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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-5 and 12-21 in the reply filed on 4 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 6-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
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 1-5, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent 7081142 (Carlson).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Carlson teaches a cathode assembly for a secondary battery comprises a cathode current collector layer 401, a cathode active material layer 201 on a surface of the cathode current collector layer (Figs 6 and 8, col. 29 line 60-col. 30, line 21), and a cathode tab attached to the current collector (col. 41, line 50-60), which meets the claimed cathode plate.
Carlson teaches the cathode current collector layer 401 includes coating layers comprising conductive polymers (col. 30, line 22-26), and an electrode insulating layer 501 is coated on the edge of the cathode assembly (Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, col. 5, line 5- 60, and col. 31, line 5-15), wherein the insulating layer comprises an polymeric layer (col. 5, line 15-20 and col. 37,line 50-60), which meet the claimed coating layer.
Regarding claim 2, Carlson teaches that the conductive polymer layer 401 is formed prior to that of the electrode insulating polymer layer 501 on the outer edge (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 3, Carlson teaches that the tab is made to the current collector layer to provide connection to external circuit (col. 41, line 30-35 and 50-60), thus no insulating coating in the tab region.
Regarding claim 4, Carlson teaches that the coating layer wraps around the edge and covers part of the flat surface of the cathode (Fig. 8), which meets extending from the edge to the flat surface of the cathode.
Regarding claims 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20, Carlson teaches a lithium secondary battery comprises a cathode assembly, an anode assembly, a separator in between, an electrolyte and a case to enclose and seal the entire assembly(col. 7, line 15-20, col. 44, line 60-col. 45 line 20, col. 46, line 10-35 and Fig. 11).
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.
Claims 1-5 and 12-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US2013/0252092 (Huang) in view of US2002/0197535 A1 (Dudley), and further in view of Carlson.
Regarding claims 1-5, Huang teaches a cathode for a lithium ion battery comprising a current collector, an electrode active material filled in the pores and on the both sides of the current collector, and a porous ionic conductive polymer binder coated on the current collector and the electrode material (Fig. 1, [0022] and [0027]), wherein after assembling the cathode, separator and anode layer together the whole cell is also covered with a layer of porous ionic conductive polymer binder ([0018]), thus the edge and the surface of the cathode are covered with the ionic conductive polymer.
Huang does not teach an insulating polymeric coating layer at the edge portion of the cathode.
Dudley teaches coating a cathode edge with an insulating edge material protects the cathode from undesired effects of current density variations and shorts([0016] and [0022]), wherein the edge material is an insulating polymer ([0096] and [0099]), and the edge material substantially covers a tapered cathode edge (Fig. 1a and [0053]), thus forming a tapered coating layer ([0066] and [0116]).
At the time the invention was made it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to coat the cathode of Huang with the insulating polymeric edge coating material of Dudley to form a tapered coating layer. The rationale to do so would have been the motivation provided by the teachings of Dudley to do so would predictably prevent current density variations and shorts([0016] and [0022]).
Neither Huang nor Dudley teaches the presence of a tab.
Carlson teaches that tabs are well known in the art of fabricating battery cells for providing the connections between the anode and the cathode to the external circuit for the cell, wherein the connection of one or more tabs is typically made to the cathode current collector (col.41, line 33-38 and 50-60).
At the time the invention was made it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to attach a tab of Carlson to the cathode current collector of Huang and Dudley. The rationale to do so would have been the motivation provided by the teachings of Carlson that to do so would provide connections to the external circuit for the cell (col.41, line 33-38 and 50-60). Consequently, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art not to coat the tab region with the insulating polymer as electronic conductivity is required for the tab to connect the cathode to the external circuit.
Regarding claims 12-21, Huang teaches a lithium ion battery comprises one pair of cathode layer and anode layer, wherein the cathode layer and the anode layer are configured through a separator in between ([0021] and Fig. 1), and the cathode and the anode layer are illustrated as in a plate-like form with same width, length and thickness (Fig. 1 and [0017]) .
Huang does not expressly discloses the presence of a enclosing cover and an electrolyte, however, it is common knowledge that an enclosing casing and an electrolyte are the basic components of a lithium ion battery as evidenced by Carlson (col.1, line 50-60, col. 40, line 35-56 and col. 43, line 10-15), wherein an electrolyte element is interposed between the cathode and the anode to prevent the flow of electrons from the anode to the cathode , and to permit the transport of ions between the anode and the cathode during cell discharge/charging (col. 1, line 50-60), and the casing acts as a seal or barrier against the transport of liquids or volatile materials into or out of the cell stack (col. 40, line 38-43).
At the time the invention was made it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to include an electrolyte in the battery cell and seal the cell stack of Huang and Dudley with a casing . The rationale to do so would have been the motivation provided by the teachings of Carlson that to do so would prevent the flow of electrons from the anode to the cathode , and to permit the transport of ions between the anode and the cathode during cell discharge/charging , and to provide a barrier against the transport of liquids or volatile materials into or out of the cell stack ((col. 1, line 50-60 and col. 40, line 38-43).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AIQUN LI whose telephone number is (571)270-7736. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am -4:00 pm.
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/AIQUN LI/ Ph.D., Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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