DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-3 and 7-9 are presented for examination, wherein claim 1 is currently amended; plus, the subject matter of Species B is withdrawn. Claims 4-6 are cancelled.
The 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection of claims 1-3 and 7-8 over Chen is withdrawn, as a result of the amendments to claim 1, from which the other claims depend. However, see infra.
The 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection of claims 4-6 over Chen in view of Zhang, as a result of the cancellation of said claims.
The 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection of claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Zhang, as a result of the amendments to claim 1, from which said claim depends.
The instant application is a divisional of 16/718852, issued as U.S. patent 11,817,543 on November 14, 2023.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 28, 2025 has been entered.
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 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 1-3 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (CN 106257710) in view of Liang et al (US 2018/0198132).
Regarding newly amended independent claim 1, Chen teaches a wound lithium-ion battery with multiple tabs with variable sizes,
said battery comprising a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator therebetween wound together to form a battery core,
said positive electrode sheet comprising a coating of positive active material on a current collector foil; and, said negative electrode sheet comprising a coating of negative active material on a current collector foil,
each of said positive electrode sheet and each of said negative electrode sheet comprising a main body having a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to said length direction, said main body wider in said width direction than the length,
a plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same blank foil so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected,
wherein each of said tabs having a width in said width direction and a length in said length direction,
wherein after said main body is rolled, tabs of a positive electrode plate form a positive tab stack (e.g. item 31 or 61) by being stacked in a neat stack and welded together; and, tabs of a negative electrode plate form a negative tab stack (e.g. item 32 or 62) by being stacked in a neat stack and welded together or directly welded to terminals that extend out,
wherein said tabs “have different spacing and widths” and “[p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same,”
wherein while examples provide sets of tabs having different widths between sets of tabs, such as with Figures 1-2, in said positive electrode tabs, the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tabs is 7mm, the width of the C tabs is 8mm; and, in said negative plate the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tab is 7mm, and the width of the C tab is 8mm; plus, with Figures 4-5, in said positive electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 15mm, the width of the B tab is 14mm, and the width of the C tab is 13mm; and, in said negative electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 13mm, the width of the B tab is 12mm, and the width of the C tab is 11mm,
(e.g. ¶¶ 0000-02, 04, 06-10, 13-14, 16, 23, 28-29, 31-38, 40, and 43-49 plus e.g. Figures 1-7), reading on “battery cell,” said battery comprising:
(1) said battery core comprising said positive electrode sheet, said negative electrode sheet, and said separator therebetween, which are wound together (e.g. supra), reading on “an electrode assembly formed by winding a first electrode sheet and a second electrode sheet,” “the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet are spaced apart from each other,” and “an isolation film is sandwiched between the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet,”
(2) each of said positive electrode sheet and each of said negative electrode sheet comprising said main body having said length direction and said width direction perpendicular to said length direction, said main body wider in said width direction than the length (e.g. supra),
the taught width direction corresponding with the claimed “length direction” and
the taught length direction corresponding with the claimed “width direction,”
reading on “the first electrode sheet comprises: an electrode sheet body, having a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to the length direction;”
(3) said plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same blank foil so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected, wherein each of said tabs having a width in said width direction and a length in said length direction (e.g. supra),
wherein each of said tabs extend away from said main body along said taught length direction (e.g. Figures 1-7),
the taught width direction corresponding with the claimed “length direction” and
the taught length direction corresponding with the claimed “width direction,”
reading on the previously amended limitation “the first electrode sheet comprises:…a plurality of tabs connected to the electrode sheet body, the plurality of tabs extending away from the electrode sheet body along the width direction, each of the plurality of tabs having a width in the width direction and a length in the length direction,”
wherein said tabs “have different spacing and widths” and “[p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same;” further, while examples provide sets of tabs having different widths between sets of tabs, such as with Figures 1-2, in said positive electrode tabs, the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tabs is 7mm, the width of the C tabs is 8mm; and, in said negative plate the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tab is 7mm, and the width of the C tab is 8mm; plus, with Figures 4-5, in said positive electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 15mm, the width of the B tab is 14mm, and the width of the C tab is 13mm; and, in said negative electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 13mm, the width of the B tab is 12mm, and the width of the C tab is 11mm (e.g. supra),
the taught width direction corresponding with the claimed “length direction” and
the taught length direction corresponding with the claimed “width direction,”
the broader disclosure provides that the tabs may “have different spacing and widths” and [p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same,” reading on the limitation “the length of each of the plurality of tabs is different from one another;”
alternatively regarding the limitation “the length of each of the plurality of tabs is different from one another,” Chen teaches in a wound structure, closer to the central axis of a winding structure, the smaller the radius (and corresponding larger curvature) and the larger the radius (and corresponding smaller curvature), so the width of a tab closer to said central axis is smaller than that further away from said central axis so that the tabs of the entire winding may overlap one another to ensure convenient welding of said tabs and improve processing efficiency and yield (e.g. ¶0035).
