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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains 230 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-4, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khakhalev (US 20180182560 A1) in view of Cheon et al. (US 20050287428 A1) and Kozuki (US 20070196730 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Khakhalev teaches an energy storage device (10), which may be a battery (secondary battery), which comprises a container (20) housing a jellyroll electrode assembly (30) [0004, 0012, 0036, claim 6 and Fig. 2]. The jellyroll electrode assembly (30) can have two or more electrodes, such as a first electrode (32) and a second electrode (34). First electrode (32) can be capable of storing a negative charge and second electrode (34) can be capable of storing a positive charge, or vice versa. The first electrode (32) and second electrode (34) can be spirally wound about a longitudinal axis (504) with a dielectric separator (33) interposed between them (band shape) [0027, 0028 and Fig. 1A-C]. From Fig. 1C, the first electrode (32) comprise a current collector (37) (electrode foil), electrode layers (36) (active material layers) coated on both sides of the current collector (37) (electrode foil) and a free end (37a) (uncovered part). The second electrode (34) comprise a current collector (39) (electrode foil), electrode layers (38) (active material layers) coated on both sides of the current collector (39) (electrode foil) and a free end (39a) (uncovered part) [0030-0035].
From the above description, if the first and the second electrode (32 and 34) are selected as the positive and negative electrode respectively, the features where both electrodes have a band shape and where the negative electrode active material uncovered part extending at least in a longitudinal direction of the negative electrode foils are met.
The energy storage device (10) (secondary battery) houses the jellyroll electrode assembly (30) and both positive and negative electrode free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) are crushed to collector plates (28) (positive and negative current collectors) at end parts of the jellyroll electrode assembly (30) [0039 and Fig. 2]. The crushing of the free positive and negative electrode ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) causes selective portions to flatten, which provides a flatter, more reliable surface for attaching the jellyroll electrode assembly (30) and the collector plates (28) (positive and negative current collectors) [0026 and Fig. 2].
Khakhalev does not teach the feature where all of its positive and negative electrodes free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) are “bent toward a central axis of the wound structure and a groove provided in each of the one or more flat surfaces”.
Cheon teaches a secondary battery formed by arranging an electrode assembly (20) having a band shape, which is formed by interposing an insulating separator (21) between a positive electrode (22) and a negative electrode (23) and winding them into a case (11) [0037, Fig. 1 and 2]. The positive electrode (22) and the negative electrode (23) respectively have un-coated regions (22 b and 23 b), that is, regions not having a coating of an active material. The positive and negative un-coated regions (22 b and 23 b) are respectively connected to a positive current collecting plate (50) and a negative current collecting plate (70) for collecting current [0039 and Fig. 1]. The positive and negative un-coated regions (22 b and 23 b) are bent toward the center of the electrode assembly (20) so that they contact the current collecting plates (50 and 70) face to face [0047]. This bend feature minimize contact resistance between the un-coated regions and the current collecting plates [0047].
Kozuki teaches sealed rechargeable battery has an electrode group formed by winding a positive electrode and a negative electrode through a separator [Abstract]. Both the positive and negative electrodes (23 and 27) have a collector (20 and 24, respectively) (electrode foil) coated by an active material layer (21 and 25, respectively) and exposed sections (22 and 26, respectively) (uncovered parts) which are located at opposite sides of electrode group (29) [0020, 0021 and Fig. 4]. A plurality of slits (30) (grooves) are provided on the exposed sections (22 and 26, respectively) (uncovered parts) [0023 and Fig. 2A]. Kozuki teaches that in the part having the slits, at least one of the exposed sections (22 and 26, respectively) (uncovered parts) is folded from the winding axis side toward the outer periphery to form a flat welding face. This structure ensures connection between the flat welding face and its corresponding collecting plates, and hence the discharge characteristic of the battery improves [0009]. Despite that the Kozuki exposed sections (22 and 26, respectively) (uncovered parts) are bent toward the outer periphery, based on Cheon teachings above, a similar effect and/or benefit should be expected from the slit (grooves) feature on the welding between the exposed section (22 and 26, respectively) (uncovered parts) flat faces and its corresponding collecting plates if they are bent toward central axis of the wound structure.
Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki are analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely a secondary battery comprising an electrode wound body made by winding a positive and negative electrode interposed by a separator, where both electrodes have an active material coated part and an uncoated part connected to its respective current collectors at opposite ends of the battery case.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the free ends (positive and negative uncovered parts) to include the feature “bent toward a central axis of the wound structure and a groove provided in each of the one or more flat surfaces”, because Cheon teaches that the bend feature minimize contact resistance between the un-coated regions and the current collecting plates and Kozuki teaches that the groove feature allows the formation of a flat welding face, which ensures connection with its corresponding collecting plates, and hence the discharge characteristic of the battery is improved.
