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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-15 are currently pending in the application and are being examined on the merits in this Office Action.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-2 and 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 7, it is suggested to amend “a ribbon-shape anode, the anode comprising…” to - -a ribbon-shaped anode comprising- -.
In claim 1, line 12 it is suggested to amend “a ribbon-shape cathode, the cathode comprising…” to - -a ribbon-shaped cathode comprising- -.
In claim 1, line 11, it is suggested to amend “the electrode material” to - -the negative electrode material- -.
In claim 1, line 15, it is suggested to amend “the electrode material: to - -the positive electrode material- -.
In claim 1, line 17, it is suggested to amend “a housing, the housing enclosing…” to - -a housing enclosing…- -.
In claim 1, lines 33-34, it is suggested to amend “the anode current collector…the cathode current collector” to - -the ribbon-shaped anode current collector…the ribbon-shaped cathode current collector- - to conform to prior recitation.
In claim 1, line 32, it is suggested to amend “at least partially metallic” to - -partially metallic- -.
In claim 1, line 37, it is suggested to amend “the anode and the cathode” to - - the ribbon-shape anode and the ribbon-shape cathode- - to conform to prior recitation.
In claim 1, lines 41, it is suggested to amend “functions as the contact element” to - -are configured as the contact element- -.
In claim 2, line 3, it is suggested to amend “set up for” to - -configured for- -.
In claim 12, line 2, it is suggested to amend “having at least one of the following additional features” to - -wherein- -.
In claim 12, line 4, it is suggested to amend “a pump for” to - -a pump configured for- -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Note: During examination of the application, several informalities and inconsistencies in the claim terminology have been identified, as discussed/indicated above. While certain issues have been addressed, the list above is not intended to be exhaustive. Applicant is encouraged to conduct a comprehensive review of the claims to identify and correct any remaining informalities. Such review will enhance clarity, precision, and consistency and will facilitate efficient prosecution and compliance.
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 1-15 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “wherein an at least partially metallic contact element is in direct contact with a respective longitudinal edge and connected to the respective longitudinal edge”, in lines 29-34. It is not clear what is required by this limitation. It appears that there is some redundancy as the metallic contact element is required to be in direct contact and connected to the longitudinal edge.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the terminal faces" in lines 38-39. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the contact element" in line 42. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the flow" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the channels" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the annular closing elements" in lines 7-8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the electrodes" in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the annular closing elements" in lines 7-8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding dependent claims 2, 4-7 and 9-13, these claims do not remedy the deficiencies of parent claim 1 noted above, and are rejected for the same rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
No prior art was found to teach or suggest all the limitations and the combination of features as recited in independent claim 1.
The “closest” prior art found is Pytlik et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0015224) and Kreidler et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2019/0165335).
Regarding claim 1, Pytlik teaches an energy storage cell (i.e., button cell) (100) designed as a cylindrical round cell (paragraph [0027]) comprising:
an electrode-separator assembly (300) in the form of a hollow cylindrical winding (paragraph [0086]) with two terminal end faces (301) and a winding shell therebetween (see figure 3a-3b below) (paragraph [0086]), the electrode-separator assembly comprising:
a ribbon-shaped anode comprising a ribbon-shaped anode current collector (paragraphs [0021]-[0022], [0041]-[0042], [0090]-[0091]) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, a strip-shaped main region loaded with a layer of negative electrode material (paragraphs [0021]-[0022], [0090]-[0091]) (see figure 1-2 below), and a free edge strip extending along the first longitudinal edge that is not loaded with the electrode material (paragraph [0082]) (i.e., positive and negative electrode rest directly on the cut part and top part respectively) (see figures 1-2 below),
a ribbon-shaped cathode, the cathode comprising a ribbon-shaped cathode current collector (paragraphs [0021]-[0022], [0041]-[0042], [0090]-[0091]) having a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, a strip-shaped main region loaded with a layer of positive electrode material (paragraphs [0021]-[0022], [0090]-[0091]) (see figure 1-2 below), and a free edge strip extending along the first longitudinal edge that is not loaded with the electrode material (paragraph [0082]) (i.e., positive and negative electrode rest directly on the cut part and top part respectively) (see figures 1-2 below), and
a separator (107) (paragraph [0080]-[0081]); and
a housing (101, 102) (paragraph [0016], [0080]) enclosing a hollow cylindrical interior space in which the electrode-separator assembly is axially aligned (paragraph [0080]-[0081]) (see figure 1-2),
wherein a metallic contact element (505) (i.e., conductor) is in contact with the cathode and the anode (paragraph [0092])
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Pytlik does not teach the limitations “a first annular closure member having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, a second annular closure member having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, a first tubular housing part having two terminal circular openings, a diameter of the first tubular housing part being matched to the outer diameters of the first annular closure member and the second annular closure member, a second tubular housing part having two terminal circular openings, the diameter of the second tubular housing part being matched to the inner diameters of the first annular closure member and the second annular closure member”
Kreider, also directed to an energy storage cell designed as a cylindrical round cell (paragraph [0015]). Kreider teaches a housing (400) having a first annular closure member (401) (i.e., half section) having an outer diameter and an inner diameter (paragraph [0061]) (see figure 4A), a second annular closure member (402) (i.e., half section) having an outer diameter and an inner diameter (paragraph [0061]) (see figure 4A), a first tubular housing part (401a) (i.e., cylindrical ring) having two terminal circular openings (see figure 4A), a diameter of the first tubular housing part being matched to the outer diameters of the first annular closure member and the second annular closure member (see figure 3A), a second tubular housing part having two terminal circular openings (402a) (i.e., cylindrical ring) (see figure 4A), the diameter of the second tubular housing part being matched to the inner diameters of the first annular closure member and the second annular closure member (see figure 3A). Kreider further teaches an outer diameter of the cell is 8-20 mm (paragraph [0053]). Kreider teaches this configuration allows a tight housing that prevents the electrolyte from leaking (paragraph [0031]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Pytlik to housing to be configured as taught in Kreider in order to allow a tight configuration to prevent the electrolyte from leaking.
It is noted that the prior art differ in the exact same outer cell diameter as recited however, scaling up or down the components to form a desired size or to conform to a desired space within an applicable structure or in the alternative, to conform to meet a desired power demand (i.e., increased power demand would require an increase in battery cell size which would increase the diameter of the cell) would be obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art absent evidence that those diameter sizes and the space between components are critical.
However, the prior art whether alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggests the limitations “wherein an at least a partially metallic contact element is in direct contact with the respective longitudinal edge of the anode current collector or the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector, wherein the anode and the cathode are formed and/or arranged within the electrode- separator assembly relative to each other such that the first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector protrudes from one of the terminal faces and the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector protrudes from the other of the terminal faces; and wherein the first or the second annular closure member functions as the contact element, and wherein the second tubular housing part defines a channel open at both ends extending axially through the energy storage cell”.
Regarding dependent claims 2-15, these claims would be allowed based on their dependency of claim 1.
Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Teramoto et al. (U.S. Patent 5,501,916). Teramoto teaches an energy storage cell in the form of a cylindrical round cell with strip-shaped positive and negative electrodes (abstract) (see figures 1-2).
Gauler (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0187008). Gauler teaches an energy storage cell in the form of a cylindrical round cell (i.e., button cell) with strip-shaped electrodes (paragraph [0057]-[0058]).
Correspondence
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/CHRISTIAN ROLDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723