DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-17 are presented for examination, wherein claims 11-17 are withdrawn.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on April 7, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because the limitation “the anode active material portion includes an anode boundary portion” should indicate said anode boundary portion is “further” required, or equivalent, such as e.g. “the anode active material portion further includes an anode boundary portion,” since said anode boundary portion is not previously claimed, e.g. in the independent claim. Appropriate correction is respectfully required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §§ 102/103
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 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.
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 nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woo et al (KR 2017/0043240).
Regarding independent claim 1, Woo teaches an electrode assembly (e.g. items 200 or 400), wherein embodiments include
a negative electrode (e.g. items 220 or 420),
a positive electrode (e.g. items 210 or 410), and
a separator (not illustrated) interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode,
said negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode stacked together so that said negative electrode active material coating portion and said positive electrode active material coating portion overlap one another in a perpendicular direction and then wound into a jelly-roll,
wherein said negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 222) on one or both sides of a plate-shaped negative electrode current collector (e.g. item 221), a negative electrode tab (e.g. item 223) not coated with said negative electrode active material formed on one end of said negative electrode current collector,
wherein said positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 212) on one or both sides of a plate-shaped positive electrode current collector (e.g. item 211), a positive electrode tab (e.g. item 213) not coated with said positive electrode active material formed on one end of said positive electrode current collector;
wherein said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another;
wherein said negative electrode is structured such that a loading amount of said negative electrode active material coating portion gradually decreases from a center portion of said negative electrode current collector in a longitudinal direction on both sides,
wherein said positive electrode is structured such that a loading amount of said positive electrode active material coating portion gradually decreases from a center portion of said positive electrode current collector in the longitudinal direction on both sides,
wherein said electrode assembly may be embedded in a cylindrical case, such that a positive terminal may be directly connected to a cap assembly mounted on an open top of said cylindrical case, and a negative terminal may be directly connected to an inner surface of said cylindrical case
(e.g. ¶¶ 0000-01, 05-06, 17, 38, 46-47, 57-58, and 65-68; plus, e.g. Figures 2 and 4-6), reading on “electrode assembly,” said electrode assembly comprising:
(1) said negative electrode (e.g. items 220 or 420) (e.g. supra), reading on “an anode;”
(2) said positive electrode (e.g. items 210 or 410) (e.g. supra), reading on “a cathode;” and,
(3) said separator (not illustrated) interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode (e.g. supra), reading on “a separator between the anode and the cathode,”
said negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode stacked together so that said negative electrode active material coating portion and said positive electrode active material coating portion overlap one another in said perpendicular direction and then wound into said jelly-roll (e.g. supra), reading on “the anode, the cathode and the separator are rolled together,”
wherein said negative electrode includes said negative electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 222) on one or both sides of said plate-shaped negative electrode current collector (e.g. item 221), said negative electrode tab (e.g. item 223) not coated with said negative electrode active material formed on one end of said negative electrode current collector (e.g. supra), reading on “the anode includes an anode current collector and an anode active material portion applied onto the anode current collector,”
wherein said positive electrode includes said positive electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 212) on one or both sides of said plate-shaped positive electrode current collector (e.g. item 211), said positive electrode tab (e.g. item 213) not coated with said positive electrode active material formed on one end of said positive electrode current collector (e.g. supra), reading on “the cathode includes a cathode current collector and a cathode active material portion applied onto the cathode current collector,”
wherein said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another (e.g. supra),
noting a direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as a “first direction,” corresponding with the claimed “first direction;” and,
noting a direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as a “second direction,” corresponding with the claimed “second direction,”
(see also Annotated Figure 2, infra) reading on “an anode uncoated portion of the anode current collector at which the anode active material is not applied extends in a first direction” and “a cathode uncoated portion of the cathode current collector at which the cathode active material is not applied extends in a second direction opposite to the first direction,”
wherein said positive electrode is structured such that said loading amount of said positive electrode active material coating portion gradually decreases from said center portion of said positive electrode current collector in said longitudinal direction on both sides (e.g. supra, see also e.g. Annotated Figure 2, infra), reading on “the cathode active material portion includes a loading reduction portion in which a loading amount of the cathode active material is smaller than that of an adjacent region” and “the loading reduction portion is one end part of the cathode in the first direction.”
