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 species claim 18 in the reply filed on May 12, 2026 is acknowledged.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 2022/0416372).
Regarding claims 1, 14, and 20, Zhang teaches a secondary battery comprising an electrode plate (title) comprising a current collector 10, an active material layer 30, and a tab assembly 20, wherein the current collector comprises a first conductive layer 12, an insulating layer 11, and a second conductive layer 13, stacked, the outer surfaces of each conductive layer, with respect to the intermediate insulating layer, thus constituting the claimed first and second function surfaces (par. 55, Figs. 1-2). As seen in Figure 7, Zhang teaches corresponding first and second tab regions 122 and 132 containing at least two through-holes 14. Conductive connection members 15 are considered to constitute the claimed first and second connection regions.
Regarding claim 2, Zhang teaches second tab connection region 222 and second post connection region 223 (Fig. 9), which are considered to constitute the claimed third tab section extending from the outer function surface of the current collector and facilitating connection to an external tab.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 3-13, 15, 16, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US 2022/0416372) as applied to claims 1 and 14 above.
Zhang teaches an electrode plate according to instant claims 1 and 14, as shown above.
Claims 3-13, 15, 16, and 18 are directed toward physical dimensions of the layers, distance of the though holes, and additional features including a protective layer and a transitional layer. These features are considered to be conventionally known in the art and thus their use in the invention of Zhang would have been obvious. As for the claimed physical dimension and through-hole locations, one of ordinary skill would have been motivated to chose such locations and thicknesses, including those claimed, in order to preserve the structural and functional integrity of the electrode and overall secondary battery. Such features are considered prima facie obvious, as they are either arbitrary or otherwise straightforward, absent a showing of criticality.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COLIN W SLIFKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5830. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ching-Yiu (Coris) Fung can be reached at 571-270-5713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Colin W. Slifka/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1732
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