Based on the above modifications and Khakhalev’s Fig. 2 the limitation “where the along a plane passing through the central axis, a hole part provided in a region where one of the positive electrode active material uncovered part or the negative electrode active material uncovered part is bent has a first diameter and a second diameter that are substantially parallel to the stacking direction, the first diameter is located more toward an inner part of the electrode wound body than the second diameter, and the hole part increases in diameter substantially continuously from the first diameter to the second diameter” can be considered met (see annotated Fig. 2).
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Figure 1: Khakhalev annotated Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 2, Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki teach all the elements of the current invention in claim 1. Khakhalev further teaches that the positive and negative electrode free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) extend beyond its respective electrode layers (36 and 38) (active material layers) by a height H1 and H2 respectively [0035 and Fig. 1C]. This height H1, and by defect the height H2, can be reduced between 60-90% due to the crushing procedure with collector plates (28) (positive and negative current collectors) as discussed on claim 1. From this teaching, the claimed limitation could be reasonably achieved, given that neither Cheon or Kozuki modified the free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) height (H1 and H2).
Regarding claim 3, Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki teach all the elements of the current invention in claim 2. Khakhalev further teaches that the collector plates (28) (positive and negative current collectors) can be any of a number of different shapes and materials suitable to provide support to the ends of jellyroll electrode assembly (30) [0043]. On Fig. 6c is shown a collector plate 100c, having a single aperture (106 c) (positive and/or negative current collector hole), which can be centered [0061 and Fig. 6c]. Based on the scale of the upper current collector (100) (positive and/or negative current collector) shown on Fig. 5, would be reasonable to thought that the aperture (106 c) (positive and/or negative current collector hole) would be greater than the first diameter and the second diameter (D1 and D2) as defined on claim 1, therefore the claimed limitation would be met.
Regarding claim 4, Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki teach all the elements of the current invention in claim 2. From claim 1 modifications and claim 2 teachings of Khakhalev, given all the positive and negative electrode free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) are bent toward an inner part of the jellyroll electrode assembly (30) and the its respective height (H1 and H2) can be reduced up to a 90%, the claimed limitation could be considered met, because it would be reasonable to expect a higher density of such positive and negative electrode free ends (37a and 39a) (uncovered parts) toward “the inner peripheral part of the corresponding one of the positive electrode current collector or the negative electrode current collector”.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki teach all the elements of the current invention in claim 1. From claim 1 discussion, the energy storage device (10) of Khakhalev could be a battery, therefore it is reasonable to think that such energy storage device (10) could be employed on an electronic equipment and/or electric tool.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khakhalev (US 20180182560 A1), Cheon et al. (US 20050287428 A1) and Kozuki (US 20070196730 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Turner et al. (US 20100190056 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki teach all the elements of the current invention in claim 1, except “wherein the negative electrode further includes a negative electrode active material uncovered part at an end part in the longitudinal direction on each of a beginning side of winding and an end side of the winding”.
Turner teaches cathode and anode structures for a battery each include one or more tabs welded to a substrate [Abstract]. The taught structures may be employable on battery cells, which include secondary batteries with different configurations (i.e. cylindric batteries) [0005-0007]. On Fig. 4 it I taught an anode/cathode pair, where the anode (406) comprises an anode substrate (408) (current collector) covered by an anode active material, having ends (416 and 417) free of the anode active material (410) [0021, 0022, 0024 and Fig. 4]. The taught anode structure can have the same features on both sides [0025]. Because this anode configuration can be applied to cylindrical battery cells, it can be par of a wound electrode assembly, therefore the limitation “wherein the negative electrode further includes a negative electrode active material uncovered part at an end part in the longitudinal direction on each of a beginning side of winding and an end side of the winding” would be met. It is further taught that tabs (418 and 419) can be coupled to the referred active material free ends (416 and 417), which provides for the coupling of charges to/from the anode more uniformly [0026.
Turner is analogous prior art to the current invention because it is concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely electrodes which have an active material coated part and an uncoated part, employable on a secondary battery which may comprise an electrode wound body.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the negative electrode of Khakhalev, Cheon and Kozuki to include the feature “a negative electrode active material uncovered part at an end part in the longitudinal direction on each of a beginning side of winding and an end side of the winding”, because Turner teaches that that tabs can be coupled to the referred active material free ends, which provides for the coupling of charges to/from the anode more uniformly.
Conclusion
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/G.R./Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/JAMES M ERWIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725 02/20/2026