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Regarding claims 2-4, Woo teaches the electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein said negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode stacked together so that said negative electrode active material coating portion and said positive electrode active material coating portion overlap one another in said perpendicular direction, and then wound into said jelly-roll, wherein said negative electrode is structured such that said loading amount of said negative electrode active material coating portion gradually decreases from said center portion of said negative electrode current collector in said longitudinal direction on both sides; said positive electrode is structured such that said loading amount of said positive electrode active material coating portion gradually decreases from said center portion of said positive electrode current collector in said longitudinal direction on both sides; and, separator interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, wherein said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another (e.g. supra, see also e.g. Annotated Figure 2, supra),
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “first direction,” corresponding with the claimed “first direction;” and,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “second direction,” corresponding with the claimed “second direction,”
further noting Annotated Figure 2 provides that an anode boundary portion of said anode active material portion is at a portion corresponding to the loading reduction portion based on a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the disclosure incorporated herein by reference, reading on “the anode active material portion is at a portion corresponding to the loading reduction portion based on a direction perpendicular to the first direction” (claim 2); “the anode active material portion includes an anode boundary portion defining a boundary between the anode active material portion and the anode uncoated portion, and the anode boundary portion is at a portion corresponding to the loading reduction portion, based on a direction perpendicular to the first direction” (claim 3); and, “in the loading reduction portion, the loading amount of the cathode active material gradually decreases in the first direction.”
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo et al (KR 2017/0043240).
Regarding claim 5, Woo teaches the electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein said separator is interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, said negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode stacked together are wound into said jelly-roll, wherein said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another, as provided supra,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “first direction,” corresponding with the claimed “first direction;” and,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “second direction,” corresponding with the claimed “second direction,”
but does not expressly teach the limitation “the first direction and the second direction are directions parallel to an axis of the rolled anode, cathode, and separator.”
However, to would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to form the jelly roll by rolling said stacked negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode so that the first and second directions of the electrode assembly are parallel to the axis of the rolled negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode, in order to ensure the electrode assembly has a uniform cylindrical shape and edges, see also e.g. Figure 6, illustrating said cylindrical battery with a uniform cylindrical shape and edges; and/or, differences in shape do not patentably distinguish the instant invention from the art in the absence of persuasive evidence o fits importance, see e.g. MPEP § 2144.04(IV)(B) and instant specification, at e.g. ¶¶ 0015 and 53.
Claim 6-10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo et al (KR 2017/0043240), as provided supra, in view of Martin et al (US 2013/0108903).
Regarding claims 6-10, Woo teaches the electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein said negative electrode includes said negative electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 222) on one or both sides of said plate-shaped negative electrode current collector (e.g. item 221), said negative electrode tab (e.g. item 223) not coated with said negative electrode active material is formed on one end of said negative electrode current collector;
said positive electrode includes said positive electrode active material coating portion (e.g. item 212) on one or both sides of said plate-shaped positive electrode current collector (e.g. item 211), said positive electrode tab (e.g. item 213) not coated with said positive electrode active material is formed on one end of said positive electrode current collector; and,
said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another, as provided supra,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “first direction,” corresponding with the claimed “first direction;” and,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “second direction,” corresponding with the claimed “second direction,”
but does not expressly teach the limitations of claims 6-10.
