from the first non-coated portion in a width direction of the active material portion, and an area of the first non-coated portion and an area of the second non-coated portion satisfy Expression 1 below:
(Expression 1) 1.0 < (A+B)/A < 2.0
wherein, in Expression 1, A represents the area of the first non-coated portion (mm2), and B represents the area of the second non-coated portion (mm2). (The claim does not state the first and second non-coated portions must make up the entirety of the electrode tab, therefore any non-coated portions can be defined in a way to fit this expression. Additionally, the expression is in the form of a ratio and any area can be presented in mm2 therefore the unit do not matter. The first annotated figure provides an example in which the areas of the first and second non-coated portions would fit this expression.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In an effort to promote compact prosecution, Claims 1, 2, 14 and, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NPL Numerical study on tab dimension optimization of lithium-ion battery from the thermal safety perspective by Wenxin Mei, hereinafter Mei.
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/M.K.H./ Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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