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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/30/26 has been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I, claims 1-11, in the reply filed on 5/27/26 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Claims 12-14 are withdrawn as being directed toward a nonelected invention.
Claims Analysis
Regarding at least claim 1, when reading the preamble in the context of the entire claim, the recitation “LFP” is not limiting because the body of the claim describes a complete invention and the language recited solely in the preamble does not provide any distinct definition of any of the claimed invention’s limitations. Thus, the preamble of the claim(s) is not considered a limitation and is of no significance to claim construction. See Pitney Bowes, Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 182 F.3d 1298, 1305, 51 USPQ2d 1161, 1165 (Fed. Cir. 1999). See MPEP § 2111.02.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hisamitsu et al., US 2004/0038123 A1.
Hisamitsu teaches a stack type battery including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a stack direction to be connected in series, and shared voltage measurement tab electrodes formed on the plurality of unit cells, respectively, to allow voltages to be measured for the plurality of unit cells such that the shared voltage measurement tab electrodes are disposed at deviated positions on a side surface of the stack type battery in a direction intersecting the stack direction (abstract). See at least Figures 1, 2 and 5.
PNG
media_image1.png
295
487
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
265
355
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
745
315
media_image3.png
Greyscale
The shared voltage measurement tab electrodes 10 to 18 are connected to current collectors of respective unit cells that form the bipolar battery 1. The shared voltage measurement tab electrodes 10 to 18 are so located to avoid at least adjacent tab electrodes from laying on the same horizontal position and, more particularly, the shared voltage measurement tab electrodes 10 to 18 are deviated (such that, in a case where the shared voltage measurement tab electrodes 10 to 18 are equal in size, the tab electrodes are equidistantly deviated from one another) on a side wall S of the bipolar battery 1 along a length thereof (in a direction parallel to the axis D1) so as to prevent the tab electrodes from overlapping one another in a stack direction (in a direction parallel to the axis D3) of respective unit cells of the bipolar battery 1. Typically, particularly with respect to the shared voltage measurement tab electrode 11, the tab electrode 11 is deviated from the shared voltage measurement tab electrode 10 by a width of approximately W in a direction D1. Also, the number of shared voltage measurement tab electrodes may be suitably determined depending upon the number of stacks of the unit cells [0044].
Regarding claims 2-3, see the abstract Figure wherein the separators are represented by 40, the negative electrode is 33 and the positive electrode is 32.
PNG
media_image4.png
427
458
media_image4.png
Greyscale
s
Regarding claim 4 and 7-11, the outermost current collector 31, to which the main circuit tab electrode 19 is connected, is only the negative electrode active material layer 33, and formed on the outermost current collector 31, to which the main circuit tab electrode 20 is connected, is only the positive electrode active material layer 32 [0048].
Regrading claims 5-6, as positive electrode material, use may be made of composite oxides which are composed of transition metals and lithium and are employed in a lithium ion battery of a solution type. In particular, these include Li--Co composite oxide such as LiCoO2, Li--Ni composite oxide such as LiNiO2, Li--Mn composite oxide such as spinel type LiMn2O4, and LI--Fe composite oxide such as LiFeO2. In addition, these compounds may further include phosphate compounds such as LiFePO4 composed of transition metals and lithium, sulfate compounds, transition metal oxides such as V2O5, MnO2, TiS2, MoS2 and MoO3, sulfides, PbO2, AgO and NiOOH [0066]. Thus, the claims are anticipated.
*
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takaoka et al., US 2017/0155138 A1.
Takaoka teaches a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an enclosure in which plural kinds of positive electrodes having a positive electrode active material; a non-aqueous electrolyte; a negative electrode containing a titanium compound as a main component of a negative electrode active material; and a separator held between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and formed from an electrical insulating material are enclosed, which comprises a separator-holding negative electrode which is held by the separator from both sides thereof and is disposed between one of the positive electrodes and the other one of the positive electrode adjacent thereto, the separator-holding negative electrode serving as the negative electrode, and wherein the plural kinds of the positive electrodes comprises a first positive electrode containing a layered rock salt compound as the positive electrode active material, and a second positive electrode whose main component is a positive electrode active material different in kind from the layered rock salt compound (abstract). See Figures 1 and 2 of Takaoka:
PNG
media_image5.png
268
208
media_image5.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image6.png
308
422
media_image6.png
Greyscale
The first positive electrode 21 and the second positive electrode 22 are in the different potential environments. Thus, in order to prevent a short circuit between them, it is preferred that the terminal-extending part 9 of the first positive electrode terminal 72-1 exists apart from the terminal-extending part 9 of the second positive electrode terminal 72-2 [0030]. The battery comprises a negative electrode terminal 71. See at least Figures 1 and 2 regarding claims 2-3 and 7-11.
Regarding claims 5-6, Takaoka teaches the first electrode active material of the first positive electrode is preferably lithium cobalt-nickel-manganate (LiNixCoyMn1−y−zO2 wherein x+y+z=1) [0097]. The positive electrode active material of the second positive electrode may be lithium phosphorus oxide having an olivine structure (such as LiFePO4, LiFe1−yMnyPO4, LiCoPO4, and the like) [0101].
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
*
Claim(s) 1-5 and 7-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al., US 2020/0350583 A1.
Park teaches an electrode assembly comprises: a negative electrode, a separator, and at least two or more positive electrodes which are stacked in the electrode assembly with the negative electrode and the separator, each of the positive electrodes including a positive electrode active material applied to a surface of a positive electrode collector, wherein the positive electrode active material contains nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and a first composition ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the positive electrode active material applied to a first one of the positive electrodes is different from a second composition ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the positive electrode active material applied to a second one of the positive electrodes. The first and second positive electrodes may be stacked to adequately improve thermal stability and capacity abstract. A battery case and separator are provided [0017] [0034-0039]. Referring to FIG. 3,
PNG
media_image7.png
409
200
media_image7.png
Greyscale
a positive electrode tab 10c′ of a first positive electrode 10′ and a positive electrode tab of a third positive electrode 10a′″, which have the same composition ratio, may be bonded and connected to each other. On the other hand, a positive electrode tab 10c″ of the second positive electrode 10″ and a positive electrode tab 10c′ of the first positive electrode 10′, which have different composition ratios, may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. Here, since the negative electrode tab 20c disposed on the negative electrode 20 in the electrode assembly is disposed on one side, the positive electrode tabs are disposed at intervals on the same side of an opposite side [0045]. See also Figures 1A and 2A-2C. Thus, the claims are anticipated.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bang (WO/2018/062698A1) teaches a lithium secondary battery comprising a first electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode plate having a positive electrode tab and usable as a positive electrode terminal, a negative electrode plate having a serial connection tab, and a separation film provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and a second electrode assembly provided to be insulated from the first electrode assembly, wherein the second electrode assembly may comprise a positive electrode plate having a serial connection tab, a negative electrode plate having a negative electrode tab and usable as a negative electrode terminal, and a separation film provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, wherein the serial connection tab of the first electrode assembly may be connected to the serial connection tab of the second electrode assembly, and the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly may be connected in series by the serial connection tabs (abstract). Bang does not teach a stacked cell having the electrode tab structure recited by claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACY DOVE whose telephone number is (571)272-1285. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-3:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 571-270-3879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TRACY M DOVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
Prosecution Insights