DETAILED OFFICIAL 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 1-14 in the reply filed on 28 May 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no undue burden in examining the claims. Applicants further argue that the groups of claims are not so unrelated as would require a burden beyond that of the normal burdens of examination. This argument has been considered but not found persuasive. MPEP § 808.02 recites that for the purposes of the initial requirement of a restriction, a serious burden on the examiner may be prima facie shown if the examiner shows by appropriate explanation either separate classification, separate status in the art, or a different field of search as defined in MPEP § 808.02. Since the Examiner has shown a different classification for the two groups of claims, a burden for examining both groups has been shown.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in the current application, claims 15-20 are withdrawn, and claims 1-14 are under consideration on the merits.
Examiner Note
It is noted that all references hereinafter to Applicant’s specification are to the published application US 2025/0062501 A1, unless stated otherwise. Further, it is noted that italicized text in parentheses recited in any rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 indicates the element of the claimed invention to which the preceding prior art element corresponds. Additionally, any italicized text utilized hereinafter is to be interpreted as emphasis placed thereupon.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informality: the phrase "...the intact locations 74a, 74c and 74c should be arrayed..." (see Applicant' specification ¶0067), hinders the readability. In order to overcome the objection, the following amendment is respectfully suggested: "...the intact locations 74a, [[74c]] 74b, and 74c should be arrayed... ."
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsui (US 2023/0068956 A1; “Matsui”).
Regarding claim 1, Matsui discloses an electrode assembly (a battery cell) [element 20a, 0048, FIGs. 3-4], comprising a battery case (a housing) [element 10, 0038-0039]. The battery case houses an electrode assembly group [element 20, 0038-0039, FIGs. 1-5] comprising a plurality of electrode assemblies [elements 20a-20c, 0048, FIGs. 3-7], to form a battery [element 100, 0037-0038, 0048, FIGs. 1-2]. Each electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate (a cathode) [element 22, 0050-0054, FIGs. 7-9 and 12], and a negative electrode plate (an anode) [element 24, 0050-0051], wherein each plate further comprises a plurality of respective electrode tabs [0053, 0057, 0074-0076] thereby, in totality, reading on a housing enclosing an anode and a cathode as claimed.
A positive electrode tab [element 22t, 0053-0054, 0057-0058, FIGs 4, 7-9, and 11-12] is electrically connected to a positive electrode terminal [element 30, 0047, FIG. 1], of which is further electrically connected to the positive electrode plate [0045] and to an external electroconductive member [element 32, 0047, FIG. 1], thereby reading on a first tab in electrical connection with the cathode. The external electroconductive member on the battery case allows for the battery to be used as a power source for motors in vehicles [0112] thereby, in totality, reading on configured to provide an electrical connection between the battery cell and an external component, as claimed.
The positive electrode tab is made of both a positive electrode substrate [element 22c, 0052-0053, FIG. 12] and a positive electrode protective layer [element 22p, 0052-0053, 0056, FIGs. 9 and 12], wherein the positive electrode substrate and the positive electrode protective layer each comprise electroconductive material [0052, 0055-0056] thereby reading on the first tab made from an electrically conductive material, as claimed.
The tabs, including the positive electrode tab, have different lengths in a protruding direction [0014, 0057-0058, 0067, 0095, FIG. 8]. When multiple electrode tabs are stacked, the tips thereof are easily aligned due to the different lengths [0014, 0054, 0067, FIG. 8], thereby reading on the first tab including a visualization feature configured to visually indicate a position of the first tab when the first tab is underlying another tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 2, in view of the rejection of claim 1 above, Matsui further discloses that the different protruding lengths are a cut-out portion of the tabs, including the positive electrode tab [0058-0059, 0093-0095, FIGs. 8 and 12], wherein the cut-out portion is a portion of the electroconductive material removed from the tabs, including the positive electrode tab [0090-0093, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on the visualization feature is a cut-out portion of the first tab, the cut-out portion being a portion of the electrically conductive material removed from the first tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 3, in view of the rejection of claim 2 above, Matsui further discloses that the different protruding lengths is a mitered corner of the tabs, including the positive electrode tab [0057-0059, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on the visualization feature is a mitered corner of the first tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 4, in view of the rejection of claim 1 above, Matsui further discloses that the positive electrode tab is stacked with a plurality of positive electrode tabs to constitute a positive electrode tab group (the first tab is part of a group of tabs) [0054, 0057, 0062, 0067, 0093, FIGs. 4, 8, and 12], wherein the plurality of positive electrode tabs are electrically connected to one another (configured to be electrically connected to one another) [0045, 0054, 0077, 0081]. Each positive electrode tab of the positive electrode tab group has a different length in a protruding direction [0014, 0058, 0067, 0095, FIG. 8], thereby uniquely identifying each positive electrode tab [FIG. 8], and reading on each tab of the group of tabs including a respective visualization feature configured to uniquely identify each tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 5, in view of the rejection of claim 1 above, the electrode assembly is part of the electrode assembly group comprising a plurality of electrode assemblies [0038-0039, 0048, FIGs. 1-7]. Matsui further discloses that the plurality of electrode assemblies are electrically connected to one another via respective tabs [0045-0049, 0054, 0074-0075, 0077-0081, 0084, FIGs. 4-8], thereby, in totality, reading on the battery cell is part of a cell group having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to one another via respective tabs, as claimed.
Regarding claim 6, in view of the rejection of claim 5 above, Matsui further discloses that the respective tabs are stacked, aligned, and joined to electrically connect the plurality of electrode assemblies [0014, 0045-0050, 0054, 0074-0075, 0077-0081, 0084, FIGs. 3-8].