As a result, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to widen each successive tab that is further from said central axis, since the radius would increase and curvature decrease so that the tabs of the entire winding may overlap one another to ensure convenient welding of said tabs and improve processing efficiency and yield, resulting in each successive tab being slightly larger than the adjacent one closer to said central axis, reading on said limitation.
Regarding the limitation “the plurality of tabs of the first electrode sheet comprise a first tab unit and a second tab unit, the second tab unit extends beyond the first tab unit in the length direction of the battery cell,” Chen teaches said tabs “have different spacing and widths” and “[p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same;” further, while examples provide sets of tabs having different widths between sets of tabs, such as with Figures 1-2, in said positive electrode tabs, the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tabs is 7mm, the width of the C tabs is 8mm; and, in said negative plate the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tab is 7mm, and the width of the C tab is 8mm; plus, with Figures 4-5, in said positive electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 15mm, the width of the B tab is 14mm, and the width of the C tab is 13mm; and, in said negative electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 13mm, the width of the B tab is 12mm, and the width of the C tab is 11mm (e.g. supra),
the taught width direction corresponding with the claimed “length direction” and
the taught length direction corresponding with the claimed “width direction,”
the broader disclosure provides that the tabs may “have different spacing and widths” and [p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same,” reading on “the length of each of the plurality of tabs is different from one another.”
As a result, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to engineer each of said positive electrode sheet and said negative electrode sheet so that said set of tabs would be a set of 1, so that consecutive tabs of each electrode would have a corresponding width of e.g. 6mm, then 7mm, then 8mm, reading on said limitation “the plurality of tabs of the first electrode sheet comprise a first tab unit and a second tab unit, the second tab unit extends beyond the first tab unit in the length direction of the battery cell.”
In the alternative, Chen teaches in a wound structure, closer to the central axis of a winding structure, the smaller the radius and the larger the curvature, so the width of a tab closer to said central axis is smaller than that further away from said central axis (where the radius is larger and corresponding curvature is smaller) so that the tabs of the entire winding may overlap one another to ensure convenient welding of said tabs and improve processing efficiency and yield (e.g. ¶0035), sufficiently close to the claimed relationship “extends beyond” to establish a prima facie case of obviousness, see also MPEP § 2144.05(I), reading on said limitation.
Regarding the previously added limitation “a difference between lengths of every two adjacent tabs of the plurality of tabs ranges from 2.0 millimeters to 5.0 millimeters,” Chen teaches said tabs “have different spacing and widths” and “[p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same;” further, while examples provide sets of tabs having different widths between sets of tabs, such as with Figures 1-2, in said positive electrode tabs, the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tabs is 7mm, the width of the C tabs is 8mm; and, in said negative plate the width of the A tab is 6mm, the width of the B tab is 7mm, and the width of the C tab is 8mm; plus, with Figures 4-5, in said positive electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 15mm, the width of the B tab is 14mm, and the width of the C tab is 13mm; and, in said negative electrode sheet, the width of the A tab is 13mm, the width of the B tab is 12mm, and the width of the C tab is 11mm (e.g. supra).
