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 .
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.
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.
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.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20190173134 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses an electrochemical device (abstract, [battery pack]), comprising:
an electrode assembly (abstract, [battery]);
a packaging bag accommodating the electrode assembly (para. 0048, [case P] and Fig. 3, [item P]); and
electrode terminals connected to the electrode assembly (Fig. 3, items 121 and 122); wherein, the packaging bag comprises at least one seal edge (Fig. 3, [item S]);
along a thickness direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the at least one seal edge comprises an arc section (See Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 – the arc sections exists on all four corners and Fig. 5 S close up shows the arc section in detail);
the at least one seal edge comprises a first seal edge (See Fig. 3) and a third seal edge (See Fig. 3 below); the packaging bag comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall (See Fig. 3 below);
the first sidewall is connected to the first seal edge (See connection in Fig. 3 below), and the second sidewall is connected to the third seal edge (See connection in Fig. 3 below); the third sidewall and the second sidewall are disposed opposite to each other along a length direction of the electrode assembly (See Fig. 3);
the first sidewall comprises a first section and a second section (See Fig. 3 for the location of the first and second sections. See Fig. 5 which shows a close up representing all four corners of the electrode); the first section is connected to the second sidewall and the second section (See Fig.3); and
the second section is connected to the third sidewall (See Figs. 3 the second section is connected to the third sidewall. See Fig. 5 for a close-up view of the second section);
and the second section and the electrode terminal are located on opposite sides of the first section (See Fig. 3)
the second section is arc-shaped (See Fig. 5 for representation or the arc-shaped second section);
the first seal edge comprises a first hem (Fig. 3 and 5, S2) and a second hem (S1 and S1’)(Fig. 5, S1’ and Fig. 3 S1); and the first hem is connected to the first section (Fig. 3, first section is connected to S2), the first hem is bent along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly and abuts against the first section (See Fig. 5, the first hem folds towards the first sidewall [para. 0057]), the second hem is connected to the first hem (See Fig. 5, S1’ is connected to the first hem [S2]), the second hem comprises a first part (Fig. 3, S1) and a second part (Fig. 5, S1’); and
the second part is connected to the second section (Fig. 5, S1’ is connected to the second section of the corner) and the first part (See Fig. 5, S1’ is connected to the first part [item S1]), and abuts against the second section (See Fig. 5, S1’ abuts the second section).
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Lee provides a close-up view (Fig. 5) of only one corner section - the corner section between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; and therefore, does not show all four corners. However, as shown in Fig. 3 above, the first sidewall, second sidewall, and fourth sidewall contain hem parts (first hem -Fig. 3, S2 and second hem - Fig. 3, S1 and S1’). The hem parts are constructed to fold over the corner parts, towards the accommodating portion (Fig. 3, A) of the electrode assembly. To ensure that the hem parts properly fold, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed the other three corners of the electrode assembly as shown in the close up view of Fig. 5, in order to provide a structure that is suitable for achieving compactness of the entire battery pack while reducing the space occupied by the battery cell (Lee, para. 0055).
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Regarding claim 2, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode terminals comprise a first electrode terminal (Fig. 3, item 122) and a second electrode terminal (Fig. 3, item 121); the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal extend out of the packaging bag through the third seal edge (Fig. 3, terminals extend through third seal edge); the first seal edge is contiguous to the third seal edge (See Fig. 3); along a width direction of the electrode assembly, a distance between the first seal edge and the first electrode terminal is greater than a distance between the first seal edge and the second electrode terminal (See Fig. 3); and along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the first seal edge comprises an arc section (See Fig. 2 below) (According to para. 0036 of the instant specification “a projection of the first seal edge 22 includes an arc section 100a”. Item 100a of the instant is analogous to the highlighted portion of Fig. 2 below).
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 2, wherein, along the width direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the arc section along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly is between a projection of the first seal edge along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly and a projection of the second electrode terminal along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly (See Fig. 2).
