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
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 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 1-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 20050260491 A1) in view of Kosugi (US 2009/0239133).
With respect to claim 1, Cho teaches an energy storage device comprising:
an electrode assembly (12) formed by winding a plurality of plates (para. [0042]); and
a case (13) (Figure 1) configured to house the electrode assembly (12),
wherein the electrode assembly (12) includes:
a body (12) including a flat portion and a pair of curved portions sandwiching
the flat portion (as illustrated below in Figure 2A). Cho teaches wherein negative electrode (12b) and positive electrode (12a) plate edges are at both end faces of the body (12) in a winding-axis direction (as illustrated below); however Cho fails to teach a plurality of tabs, each tab formed by stacking a plurality of pieces of plates with the same polarity out of the plurality of plates, the plurality of tabs protruding as a pair from each of both end faces of the body in a winding-axis direction, and
at least one tab of the plurality of tabs includes:
a bent portion continuous with the curved portion; and
a pair of extended portions extended from the bent portion and continuous
with the flat portion.
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Kosugi teaches an energy storage device (Figure 1 above) comprising:
an electrode assembly (14) formed by winding a plurality of plates (as illustrated in Figure 3) (para. [0029]-[0030]); and
a case (Figure 1, 10) configured to house the electrode assembly (14) (as illustrated),
wherein the electrode assembly (14) includes:
a body including a flat portion and a pair of curved portions sandwiching the flat portion (as illustrated in Figure 1 below); and
a plurality of tabs (16 & 18), each tab formed by stacking a plurality of pieces of
plates (para. [0029]-[0030]) with the same polarity out of the plurality of plates, (as illustrated in Figure 1 above), and
at least one tab (16/18) of the plurality of tabs (16/18) includes:
a bent portion continuous with the curved portion; and
a pair of extended portions extended from the bent portion and continuous
with the flat portion (as illustrated in Figure 1 above) in order to provide positive electrode tabs and negative electrode tabs that are formed of the electrode plates themselves, so that there are no junctions as conventional ones between independent tabs and electrode plates, so that if a large current flows, overheating/burning does not occur (para. [0057]). Cho does illustrate a junction between an independent tab (Figure 1, 15) and the electrode plates (12a).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing for the invention to provide a plurality of tabs, each tab formed by stacking a plurality of pieces of plates with the same polarity out of the plurality of plates, the plurality of tabs protruding as a pair from each of both end faces of the body in a winding-axis direction, and at least one tab of the plurality of tabs includes:
a bent portion continuous with the curved portion; and
a pair of extended portions extended from the bent portion and continuous
with the flat portion in the electrode body of Cho, as taught by Kosugi, in order to provide positive electrode tabs and negative electrode tabs that are formed of the electrode plates themselves, so that there are no junctions as conventional ones between independent tabs and electrode plates, so that if a large current flows, overheating/burning does not occur. Modifying Cho in view of Kosugi would provide that the plurality of tabs would protrude as a pair from each of both end faces of the body in Cho in a winding-axis direction.
With respect to claim 2, Kosugi further teaches a plurality of current collectors, each current collector joined to one of the plurality of tabs, wherein at least one of the pair of extended portions is joined to the current collector (as illustrated in Figure 1 above).
With respect to claim 3, Kosugi further teaches wherein the pair of extended portions is joined to the current collector (as illustrated in Figure 1 above), and Cho teaches a plurality of pieces of the plate forming the extended portions are bundled together (as illustrated in Figure 2A above).
With respect to claim 5, Kosugi teaches wherein a positive electrode tab (16) and a negative electrode tab (18) are provided as the pair of tabs (as illustrated in Figure 1 above); modifying Cho in view of Kosugi would provide that the plurality of tabs would be present on each of both end faces of the body (as illustrated in Figures 2A & 3).
With respect to claim 6, Cho in view of Kosugi teaches wherein, of the both end faces of the body (12) (Figure 2A) (as illustrated above), the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab (as modified in view of Kosugi) provided on one end face and the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab provided on another end face are arranged in an inverted manner (as illustrated in Figure 2A – which is similar to instant figures 2-3).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 20050260491 A1) in view of Kosugi (US 2009/0239133), as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of WO 2016080177 A1 (to Hitoshi et al.) – translation attached and relied upon below.
With respect to claim 4, Cho as modified discloses all claim limitations as set forth above but fails to teach wherein in a state before the joining to the current collector, both ends of each of the plurality of pieces forming the pair of extended portions of the tab are arranged gradually more forward when moving from one piece at an innermost periphery toward an outer periphery. Hitoshi teaches an electrode assembly (Figure 3) comprising electrode tabs (42e) protruding therefrom, and wherein ends of each of the plurality of pieces forming the tabs (42e) are arranged gradually more forward when moving from one piece at an innermost periphery toward an outer periphery in order to allow for improved electrolyte penetration.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing for the invention to have ends of each of the plurality of pieces forming the tabs arranged gradually more forward when moving from one piece at an innermost periphery toward an outer periphery, as taught by Hitoshi, in order to allow for improved electrolyte penetration.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITY V CHANDLER whose telephone number is (571)272-8520. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-6:00PM.
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/KAITY V CHANDLER/ 2/7/2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725