DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
1) the phrase "is press-molded into a flat shape" in paragraph [0024] is grammatically incorrect. Correction to read "which is then press-molded into a flat shape" or similar is suggested; and
2) the phrases “is existed” and “is not existed” throughout the specification are grammatically incorrect. Amendment to read “is present” and “is not present” are suggested as suitable alternatives.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3-4 and 6-7 are objected to because of the following informalities: the phrases “is existed” and “is not existed” are grammatically incorrect. Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
Claims 1-8 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double
patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-8 of copending Application No. 18/358941 in
view of Yamane.
Claim 1 of ‘941 reads as follows:
A battery comprising a wound electrode body in which a strip-shaped
positive electrode and a strip-shaped negative electrode are wound around in a
predetermined winding direction around a winding axis via a strip-shaped separator,
wherein the battery includes a first separator and a second separator as the separator; the
second separator includes a region positioned outward from a winding terminal edge of the
first separator; the second separator includes an extending portion extending beyond the
winding terminal edge of the first separator in the winding direction; at least a part of the
extending portion and a region positioned inward from the extending portion in the
second separator are bonded together with a second adhesive layer existed on a surface
of the second separator; and a heat-resistant layer is existed on an outermost surface of the
wound electrode body.
Claim 1 includes all of the limitations of presently rejected claim 1. The scope of the claims differs in that claim 1 of the ‘941 application (1)requires a heat-resistant layer not required by the present claims and (2)requires “strip-shaped” positive and negative electrodes which read on the more broadly claimed “positive electrode” and “negative electrode” of this application.
Claims 2-8 of this application are identical to claims 2-7 and 9 of US’941.
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) 1-2, 4, and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 11949127).
With regard to claim 1, Lee teaches a battery comprising a wound electrode body in which a
positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound around a winding axis via a separator (see abstract, FIG. 7B and description thereof). The battery includes a first separator (541/730) and a second separator (542/740a) and the second separator includes a region positioned outward from a winding terminal edge of the first separator (see Figures 5 and 7B). The second separator includes an extending portion extending beyond the winding terminal edge of the first separator in the winding direction wherein at least a part of the extending portion and a region positioned inward from the extending portion in the second separator are bonded together with a second adhesive layer (744) on a surface of the second separator. See col. 15, lines 50-55 and annotated Figure 7B:
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With regard to claim 2, Lee et al. discloses that no winding terminal stop tape is disposed in the extending portion (see col 15,lines 13-18).
With regard to claim 4, Lee discloses embodiments wherein the second adhesive layer is absent from “an outer surface of the second separator positioned on an outermost surface of the wound electrode body as shown in the following annotated Figure 7B:
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With regard to claim 6, the reference teaches that a surface side of the second separator in contact with the positive electrode does not have a second adhesive layer thereon in a winding beginning region of the second separator. Annotated Fig 7B shows that the second adhesive is not present in the winding beginning region of the second separator as follows:
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With regard to claim 7, the reference teaches that a surface side of the first separator (730) in contact with the positive electrode does not have a first adhesive layer thereon in a winding beginning region of the first separator. Annotated Fig 7B shows that the first adhesive is not present in the winding beginning region of the first separator as follows:
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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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 11949127) in view of Sano et al. (US 2023/0282951).
Lee teaches the battery according to claim 1, as detailed above, but fails to teach a battery wherein the second adhesive layer is present in a region of the second separator facing the positive electrode, and the second separator and the positive electrode are bonded together with the second adhesive layer, and in the first separator, a first adhesive layer is present in a region facing the positive electrode, and the first separator and the positive electrode are bonded together with the first adhesive layer.
Sano teaches a battery wherein, in the second separator, the second adhesive layer is present in a region facing the positive electrode, and the second separator and the positive electrode are bonded together with the second adhesive layer. The reference also teaches that in the first separator, a first adhesive layer is present in a region facing the positive electrode, and the first separator and the positive electrode are bonded together with the first adhesive layer (see para [0010], and Figure 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified Lee to incorporate the teachings of Sano by adhering the positive electrode to both of the separators in order to improve the productivity of the secondary battery as suggested by Sano (see para [0010]).
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 11949127)
in view of Zhao (US 2022/0320595).
Lee teaches all of the features of claim 1 but fails to teach a battery wherein an area of the second adhesive layer on an outer surface of the second separator positioned on the outermost surface of the wound electrode body is 30% or less of an area of the outer surface.
Zhao teaches, an area of the second adhesive layer on an outer surface of the second separator positioned on the outermost surface of the wound electrode body is desirably 10% or more of an area of the outer surface (see para [0008]).
It would have been obvious of one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Zhao into the invention taught by Lee by reducing the area of the adhesive layer on the surface of the second separator to 10% of the area of the outer surface and thereby improve the safety of the battery as suggested by Zhao (see para [0010]) and also reduce the weight and size of the battery by using less adhesive.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 11949127)
in view of Umeyama et al. (JP 2017/010878).
Lee teaches a wound electrode body having a flat shape including a pair of curved parts
in which outer surfaces are curved and a flat part in which an outer surface connecting a pair of
the curved parts is flat. However, the reference fails to disclose a battery wherein a winding terminal edge of the positive electrode is positioned at either of the pair of curved parts; and a winding terminal edge of the negative electrode is positioned at either of the pair of curved parts.
Umeyama teaches, a winding terminal edge of the positive electrode that is positioned at either of the pair of curved parts and a winding terminal edge of the negative electrode that is positioned at either of the pair of curved parts (see abstract and Figure 13).
It would have been obvious of one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Umeyama into the wound electrode taught by Lee by terminating the electrode in the curved parts of the electrode body in order to reduce the occurrences of steps on the flat surface of a wound electrode body as suggested by Umeyama.
Conclusion
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/Holly Rickman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1785
Prosecution Insights