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Regarding claim 4, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein a projection of the first part [item S1] along a width direction of the electrode assembly at least partly overlaps a projection of the second part [item S1’] along the width direction of the electrode assembly (Fig. 5, when folded (F1), S1 [Fig. 3] overlaps a projection of S1’ [Fig. 5]).
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein a projection of the first part [S1] along a width direction of the electrode assembly covers a projection of the second part [S1’] along the width direction of the electrode assembly (Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 shows that when the first seal edge is folded, S1 covers a projection of S1’).
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Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein, along a width direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the second hem [S1 and S1’] is located within a projection of the second section (See Fig. 5 below).
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein along a width direction of the electrode assembly, a length of a projection of the first hem [S2] along the length direction of the electrode assembly is greater than a length of a projection of the second hem [S1 and S1’] along the length direction of the electrode assembly.
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Regarding claim 8, Lee discloses the electrochemical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly is of a structure comprising at least one of a jelly-roll structure (Fig. 2 shows the jelly-roll structure) (para. 0048, [the first and second electrode plates … may be of a winding type, in which case they are wound in a roll form]).
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses an electrical device, wherein the electrical device comprises the electrochemical device according to claim 1 (para. 0066, [current interrupting device - item 150]).
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses the electrical device according to claim 9, wherein the electrode terminals comprise a first electrode terminal (Fig. 3, item 122) and a second electrode terminal (Fig. 3, item 121); the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal extend out of the packaging bag through the third seal edge (Fig. 3, terminals extend through third seal edge); the first seal edge is contiguous to the third seal edge (See Fig. 3), and, along a width direction of the electrode assembly, a distance between the first seal edge and the first electrode terminal is greater than a distance between the first seal edge and the second electrode terminal (See Fig. 3); along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the first seal edge comprises an arc section (See Fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses the electrical device according to claim 10, wherein, along the width direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the arc section along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly is between a projection of the first seal edge along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly and a projection of the second electrode terminal along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly (See Fig. 2 below).
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Regarding claim 12, Lee discloses the electrical device according to claim 9, wherein, a projection of the first part [item S1] along a width direction of the electrode assembly at least partly overlaps a projection of the second part [item S1’] along the width direction of the electrode assembly (Fig. 5, when folded (F1), S1 [Fig. 3] overlaps a projection of S1’ [Fig. 5]).
Regarding claim 13, Lee discloses the electrical device according to claim 9, wherein, along a width direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the second hem [S1 and S1’] is located within a projection of the second section (See Fig. 5 below).
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Regarding claim 14, Lee discloses the electrical device according to claim 9, wherein the electrode assembly is of a structure comprising at least one of a jelly-roll structure (Fig. 2 shows the jelly-roll structure) (para. 0048, [the first and second electrode plates … may be of a winding type, in which case they are wound in a roll form]).
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20190173134 A1) and further in view of Choi (US 20160133987 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Lee teaches the electrochemical device according to claim 1.
Lee does not teach that along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the electrode assembly is arc-shaped.
Choi, in the same field of endeavor, batteries, teaches that along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly, a projection of the electrode assembly is arc-shaped (Choi, para. 0013, [a battery pack including a curved protection circuit]) (Choi, para. 0012, [to provide a battery cell including an electrode stack designed such that opposite ends of a positive electrode are covered by corresponding ends of a separator and a negative electrode even in a state in which all of the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode are curved]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Lee’s battery pack and electrodes to have a curved module, as taught by Choi, in order to minimize unnecessary waste of an internal space (Choi, para. 0013), to exhibit improved volume energy density characteristics (Choi, para. 0013), and to improve safety of the battery cell (Choi, para. 0012).
Other Pertinent Art
US 20070224499 A1
WO 2021110179 A1
EP 1804313 A2
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/10/2026 have been fully considered.
The new ground of rejection over Lee teaches “the second section and the electrode terminal are located on opposite sides of the first section”. Please refer to claim 1.
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 VERITA E GRANNUM whose telephone number is (571)270-1150. The examiner can normally be reached 10-5 EST / 7-2 PST.
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/V.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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