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 Status
This office action is in response the preliminary amendment filed 5/26/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (EP 3 392 933 A1) in view of Lee et al. (EP 2 869 358 A1).
As to claim 1, Kim et al. discloses a method for reinjecting (supplementing an electrolyte -abstract) an electrolyte into a secondary battery having an electrode assembly (120) and an electrolyte accommodated (113-accommodation part for the electrode assembly and the electrolyte ) [0018] in a pouch (110-figure 1) comprising an aluminum sheet [0006] with a functional hole [130, 230, 330, 430] formed therein, the method comprising:
injecting an additional electrolyte into the pouch through the functional hole by opening the functional hole [0010]; and sealing the functional hole after the reinjection process [0010].
While Kim et al. discloses the pouch is an aluminum lamination, Kim et al. does not specify the lamination having a polymer laminated to the aluminum sheet.
Lee et al. disclose a pouch battery and teaches the pouch comprising a multi-layered pouch case formed of internal resin layer/intermediate resin layer/external resin layer for preventing the degradation of the performance of a battery due to moisture penetration caused by corrosion of a pouch case during charge and discharge process and a pouch-type secondary battery including the same [0002].
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to replace the lamination pouch of Kim with that of Lee because it would prevent the degradation of the performance of a battery due to moisture penetration caused by corrosion of a pouch case during charge and discharge process.
As to claim 2, Kim discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the additional electrolyte is injected through the functional hole by piercing a portion, covering the functional hole, of the polymer layer [0042].
As to claim 3, Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the additional electrolyte is injected through the functional hole by penetrating an injection needle into a portion, covering the functional hole, of the polymer layer [0052 or 0054].
As to claim 4, Modified Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer further comprises a first polymer layer (internal layer (a)) and a second polymer layer (external layer (c)), wherein the first polymer layer (a), the aluminum sheet (b or 15), and the second polymer layer (c) (see figure 1 of Lee) are stacked in the pouch from an inside, in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, to an outside., and
wherein, the electrolyte is injected into the pouch through the functional hole by opening portions, covering the functional hole, of the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer. (figure 6 of Kim et al. depicts the injection needle penetrating the entirety of the pouch thus the injection would go though the hole, and polymer layers).
As to claim 5, Modified Kim et al discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the functional hole is sealed by sealing the portion corresponding to the functional hole and is opened in the second polymer layer [0041] (figures 6-8 disclose the injection of the additional electrolyte and the sealing of the opened portion, the combination would yield a closure of the opening).
As to claim 6, Modified Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the opened portion of the second polymer layer is sealed using a resin material [0041] of Kim the hold is sealed which can be further covered with a tape).
As to claim 7, Modified Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the opened portion of the second polymer layer is sealed using the same material as the second polymer layer (since the seal appears to be self-closing see figures 6-8 the seal is closed with same material).
As to claim 8, Modified Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the first polymer layer is made of a polypropylene (PP) material (11-is CPP), and the second polymer layer is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (17-PET) material [0008].
As to claim 9, Modified Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 4, wherein in the first polymer layer, an inner layer, in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, is made of a polypropylene (PP) (layer 11-CPP) material, and an outer layer (13-PPa), which faces the aluminum sheet (15), is made of a polyphthalamide (PPa) material [0008], and the second polymer layer (17) is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material [0008] (figure 1 of Lee).
As to claim 10, Kim discloses the method of claim 1, wherein a coating part (130) is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the functional hole in the aluminum sheet (15).
As to claim 11, Kim discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the coating part comprises an insulating and chemically resistant material [0048] (silicone sealant).
As to claim 12, Kim et al. discloses a secondary battery (400), configured for being reinjected with an electrolyte [0007], comprising:
an electrode assembly in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked to be combined with each other [0005]; and
a pouch [0006] (110-casing) in which the electrode assembly (120) is accommodated (figure 10),
wherein the pouch comprises an aluminum sheet [0006] (aluminum lamination sheet), and
the aluminum sheet (figure 10), a functional hole formed in the aluminum sheet (430, see figure 10), and a coating part (433, 431, 432) provided on an inner circumferential surface of the functional hole in the aluminum sheet (see figure 10).
While Kim et al. discloses the pouch is an aluminum lamination, Kim et al. does not specify the lamination having a polymer laminated to the aluminum sheet.
Lee et al. disclose a pouch battery and teaches the pouch comprising a multi-layered pouch case formed of internal resin layer/intermediate resin layer/external resin layer for preventing the degradation of the performance of a battery due to moisture penetration caused by corrosion of a pouch case during charge and discharge process and a pouch-type secondary battery including the same [0002].
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to replace the lamination pouch of Kim with that of Lee because it would prevent the degradation of the performance of a battery due to moisture penetration caused by corrosion of a pouch case during charge and discharge process.
As to claim 13, Kim et al. discloses The secondary battery of claim 12, wherein the coating part (430) covers an entire inner circumferential surface of the functional hole (figure 10) in the aluminum sheet (figure 10).
As to claim 14, Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 12, wherein the coating part comprises an insulating and chemically resistant material (silicone material -0011).
As to claim 15, Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 12, wherein the coating part comprises silicone [0011].
As to claim 16, Modified Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 12, wherein the functional hole (the opening where 430 is located in figure 10) penetrates the aluminum sheet with respect to a stacked direction of the aluminum sheet and the polymer layer (figure 10).
As to claim 17, Modified Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 12, wherein the polymer layer further comprises a first polymer layer (internal layer (a)) and a second polymer layer (external layer (c)), wherein the first polymer layer (a), the aluminum sheet (b or 15), and the second polymer layer (c) (see figure 1 of Lee) are stacked in the pouch from an inside, in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, to an outside.
As to claim 18, Modified Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 17, wherein the first polymer layer is made of a polypropylene (PP) material (11-is CPP), and the second polymer layer is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (17-PET) material [0008].
As to claim 19, Modified Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 17, wherein in the first polymer layer, an inner layer, in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, is made of a polypropylene (PP) (layer 11-CPP) material, and an outer layer (13-PPa), which faces the aluminum sheet (15), is made of a polyphthalamide (PPa) material [0008], and the second polymer layer (17) is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material [0008] (figure 1 of Lee).
As to claim 20, Modified Kim et al. discloses the secondary battery of claim 18, wherein the functional hole is formed between the electrode assembly and an outer circumferential surface of the pouch in the pouch (figure 10 or figure 1 of Kim discloses the hole in the pouch laminate thus is formed between the electrode assembly and the surface of the pouch).
Conclusion
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/Maria Laios/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727