Regarding claim 7, in view of the rejection of claim 6 above, Matsui further discloses that the respective tabs each have different protruding lengths according to a predetermined sequence [0093, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on the respective tabs each have a visualization feature configured according to a predetermined sequence, as claimed.
Regarding claim 8, in view of the rejection of claim 1 above, Matsui further discloses that the electrode assembly is part of a battery (a battery assembly) that serves as a power source for motors in vehicles [0038-0039, 0048-0049, 0112] thereby reading on the battery cell is part of a battery assembly configured to power an electric motor of a vehicle, as claimed.
Regarding claim 9, Matsui discloses a battery (a battery assembly) [element 100, 0037-0038, FIGs. 1-2], comprising an electrode assembly group (a battery cell group) [element 20, 0038-0039, FIGs. 1-5], including a plurality of electrode assemblies (a plurality of battery cells) [elements 20a-20c, 0048, FIGs. 3-7]. Each electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate [element 22, 0050-0054, FIGs. 7-9 and 12], and a negative electrode plate [element 24, 0050-0051], wherein each plate further comprises a plurality of respective electrode tabs [0053, 0057, 0074-0076] thereby reading on each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells having a tab, as claimed.
Each tab is made of both an electrode substrate [0052-0053, 0057, 0073-0074, FIG. 12] and an electrode protective layer [0052-0053, 0056, FIGs. 9 and 12], wherein the electrode substrate and the electrode protective layer each comprise electroconductive material [0052, 0055-0057, 0073-0074, 0077, 0084] thereby reading on a tab made from an electrically conductive material, as claimed.
Furthermore, each tab is stacked and aligned with one another [0014, 0054, 0074, FIGs 1, 4], as well as, electrically connected to a respective electrode terminal [0047, 0053-0054, 0058, FIGs 1, 4, 7-9, and 11-12], of which is further electrically connected to a respective electrode plate [0045-0047] and to an external electroconductive member [0047, FIG. 1], thereby reading on the tabs of the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to and aligned with one another, as claimed. The external electroconductive member on the battery case allows for the battery to be used as a power source for motors in vehicles [0112] thereby, in totality, reading on configured to provide an electrical connection between each battery cell and an external component, as claimed.
Moreover, each tab has different lengths in a protruding direction [0014, 0058, 0067, 0074, 0095, FIG. 8], so that when the tabs are stacked, the tips thereof are easily aligned due to the different lengths [0014, 0054, 0057, 0067, 0075, FIG. 8], thereby reading on at least one tab of the plurality of battery cells includes a visualization feature configured to visually indicate a position of the at least one tab when the at least one tab is underlying another tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 10, in view of the rejection of claim 9 above, Matsui further discloses that the differing protruding lengths are a cut-out portion of the tabs [0057-0059, 0093-0095, FIGs. 8 and 12], wherein the cut-out portion is a portion of the electroconductive material removed from the tabs [0090-0093, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on the visualization feature is a cut-out portion of the at least one tab, the cut-out portion being a portion of the electrically conductive material removed from the at least one tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 11, in view of the rejection of claim 9 above, Matsui further discloses that the differing protruding lengths is a mitered corner of the tabs [0057-0059, 0074-0075, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on the visualization feature is a mitered corner of the at least one tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 12, the rejection of claim 9 above reads on each tab defined by claim 12. Each tab has different lengths in a protruding direction [0014, 0057-0058, 0067, 0074, 0095, FIG. 8], thereby uniquely identifying each tab, and reading on each tab of the plurality of battery cells includes a respective visualization feature configured to uniquely identify each tab, as claimed.
Regarding claim 13, in view of the rejection of claim 12 above, Matsui further discloses that each tab has a different protruding length according to a predetermined sequence [0057-0058, 0074-0075, 0093, FIGs. 8 and 12], thereby reading on each tab of the plurality of battery cells has a respective visualization feature configured according to a predetermined sequence, as claimed.
Regarding claim 14, in view of the rejection of claim 13 above, Matsui further discloses that the different protruding lengths according to a predetermined sequence is defined by an array of pre-selected locations [0057-0058, 0074-0075, 0093, FIGs. 8 and 12], wherein the array of pre-selected locations is the same relative to each tab, and each respective protruding length is a cut-out portion at a different pre-selected location [0061, 0093, FIGs. 8 and 12].
Pertinent Prior Art
The following constitutes a list of prior art which are not relied upon herein, but are considered pertinent to the claimed invention and/or written description thereof. The prior art are purposely made of record hereinafter to facilitate compact/expedient prosecution, and consideration thereof is respectfully suggested.
Bae et al., US 2021/0344085 A1 – is directed towards mitered electrode tabs that uniquely identify each tab [0009, 0014-0021, 0052, 0055, 0060-0061, 0068, 0074-0079, 0087-0100, FIGs. 3-14].
Lee et al., US 2022/0158152 A1 – is directed towards electrode tabs cut at regular intervals using notches to indicate a position at which the tab is cutout [0041, 0065, 0076, 0080, FIGs. 3, 5-6].
Ota et al., US 2022/0149439 A1 – is directed towards a detection tab used to cut mitered electrode tabs with different lengths accurately [0061-0077, FIGs. 13, 15B-16A, 17A-17B].
Fujishima, US 2022/0102816 A1 – is directed towards mitered electrode tabs [0042, 0049-0050, 0052-0055, FIGs. 2-9].
Hosokawa et al., US 2023/0238564 A1 – is directed towards mitered electrode tabs with different lengths [0026-0027, 0091, FIG. 5].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNA X. COLTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2210. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aaron Austin can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JENNA X. COLTON/Examiner, Art Unit 1782
/AARON AUSTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1782
Prosecution Insights