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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 01/11/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honda et al. (US 2019/0363364 A1) in view of Waseda (US 2019/0280329 A1) and Yoshida et al. (US 2018/0076440 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Honda discloses a battery including a laminate, the battery comprising:
A battery cell (Figure 15 and 17; power generating element 104 reading as the battery cell); and
Intermediate members disposed on each of both faces of the battery cell in a thickness direction (Figure 15 and 17; 220 and 216 current collector plates reading as the intermediate members that are disposed on both faces of the battery cell in the thickness direction having a plurality of laminated stacks), wherein:
The battery cell includes an electrode lamination portion in which a plurality of electrodes is laminated in the thickness direction, and a seal portion disposed covering an outer edge of the electrode lamination portion (Figure 15 and 17; electrically insulating member 2010 is provided on sides of the power generating elements 104 that seal the outer edge of the electrodes);
The intermediate members includes a current collector plate portion and a body portion (Figure 15; current collector plates 220 and 216 and seal region 314 that can be provided at an outer edge of the collector plate 216);
In plan view of the battery from the thickness direction, an area of the current collector plate portion is smaller than an area of the battery cell (Figure 15 and 17; the area of the battery can include the electrically insulating member 2010 that extends past the current collector plates 216 and 220 and thus the current collector plate is smaller than an area of the battery cell);
The elastic body portion overlaps the seal portion (Figure 17 electrically insulating member 2010 overlaps the seal portion 430).
Honda is silent with respect to wherein the seal is made of an elastic material.
Waseda discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Waseda discloses wherein a resin layer 11 covers the side surface of the battery laminate to seal the battery laminate and is made of an elastic material in order to absorb the stresses generated by the changes in the volume of the secondary battery laminate (Figure 1; [0032,0035]).
Therefore, it would have obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the material of the seal of Honda to have the elastic insulating material as taught by Waseda in order for the seal to be able to absorb the stresses generated by the changes in the volume of the secondary battery laminate in use and thus improve the safety of the battery. The resulting modification would render obvious wherein the seal is made as an elastic material in order to improve the safety of the battery by making the seal able to absorb volumetric changes to the battery.
Honda further discloses wherein the seal material is disposed to contact the collector plate (Figure 15 and 17), however, is silent with respect to wherein the collector plate portion includes a notched portion in which the seal is provided.
Yoshida discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Yoshida further discloses wherein an insulating member 50 are inserted into a cutout region of an electrode collector 10 in order to fix the collector and the insulating member to each other ([0043]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the collector plate of Honda to include cutout regions in which the sealant of Honda can be partially provided into the cutout regions of the collector plate in order to fix the collector and the seal to each other as a way of increasing the durability of the secondary battery. A skilled artisan would have been motivated to make the modification for durability and stability purposes without rendering the battery of Honda inoperable for its intended purpose. Thus through the combination, all the claim limitations of claim 1 are rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 3, modified Honda discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Honda further discloses wherein the battery includes a plurality of the laminates stacked in the thickness direction (Figure 15 and 17; multiple battery cell laminates are stacked).
Claims 4-5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honda et al. (US 2019/0363364 A1) in view of Waseda (US 2019/0280329 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Honda discloses a battery including a laminate, the battery comprising:
A battery cell (Figure 15 and 17; power generating element 104 reading as the battery cell); and
Intermediate members disposed on each of both faces of the battery cell in a thickness direction (Figure 15 and 17; 220 and 216 current collector plates reading as the intermediate members that are disposed on both faces of the battery cell in the thickness direction having a plurality of laminated stacks), wherein:
The battery cell includes an electrode lamination portion in which a plurality of electrodes is laminated in the thickness direction, and a seal portion disposed covering an outer edge of the electrode lamination portion (Figure 15 and 17; electrically insulating member 2010 is provided on sides of the power generating elements 104 that seal the outer edge of the electrodes);
The intermediate members includes a current collector plate portion and a body portion (Figure 15; current collector plates 220 and 216 and seal region 314 that can be provided at an outer edge of the collector plate 216);
In plan view of the battery from the thickness direction, an area of the current collector plate portion is smaller than an area of the battery cell (Figure 15 and 17; the area of the battery can include the electrically insulating member 2010 that extends past the current collector plates 216 and 220 and thus the current collector plate is smaller than an area of the battery cell);
The body portion is disposed outside of an outer edge of the current collector plate portion (Figure 15 and 17; the seal 314 is provided on an outer edge of the current collector plate portion);
The elastic body portion overlaps the seal portion (Figure 17 electrically insulating member 2010 overlaps the seal portion 430).