As a result, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to engineer each of said positive electrode sheet and said negative electrode sheet so that said set of tabs would be a set of 1, so that consecutive tabs of each electrode would have a corresponding width of e.g. 6mm, then 7mm, then 8mm, reading on said limitation (e.g. supra),
the taught width direction corresponding with the claimed “length direction” and
the taught length direction corresponding with the claimed “width direction,”
the broader disclosure provides that each of the tabs may “have different spacing and widths” and [p]referably, the widths of the tabs are not exactly the same” (see e.g. supra), such that the difference in width (corresponding with the claimed “length direction”) may be e.g. 1mm between each adjacent tabs (noting said corresponding width of e.g. 6mm, then 7mm, then 8mm), but does not expressly teach said previously added limitation.
However, differences in size/proportion do not patentably distinguish the instant invention from that of the art when the claimed device would not perform differently than that of the art, see e.g. MPEP § 2144.04(IV)(A). Here, the examiner respectfully refers to the instant specification:
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a structure diagram of an electrode sheet 10’ according to another embodiment of the present application. The difference from the electrode sheet 10 shown in FIG. 1 is that the width 201’ of each tab 200’ of the electrode sheet 10’ has the same value and the length 203’ of each tab 200’ of the electrode sheet 10′ has a different value. After an electrode sheet body 100’ is wound into a wound structure in the length direction X, since the length 203’ of each tab 200’ is different, at least one of the edges where the two lengths 203’ of the plurality of tabs 200’ is not aligned after winding, such that each of the plurality of tabs 200’ can be connected to the tab lead in an appropriate manner. In some embodiments of the present application, the lengths 203’ of the plurality of tabs 200’ are sequentially configured in the length direction X of the electrode sheet body 100’ according to an arithmetic progression. For example, the difference value between the lengths 203’ of every two adjacent tabs may be about 0.1 millimeter to about 5.0 millimeters, preferably about 1.0 millimeter to about 2.0 millimeters. In addition, the intervals between the tabs 200’ in the length direction X of the electrode sheet body 100’ are designed such that each tab 200’ may be stacked, as shown in FIG. 8, after the electrode sheet body 100’ is wound into the wound structure in the length direction X.
(instant specification, at e.g. ¶0040, emphasis added.)
In the alternative, Chen teaches the difference in width of said tabs along the winding direction—such as for each adjacent tab—is result-effective on the ability of the tabs to overlap during winding for welding convenience, processing efficiency, and/or yield (see e.g. ¶0035), so it would have been obvious to design the tabs along the winding direction, such as each of said adjacent tabs—so that each adjacent tab has a difference in width within the claimed range, see also e.g. MPEP § 2144.05(II).
[0035] After that, the coated electrode sheets are cut and then the electrode ears are processed. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the present invention aims to set a plurality of electrode ears A, electrode ears B and electrode ears C with different intervals and different widths in the blank positions reserved for the positive and negative electrode sheets. The intervals and sizes of the electrode ears can be made by roller cutting, punching or laser cutting.
Because the closer the winding structure is to the inside, the smaller the radius and the greater the curvature, the width of the A ear is 0.5-1.5mm smaller than the width of the B ear, and the width of the ear B is 0.5-1.5mm smaller than the width of the ear C. The present invention takes a 5Ah battery cell as an example, so considering the wider structure of the stacked battery cell and the overcurrent capacity of the battery cell, the width of the A ear is selected to be 6mm, the width of the B ear is 7mm, and the width of the C ear is 8mm. When winding, start from the A ear from left to right. The purpose of setting the ears of different widths is to allow the ears to completely overlap within the widest ear range during winding, that is, within the 8mm range in this example, to ensure that the ear welding is convenient and the processing efficiency and yield are improved.
