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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-21 are currently pending in the application and are being examined on the merits in this Office Action.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 2, it is suggested to amend “the first and second uncoated portions” to - -the first uncoated portion and the second uncoated portion” to conform to prior recitation.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recited the limitation “wherein a cutting depth before winding of each of the first uncoated portion and the second uncoated portion is in a range of 100% to 150% as compared with a forming position.” It is not clear what structure constitutes the recited “forming position” and how the recited percentage relationship is determined in the claimed secondary battery. The forming position appears to correspond to a location used during a manufacturing process (e.g., pre-folded/compacting – see [0065] of the instant published application) rather than a structural feature of the claimed battery. In other words, there is no clear reference that identifies where this “forming position” exists or how it can be determined from the finished battery as it is a relative dimension/position. In addition, the limitation “before winding” merely describes when the cutting operation occurs and does not positively recite structural characteristics of the claimed secondary battery.
Applicant is encouraged to amend the claim substantially in order to resolve the above issue and to capture the essence of the invention more clearly. For example, by reciting a specific structural distance (e.g., a ratio between two identifiable structural dimensions of the electrode or a specific distance from an end of the uncoated portion to the coated portion).
Regarding dependent claims 2-21, these claims do not remedy the deficiencies of parent claim 1 noted above, and are rejected for the same rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The “closest” prior art is Hwangbo et al. (U.S Patent Application Publication 2022/0231345).
Regarding claim 1, Hwango teaches a secondary battery comprising:
an electrode assembly which is wound (paragraph [0012]) and comprises a first electrode plate comprising a first uncoated portion (paragraph [0011]), a second electrode plate comprising a second uncoated portion (paragraph [0011]), and a separator between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate (paragraph [0012]);
a case (i.e., can) having a cylindrical shape and accommodating the electrode assembly (paragraph [0016]); and
a cap assembly (i.e., cap) sealing the case (paragraph [0017]).
However, the prior art is silent with regards to the limitation “wherein a cutting depth before winding of each of the first uncoated portion and the second uncoated portion is in a range of 100% to 150% as compared with a forming position.”
Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hwang et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0372779).
Conclusion
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/CHRISTIAN ROLDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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