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 .
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2022/0344697), and further in view of Sun (US 2022/0320693).
As to claim 1, Kim discloses a method for manufacturing a battery comprising a wound electrode body ([0015], discussed throughout), wherein
the wound electrode body has a first separator (figure 3 #20a, [0040], discussed throughout), a positive electrode sheet (figure 3 #40, [0040], discussed throughout), a second separator (figure 3 #20b, [0040], discussed throughout), and a negative electrode sheet that are wound together (figure 3 #30, [0040], discussed throughout),
the positive electrode sheet and the first separator are bonded to each (figure 3 #40 and #20a, discussed throughout), and the positive electrode sheet and the second separator are bonded to each other (figure 3 #40 and #20b, discussed throughout), and
the method comprises:
a wound electrode body fabrication step of fabricating the wound electrode body by winding the first separator, the positive electrode sheet, the second separator, and the negative electrode sheet ([0015], discussed throughout).
Kim is silent to the first and second adhesion layers and the adhesive layer formation step of forming the first adhesive layer on a surface of at least one of the positive electrode sheet and the first separator and forming the second adhesive layer on a surface of at least one of the positive electrode sheet and the second separator.
Sun discloses a wound battery ([0076]) wherein the separator (figure 6 #230, discussed throughout) has a first bonding layer on one surface (figure 6 #231, discussed throughout) and a second bonding surface on the other side (figure 6 #232, discussed throughout). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art the time of the effective filling date of the invention to use the bonding layers (adhesion layers) from Sun within Kim as because the bonding layers maintain adhesion while allowing for electrolytic transmitting and increasing deformation resistance of the electrode assembly ([0007]-[0008]; Sun)
As to claim 2, modified Kim discloses wherein, the first separator has a first face and a second face (figure 3 #20a, [0040], discussed throughout),
the second separator has a third face and a fourth face (figure 3 #20b, [0040], discussed throughout),
the first adhesive layer is disposed on the first face of the first separator (figure 3 #20a, [0040] and as modified by the Sun, see above),
the second adhesive layer is disposed on the third face of the second separator (figure 3 #20b, [0040] and as modified by the Sun, see above), and
the wound electrode body fabrication step comprises winding the first separator and the second separator around a winding core such that the second face of the first separator is in contact with the winding core and the first face of the first separator is in contact with the third face of the second separator (figure 3, [0015], [0040], discussed throughout).
As to claim 3, modified Kim discloses wherein, the first face of the first separator and the third face of the second separator are bonded to each other by at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer (figure 3, as the adhesive layers are place on the separators as seen within Sun and within figure 3 of Kim the separators are in contact with one another the instant claimed limitation would be meet).
As to claim 4, modified Kim discloses wherein, in an area where the first separator and the second separator face each other without interposing the positive electrode sheet therebetween (figure 3 #20a, #20b and #40, [0040], discussed throughout),
the first face of the first separator and the third face of the second separator are bonded to each other by only one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer (figure 3, as the adhesive layers are place on the separators as seen within Sun and within figure 3 of Kim the separators are in contact with one another the instant claimed limitation would be meet).
As to claim 5, modified Kim discloses wherein, the second face of the first separator is sucked to the winding core to fix the second face in the wound electrode body fabrication step ([0015], discussed the winding core, figure 1 shows the use of the winding core, though it is prior art the core is used in the same way as the inventive concept is the starting point of the electrode, figure 3 shows the separators #20a and #20b, thus the first separator would be stuck to the winding core, this is also discussed throughout).
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Liang (US 2021/0376371).
As to claim 9, modified Kim discloses wherein, in the adhesive layer formation step,
the first adhesive layer is formed on the first separator (figure 6, Sun)
the second adhesive layer is formed on the second separator (figure 6, Sun).
Modified Kim is silent to the first adhesive layer is formed on the first separator while the first separator passes through a conveyance route for the first separator in an area at ±30° relative to a vertical direction, and the second adhesive layer is formed on the second separator while the second separator passes through a conveyance route for the second separator in an area at ±30° relative to the vertical direction.
Liang discloses a preparation for an electrode assembly (abstract) wherein conveyance routes are used to place the layers together as different angles to form a would electrode assembly (figures 1-23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to use the conveyors from Liang within modified Kim as a mere combing prior art elements according to known methods to obtain predictable results (see MPEP 2143 I). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to adjust the angle as a mere change in shape or rearrangement of parts baring any criticality or unexpected results (see MPEP 2144.04).
As to claim 10, modified Kim silent to wherein, in the adhesive layer formation step,
the first adhesive layer is disposed on a face not in contact with a conveyer in the first separator, and the second adhesive layer is disposed on a face not in contact with the conveyer in the positive electrode sheet. Liang discloses a preparation for an electrode assembly (abstract) wherein conveyance routes are used to place the layers together at different location (figures 1-23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to use the conveyors from Liang within modified Kim as a mere combing prior art elements according to known methods to obtain predictable results (see MPEP 2143 I). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to adjust the location of the conveyors as a mere change in shape or rearrangement of parts baring any criticality or unexpected results (see MPEP 2144.04).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN R OHARA whose telephone number is (571)272-0728. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM-3:30 PM EST M-F.
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/BRIAN R OHARA/Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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