[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the present invention uses a circular winding needle with a diameter of 6 mm. The thickness of the positive electrode sheet after rolling is 108-112 um, the thickness of the negative electrode sheet after rolling is 118-122 um, the width of the positive electrode coating area is 100 mm, and the width of the negative electrode coating area is 103-105 mm. Ordinary 5Ah wound battery cells generally have only 1-3 tabs, while in this example we use 7 tabs, which reduces the internal resistance of the battery cell while also improving the rate performance of the battery cell.
Moreover, the widths of the tabs are different from the inside to the outside. This method can further avoid the misalignment of the tabs due to the uneven thickness of the pole sheet rolling and the unstable winding tension, so that the tabs can overlap within the widest tab range, avoiding the situation of low yield. Therefore, this method is suitable for mass production of battery cells.
(Chen, at e.g. ¶¶ 0035-36, emphasis added.)
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Chen teaches said positive electrode sheet comprising said coating of positive active material on said current collector foil; and, said negative electrode sheet comprising said coating of negative active material on a current collector foil,
wherein each of said positive electrode sheet and each of said negative electrode sheet comprising said main body having said length direction and said width direction perpendicular to said length direction, said main body wider in said width direction than the length,
said plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same blank foil so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected
(e.g. supra), reading on the newly added limitation “the electrode sheet body comprises a current collector and an active material layer located on a surface of the current collector,” but does not expressly teach the newly added limitations “the current collector comprises a first polymer layer and a first metal layer located on a surface of the first polymer layer;” “each of the plurality of tabs comprises a second polymer layer and a second metal layer located on a surface of the second polymer layer;” or, “the surface of the second polymer layer comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein one of the first surface and the second surface is not provided with any metal layer.”
However, Liang teaches a current collector for a battery that may be a wound type battery, wherein said current collector greatly improves weight energy density and further improves safety by greatly increasing short-circuit resistance under a short-circuit circumstance in case of an abnormal situation,
wherein said current collector includes an insulating layer that provides a support function and a conductive layer on at least one surface of said insulating layer, which includes expressly taught “only one surface of the insulation layer” (emphasis added), an active material layer is applied on said conductive layer so said conductive layer may be used for conduction and current collecting;
said insulating layer may be composed of an organic polymer, such as e.g. polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polybutylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polycarbonate, and combinations thereof; and,
said conductive layer may be composed of a metal conductive material, such as e.g. aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, silver, and combinations thereof
(e.g. ¶¶ 0001, 13, 23, 25-26, 42, 68, 79-80, 92-95, 98, 105, 107, 138, and 140 plus e.g. Figures 2 and 4).
As a result, it would have been obvious to substitute the positive and negative electrode sheets’ current collector foils of Chen with the current collector of Liang, wherein said current collector includes a conductive layer on only one surface of the insulation layer, since Liang teaches its current collector greatly improves weight energy density and/or improves safety by greatly increasing short-circuit resistance under a short-circuit circumstance in case of an abnormal situation,
noting Liang teaches said active material layer is applied on said conductive layer, so it would have been obvious to apply said coatings of positive and negative active materials of Chen on said conductive layers of the current collector of Liang, since Liang teaches said arrangement allows said conductive layer to be used for conduction and current collecting;
noting that since Chen teaches said plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same blank foil so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected, said current collector of Chen as modified will likewise have said plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same current collector of Liang so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected; and,
noting that since said current collector of Liang comprises said conductive layer on only one surface of said insulation layer, an opposite surface of said insulation layer to which said insulation layer is applied will be without a conductive layer,
said insulating layer composed of organic polymer of said main body of said current collector corresponding with the claimed “first polymer layer;”
said conductive layer composed of said metal conductive material of said main body of said current collector corresponding with the claimed “first metal layer;” and
said insulating layer composed of organic polymer of said plurality of pole piece tabs of said current collector corresponding with the claimed “second polymer layer;” and,
said conductive layer composed of said metal conductive material of said plurality of pole piece tabs of said current collector corresponding with the claimed “second metal layer,”
Chen as modified reading on the newly added limitations “the electrode sheet body comprises a current collector and an active material layer located on a surface of the current collector;” “the current collector comprises a first polymer layer and a first metal layer located on a surface of the first polymer layer;” “each of the plurality of tabs comprises a second polymer layer and a second metal layer located on a surface of the second polymer layer;” and, “the surface of the second polymer layer comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein one of the first surface and the second surface is not provided with any metal layer.”