However, Martin teaches a rechargeable battery with a cathode (e.g. item 32), anode (e.g. item 33), and separator (e.g. items 44) formed into a jelly roll;
said cathode having cathode active material (e.g. item 33a) within said jelly roll and a plurality of cathode current collection tabs (e.g. item 32) extending from said cathode active material;
said anode having active material (e.g. items 33b) within said jelly roll and a plurality of anode current collection tabs (e.g. items 30) extending from said anode active material;
said plurality of cathode current collection tabs (e.g. items 32) extending from one side of said jelly roll and said plurality of anode current collection tabs (e.g. items 30) extending from an opposite side of said jelly roll to that of said one side;
each of said plurality of current collection tabs extending through a set of insulator portions (e.g. items 24a-b for said cathode tabs and items 34a-b for said anode tabs), such that each of said insulator portions abuts ends of respective said cathode and anode active materials plus said separator; and,
each of said plurality of current collection tabs is bent on a respective distal side of a said set of insulator portions so that each of said set of insulator portions help prevent said collection tabs from shorting to cathode and anode materials, which results in a compact, robust, and highly manufacturable battery cell
(¶¶ 0001, 07, 26, 40, 43-45, 48; plus, e.g. Figures 1-3 and 5-9).
As a result, it would have been obvious to shape each of said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab of Woo to the plurality of anode current collection tabs and the plurality of cathode current collection tabs of Martin and further include the respective said insulator portions of Martin with each of said plurality of anode and cathode current collection tabs, such that said insulator portions abut ends of the cathode and anode active material plus the separator, since Martin teaches said arrangements provide for a compact, robust, and highly manufacturable battery cell.
Still regarding claim 6, Woo teaches said separator is interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, said negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode stacked together are wound into said jelly-roll, wherein said negative electrode tab and said positive electrode tab are on opposite ends of said electrode assembly to one another, as provided supra,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “first direction,” corresponding with the claimed “first direction;” and,
noting said direction in which said negative electrode tab extends is denoted as said “second direction,” corresponding with the claimed “second direction,”
Further, Woo as modified teaches each of said insulator portions abuts ends of respective said cathode and anode active materials and the separator; each of said plurality of current collection tabs extending through a set of insulator portions; and, each of said plurality of current collection tabs is bent on a respective distal side of a said set of insulator portions (e.g. supra), reading on “the anode uncoated portion extends more than the separator in the first direction, and the cathode uncoated portion extends more than the separator in the second direction.”
Still regarding claims 7-9, Woo as modified teaches each of said plurality of current collection tabs extending through said set of insulator portions (e.g. items 24a-b for said cathode tabs and items 34a-b for said anode tabs), such that each of said insulator portions abuts ends of respective said cathode and anode active materials plus said separator; and, each of said plurality of current collection tabs is bent on a respective distal side of a said set of insulator portions (e.g. supra), reading on “further comprising an insulating layer on at least one of the anode and the cathode, wherein the insulating layer on the anode covers at least a part of the anode uncoated portion and the anode active material portion, and wherein the insulating layer on the cathode covers at least a part of the cathode uncoated portion and the cathode active material portion” (claim 8) and “the insulating layer on the anode covers an end part of the anode active material portion along the first direction and a part of the anode uncoated portion adjacent thereto, and the insulating layer on the cathode covers an end part of the cathode active material portion along the second direction and a part of the cathode uncoated portion adjacent thereto” (claim 8); and, “the insulating layer on the anode does not overlap with the loading reduction portion, with respect to a direction perpendicular to the first direction” (claim 9).
Still regarding claim 10, Woo as modified teaches each of said plurality of current collection tabs extending through said set of insulator portions (e.g. items 24a-b for said cathode tabs and items 34a-b for said anode tabs), such that each of said insulator portions abuts ends of respective said cathode and anode active materials plus said separator; and, each of said plurality of current collection tabs is bent on a respective distal side of a said set of insulator portions (e.g. supra), reading on ““at least partial sections of the anode uncoated portion and the cathode uncoated portion include a plurality of segment pieces configured to be bent independently of each other.”
Conclusion
The art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kita et al (US 2020/0381769);
Kim et al (US 2018/0315991);
Takeda et al (US 2017/0373299);
Fujii (US 2016/0260978); and,
Ide (US 2016/0181650).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSHITOSHI TAKEUCHI whose telephone number is (571)270-5828. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIFFANY LEGETTE-THOMPSON can be reached at (571)270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YOSHITOSHI TAKEUCHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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