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 1-11 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Koo et al (US 20200227715 A1).
Regarding Claim 1,
Koo teaches a water-impermeable degassing film (the degassing film is considered to be the breathable film 214 along with a bonding layer 215. The breathable film has permeability and waterproofness to allow gases/vapors to be permeable and liquids to be impermeable; Paragraph 0028, 0077, 0081; Figure 4)
which is bonded to a surface of an exterior material of an electrical storage device so as to block a communication portion provided in the exterior material (bonding layer of the degassing film is bonded on the top or bottom surface of cap plate 181. Cap plate 181 is considered as the exterior material of the electrical storage device; Paragraph 0081),
and is used to discharge gas generated inside the electrical storage device from the communication portion (pressure equalization structure includes a through hole located in the cap plate for discharging the internal air or gas is provided in a cap plate, thereby equalizing the internal pressure with the external pressure; Paragraph 0007, 0010).
wherein the water- impermeable degassing film comprises a laminate including at least a base material layer (breathable film 214) and an adhesive layer (bonding layer 215), and the adhesive layer of the water-impermeable degassing film is bonded to the surface of the exterior material of the electrical storage device (bonding layer of the degassing film is bonded on the top or bottom surface of cap plate 181; Paragraph 0081).
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Regarding Claim 2,
Koo teaches that the surface of the exterior material is formed of metal or resin (the case 170 may be made of a conductive metal such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or nickel-plated steel. The cap plate 181 may basically seal the top opening 171 of the case 170 and may be made of the same material as the case 170; Paragraph 0064, 0066).
Regarding Claim 3,
Koo teaches that the communication portion is provided on a bottom surface of the electrical storage device (a through hole 210A located in the cap plate 181 which is used to cap or close the case; Paragraph 0077).
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Regarding Claim 4,
Koo teaches that the communication portion has a circular shape (the through hole has a diameter specified in Paragraphs 0078, 0079 which is a circular shape). Shape is also seen in Figure 1, Element 210.
Claims 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim et al (US 20230352780 A1).
Regarding Claim 5,
Lim teaches a water-impermeable degassing film (lead film with high permeability to discharge gases generated inside the secondary battery; Paragraph 0039) which is disposed so as to be interposed between weld portions of an exterior material of an electrical storage device (upper sealing portion 310S and lower sealing portion 320S; Figure 4 and Figure 8), and is used to discharge gas generated inside the electrical storage device,
wherein the water-impermeable degassing film comprises a laminate including at least a base material layer (inner layer 800 for discharging gases; Paragraph 0071, 0082) and an adhesive layer (outer layer 700 for enhancing adhesiveness and sealability; Paragraph 0071, 0073),
the adhesive layer of the water-impermeable degassing film is bonded to the weld portion of the exterior material (as seen in Figure 4 and 8 the outer layer 700 is in contact and bonded with the exterior material 310S and 320 S), and the gas is discharged by passing through the water-impermeable degassing film in a thickness direction thereof (Figure 8 shows the direction in which the gas in discharged, and it is in the thickness direction of the film).
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Regarding Claim 6,
Lim shows in Figure 4 and Figure 8 that the water-impermeable degassing film (i.e. lead film) is sandwiched in a folded shape between the weld portions of the exterior material (upper sealing portion 310S and lower sealing portion 320S). The fold in the lead film is seen in Figure 4 and 8, either on the internal side of the battery or on the external side of the battery.
Regarding Claim 7,
Lim teaches that the exterior material includes a laminate including at least a base material layer (outer resin layer; Paragraph 0064), a barrier layer (metal layer for preventing infiltration of a material; Paragraph 0064) and a heat-sealable resin layer (inner resin layer for sealing; Paragraph 0064) in this order, and the water-impermeable degassing film (i.e. lead film) is disposed so as to be interposed between the weld portions with the heat-sealable resin layer being bonded to the adhesive layer of the water-impermeable degassing film in the weld portion of the exterior material (the lead film 600 may be disposed between the upper sealing portion 310S of the upper casing 310 and the lower sealing portion 320S of the lower casing 320. Each of the inner resin layer of the upper sealing portion 310S and the inner resin layer of the lower sealing portion 320S may be bound to the outer layer of the lead film 600; Paragraph 0072).
Regarding Claim 8,
Lim shows in Figure 4 and Figure 8 that the weld portion of the exterior material is provided with a communication portion (annotated below) in which a surface of the water-impermeable degassing film (lead film 600) is exposed, and the gas is discharged through the communication portion (shown by arrows).
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Regarding Claim 9,
Lim shows in Figure 5 that the communication portion (opening space between 310S and 320S) has a slit shape.
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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.
Claims 10, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koo et al in view of Lim et al.
Regarding Claim 10,
Koo does not specifically teach that the water-impermeable degassing film further includes at least one resin layer on a surface of the adhesive layer on the base material layer side.
Lim teaches that the outer layer 800 (akin to the adhesive layer) includes a poly olefin based resin (Paragraph 0080). The instant specification states that the resin layer is laminated between the adhesive layer 12 and the base material layer 11, or on a surface of the base material layer 11 on a side opposite to the adhesive layer 12. Based on Figure 4 and Figure 8, there is an adhesive layer (i.e. outer layer 700) on both sides of the base material layer (i.e. inner layer 800). This configuration is similar to the claimed configuration wherein the water-impermeable degassing film further includes at least one resin layer on a surface of the adhesive layer on the base material layer side. Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the resin layer of Lim on the surface of the adhesive layer of Koo in order to enhance adhesiveness and sealability and prevent generation of short circuit between the electrode lead (Paragraph 0073).
Regarding Claim 11,
Koo does not specifically teach that the water-impermeable degassing film is formed of polyolefin-based resin.
Lim teaches that the inner layer 800 (akin to a base material layer of the water degassing film) is made of polyolefin based resin (Paragraph 0084). Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use this type of material as described in Lim into the film of Koo in order to form a layer with higher air and gas permeability (Paragraph 0082) to discharge gases generated inside the battery.
References of Interest
Examiner notes the following references of interest with regards to the field of art.
US 20200402730 A1
US 20150194651 A1
US 20020155343 A1
Conclusion
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/SUHANI JITENDRA PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/TRAVIS M FIGG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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