Regarding claim 2, Chen as modified teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein Chen teaches said tabs of said positive electrode plate form said positive tab stack by being stacked in said neat stack and welded together; and, tabs of said negative electrode plate form said negative tab stack by being stacked in said neat stack and welded together, severably reading on “the first tab unit and the second tab unit in the electrode assembly are stacked on one another….”
Regarding claim 3, Chen as modified teaches the battery of claim 2, wherein Chen teaches each of said positive electrode sheet and said negative electrode sheet have said set of tabs consecutive tabs of each electrode would have a corresponding width of e.g. 6mm, then 7mm, then 8mm, severably reading on the limitation “the lengths of the plurality of tabs are sequentially configured in the length direction according to an arithmetic progression.”
In the alternative, said wound structure includes said smaller radius closer to said central axis, with narrower resulting tabs, and said larger radius farther from said central axis, with wider resulting tabs, such that said tabs of said entire winding may overlap one another to ensure convenient welding of said tabs and improve processing efficiency and yield (e.g. supra), noting mathematical relationship is proportionate to radius of said winding at the location of each tab, severably reading on said limitation.
Regarding claim 7, Chen as modified teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein Chen teaches said tabs of said positive electrode plate form said positive tab stack by being stacked in a neat stack and welded together; and, tabs of said negative electrode plate form said negative tab stack by being stacked in said neat stack and welded together or directly welded to terminals that extend out (e.g. supra), severably reading on “further comprising a tab lead, wherein the plurality of tabs of the first electrode sheet are electrically connected to the tab lead.”
Regarding claim 8, Chen as modified teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein Chen teaches said tabs of said positive electrode plate form said positive tab stack by being stacked in a neat stack and welded together; and, tabs of said negative electrode plate form said negative tab stack by being stacked in said neat stack and welded together or directly welded to terminals that extend out; and, each of said positive electrode sheet and said negative electrode sheet include said consecutive tabs having said corresponding width of e.g. 6mm, then 7mm, then 8mm (e.g. supra), noting the tab closest to said central axis (hereinafter “first tab”) has at least a “region” corresponding with the claimed “first region” that is “electrically connected” to said terminal that is “closer” to said battery core than at least a “region” corresponding with the claimed “second region” of a tab (hereinafter “second tab”) that is adjacent to said first tab, wherein said region of said second tab may be further from said central axis of said battery core than said region of said first tab, severably reading on “the first tab unit is electrically connected to the tab lead through a first region and the second tab unit is electrically connected to the tab lead through a second region, wherein the first region is closer to a main body of the electrode assembly than the second region (emphasis added), as claimed.
Alternatively, said regions of said first and second tabs may be equally distanced from an surface of a wound main body of said battery core, sufficiently close to the claimed relationship “closer” to establish a prima facie case of obviousness, see also MPEP § 2144.05(I), severably reading on said limitation.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (CN 106257710) in view of Liang et al (US 2018/0198132), as provided supra, and further in view of Uruno et al (JP 2016/115422).
Regarding claim 9, Chen as modified teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein Chen teaches said positive electrode sheet comprising said coating of positive active material on said current collector foil; and, said negative electrode sheet comprising said coating of negative active material on said current collector foil, wherein each of said positive electrode sheet and each of said negative electrode sheet comprising said main body having said length direction and said width direction perpendicular to said length direction, said main body wider in said width direction than the length, wherein said plurality of pole piece tabs and said main body cut from the same blank foil so that said tabs and said main body are physically and electrically connected, as provided supra, but does not expressly teach the limitation “the second tab unit extends beyond the first tab unit in the width direction of the battery cell.”