Honda is silent with respect to wherein the seal is made of an elastic material.
Waseda discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Waseda discloses wherein a resin layer 11 covers the side surface of the battery laminate to seal the battery laminate and is made of an elastic material in order to absorb the stresses generated by the changes in the volume of the secondary battery laminate (Figure 1; [0032,0035]).
Therefore, it would have obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the material of the seal of Honda to have the elastic insulating material as taught by Waseda in order for the seal to be able to absorb the stresses generated by the changes in the volume of the secondary battery laminate in use and thus improve the safety of the battery. The resulting modification would render obvious wherein the seal is made as an elastic material in order to improve the safety of the battery by making the seal able to absorb volumetric changes to the battery. Thus all the claim limitations of claim 4 are rendered obvious through the combination.
Regarding claim 5, modified Honda discloses all the claim limitations of claim 4. Modified Honda further teaches wherein the elastic body portion is disposed outside an entire periphery of the outer edge of the current collector plate portion (Figure 15 below, the seal portion of Honda is provided outside an outer edge of the current collector plate portion, see modification of claim 4).
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Regarding claim 7, modified Honda discloses all the claim limitations of claim 4. Honda further discloses wherein the battery includes a plurality of the laminates stacked in the thickness direction (Figure 15 and 17; multiple battery cell laminates are stacked).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 2 and 6 wherein, with an intermediate member located at a first end of the battery that is a lower side in a gravitational direction, as a first intermediate member, and an intermediate member located at a second end of the battery that is an upper side in the gravitational direction, as a second intermediate member, rigidity of the elastic body portion in the first intermediate member is greater than rigidity of the elastic body portion in the second intermediate member. The closest prior art is considered to be Honda et al. (US 2019/0363364 A1), Waseda (US 2019/0280329 A1) and Yoshida et al. (US 2018/0076440 A1).
Honda et al. (US 2019/0363364 A1)- discloses a battery cell stack that is similar to the instant invention, however, fails to teach nor render obvious where in the first and second intermediate members are provided with different rigidity of the elastic body in the gravitational direction. A skilled artisan would have not teaching, motivation, nor suggestion to modify Honda to obtain the structure as claimed.
Waseda (US 2019/0280329 A1)- discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Waseda discloses wherein a resin layer 11 covers the side surface of the battery laminate to seal the battery laminate and is made of an elastic material in order to absorb the stresses generated by the changes in the volume of the secondary battery laminate (Figure 1; [0032,0035]). Waseda fails to teach nor render obvious where in the first and second intermediate members are provided with different rigidity of the elastic body in the gravitational direction. A skilled artisan would have not teaching, motivation, nor suggestion to modify Waseda or any other cited reference to obtain the structure as claimed.
Yoshida (US 2018/0076440 A1)- discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Yoshida further discloses wherein an insulating member 50 are inserted into a cutout region of an electrode collector 10 in order to fix the collector and the insulating member to each other ([0043]). Yoshida fails to teach nor render obvious where in the first and second intermediate members are provided with different rigidity of the elastic body in the gravitational direction. A skilled artisan would have not teaching, motivation, nor suggestion to modify Yoshida or any other cited references to obtain the structure as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Satou et al. (US 2019/0355940 A1)- discloses a battery pack having a laminated body in which unit cells are laminated one on another, a cell case having a first opening and containing the laminated body, and a first lid member to tightly close the first opening. The first lid member is configured to, if an internal pressure of the cell case is lower than atmospheric pressure, deform while keeping the tightly closing state, come into contact with the first face of the laminated body, and apply a pressure based on a differential pressure between atmospheric pressure and the internal pressure of the cell case to the contacting face.
Taniuchi et al. (US 2024/0079657 A1)-discloses a solid state battery and electrode stack having an electrode insulator frame 11g that is provided at the outer circumferential part of the electrode layer, an intermediate layer 11c within the stack, and a rod like insulation member 11f provided at an end of the battery stack. Taniuchi fails to teach nor render obvious the structure of claims 2 and 6.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Adam J Francis whose telephone number is (571)272-1021. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7 am-4 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571)270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM J FRANCIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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