However, Uruno teaches a battery (e.g. item 1) having low electrical resistance and large electricity storage capacity, said battery comprising a wound electrode group (e.g. item 3) comprising a pair of plurality of current collecting tabs (3a, 3b) in an extending direction (Z) that each aggregate (e.g. items 15a and 15b) in a direction perpendicular to said extending direction so each said pair of said current collecting tabs of said aggregate contact a respective a lead (e.g. items 6 and 7), wherein each aggregate is on an opposite side of said electrode group from the other aggregate, said battery comprising:
said wound electrode group, said wound electrode group comprising a stack of a positive electrode (e.g. item 11) formed as a strip-shaped sheet, a negative electrode (e.g. item 12) formed as a strip-shaped sheet, and a separator (e.g. item 13) formed as a strip-shaped sheet, said separator interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, such that said electrodes and separator are longest in the Y direction and said stacking is in a stacking direction (X),
wherein said stack is wound around a winding axis, which extending in said extension direction (Z) and formed into a flattened wound shape,
wherein said X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to one another,
wherein said positive electrode comprises a strip-shaped positive electrode collector and a positive electrode active material layer (e.g. item 14a) formed on a surface of said positive electrode collector,
at one end of said positive electrode, a plurality of positive electrode collector tabs (e.g. item 3a) extend said positive electrode collector beyond said positive electrode active material layer in said Z direction, each tab said having a width in said Y-direction and a length in said Z direction,
wherein each tab in said aggregate is longer than its adjacent tab below it in said X direction, such that a bottommost tab in said aggregate is shortest in said Z direction and the topmost tab in said aggregate is longest in said Z direction
wherein said negative electrode comprises a strip-shaped negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer (e.g. item 14b) formed on a surface of said negative electrode collector; and,
at an opposite end of said electrode group in said Z direction, a negative electrode collector tab (e.g. item 3b) extends said negative electrode collector beyond said negative electrode active material layer (e.g. item 14b) in the Z direction, each tab said having a width in said Y-direction and a length in said Z direction;
wherein each tab in said aggregate is longer than its adjacent tab below it in said X direction, such that a bottommost tab in said aggregate is shortest in said Z direction and the topmost tab in said aggregate is longest in said Z direction,
wherein said tab lengths provided in said aggregated result in improved contact area between adjacent tabs over the entire contact surface, reducing electrical resistance therebetween (e.g. ¶¶0005-09, 18-20, 24-26, 28-29, 35, 38-41, and 46 plus e.g. Figures 1-2, 4, 7-8, and 12).
As a result, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to manufacture each of the tabs in each of said positive and/or negative tab stacks of Chen as modified so that each tab in said tab stack that is further from said central axis is longer than an adjacent tab closer to said central axis, as taught by Uruno, since Uruno teaches such a design results in improved contact area and reduced internal resistance, severably reading on said limitation.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed July 28, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant alleges the art does not teach the newly added limitations.
In response, the examiner respectfully refers supra.
Conclusion
The art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jiang et al (WO 2024/087957);
Wen et al (US 2023/0216077);
Xu et al (WO 2023123274);
Chen et al (CN 113097570);
Chen et al (CN 114094288);
Jiang et al (CN 108461811);
Jiang et al (CN 207765532);
Kim et al (US 2016/0218343);
Shen et al (CN 106058137);
Gardner et al (US 2009/0029240); and,
Myerberg et al (US 20070117011).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSHITOSHI TAKEUCHI whose telephone number is (571)270-5828. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIFFANY LEGETTE-THOMPSON can be reached at (571)270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YOSHITOSHI TAKEUCHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723