CTNF 18/492,784 CTNF 83829 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1, 2, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1) and (a)(2 ) as being anticipated by Kawamura et al. (US 2022/0271348) . Regarding claim 1, the reference Kawamura et al. discloses a secondary battery comprising: a wound electrode body (40) with a flat shape in which a first separator (32) with a band shape, a negative electrode (20) with a band shape, a second separator (34) with a band shape, and a positive electrode (10) with a band shape are stacked and wound around a winding axis (see paras. [0055]; [0070]; Figs. 7, 10); and a battery case (50) that accommodates the wound electrode body (40) (see para. [0055]; Figs. 1-4), wherein the positive electrode (10) includes first adhesive layers on a first surface and a second surface (i.e., within the wound electrode body 40, there exists an adhesive layer on each surface of the electrode 10 which is in contact with a surface of the first separator 32 or the second separator 34) (see para. [0068]; Fig. 10), by the first adhesive layers, the first surface and the first separator (32) are attached to each other and the second surface and the second separator (34) are attached to each other (see para. [0068]; Fig. 10), at least one of the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) includes a second adhesive layer in a winding start end region (49) that exists on a winding start end side (30s) relative to a winding start end of the positive electrode (see para. [0090]; Fig. 10), and the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) are attached to each other by the second adhesive layer (see para. [0090]; Fig. 10). Regarding claim 2, the reference Kawamura et al. discloses the secondary battery, wherein when a length of the wound electrode body in a direction along the winding axis is L1 and a length thereof in a direction perpendicular to the winding axis and perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wound electrode body is L2, L2 is twice or more L1 (see paras. [0022]; [0023]; [0081]; Fig. 6). Regarding claim 4, the reference Kawamura et al. discloses the secondary battery, wherein at least one of the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) includes a base material layer made of polyolefin (see para. [0065]), and a heat resistance layer formed on a surface of the base material layer that faces the positive electrode and including inorganic filler and a heat resistance layer binder (see para. [0065]). Regarding claim 5, the reference Kawamura et al. discloses the secondary battery, wherein when an entire area of a directly facing region where the first separator and the second separator face each other directly is 100% in the winding start end region (49), an area of a region where the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) are attached to each other by the second adhesive layer is 30% or more (the limitation “30% or more” encompasses 100%) (see paras. [0089]; [0090]) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura et al. (US 2022/0271348) . Regarding claim 6, the claim depends from claim 1 such that the reasoning applied to claim 1 above is applied herein for the dependent portion of the claim. The reference Kawamura et al. does not specifically disclose wherein a region where the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) face each other directly includes a region where the second adhesive layer does not exist between the first separator and the second separator. However, in application where it was determined that the second adhesive layer is not needed on all of the surfaces in the winding start end region (49) where the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) face each other directly to prevent the first and second separators from being positionally displaced, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a region where no adhesive layer is present between the first separator (32) and the second separator (34), since it has been held that omission of an element and its function is obvious if the function of the element is not desired or required. See Ex parte Wu, 10 USPQ 2031 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1989). There is no requirement in the reference Kawamura et al. that the second adhesive layer should be provided on all the surfaces in the winding start end region (49) where the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) face each other directly to prevent the first and second separators from being positionally displaced (see para. [0090]). Regarding claim 7, the claim depends from claim 1 such that the reasoning applied to claim 1 above is applied herein for the dependent portion of the claim. The reference Kawamura et al. does not specifically specify that the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer are formed of different materials. However, the reference Kawamura et al. teaches that the adhesive layer (i.e., first adhesive layer) provided between the positive electrode and the first and second separators should be a mesh-shaped adhesive layer which can also function as a cushioning material that can absorb a variation in the thickness of the wound electrode body, and thereby, contribute to improvement of Li precipitation resistance (see paras. [0066]; [0069]). The reference Kawamura et al., however, provides no particular preference as to the material of the second adhesive layer for attaching the first separator (32) and the second separator (34) to each other in the winding start end region (49) (see para. [0090]). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer from different materials as claimed by applicant, since the reference Kawamura et al. teaches that the first adhesive layer should be a mesh-shaped adhesive layer which can also function as a cushioning material that can absorb a variation in the thickness of the wound electrode body, whereas the second adhesive layer need only be formed from an adhesive material suitable to prevent the first and second separators from being positionally displaced in the winding start end region (49) (see paras. [0066]; [0069]; [0090]). Regarding claim 8, the claim depends from claim 1 such that the reasoning applied to claim 1 above is applied herein for the dependent portion of the claim. The reference Kawamura et al. does not specifically specify that the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer are formed of the same material. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, as a matter of engineering expedience, to have formed the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer from the same material, as claimed by applicant, since the reference Kawamura et al. teaches that the first adhesive layer should be a mesh-shaped adhesive layer which can also function as a cushioning material that can absorb a variation in the thickness of the wound electrode body, whereas the second adhesive layer need only be formed from an adhesive material sufficient to prevent the first and second separators from being positionally displaced in the winding start end region (49) (see paras. [0066]; [0069]; [0090]). Regarding claim 9, the claim depends from claim 1 such that the reasoning applied to claim 1 above is applied herein for the dependent portion of the claim. The reference Kawamura et al. does not specifically specify that a mass of the second adhesive layer per unit area is larger than a mass of the first adhesive layer per unit area. However, it would having been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the mass of the second adhesive layer per unit area larger than a mass of the first adhesive layer per unit area, since the reference Kawamura et al. teaches that the first adhesive layer should be a mesh-shaped adhesive layer, whereas the second adhesive layer need not be porous as required for the first adhesive layer (see paras. [0066]; [0069]; [0090]) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura et al . as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wakimoto (US 2023/0207859) . Regarding claim 3, the reference Kawamura et al. discloses the secondary battery, further comprising: a positive electrode tab group (42) including a plurality of positive electrode tabs (12t) provided at an end part of the wound electrode body on one side in a winding axis direction and electrically connected to the positive electrode (see para. [0072]; Fig. 7); and a negative electrode tab group (44) including a plurality of negative electrode tabs (22t) provided at an end part of the wound electrode body on another side in the winding axis direction and electrically connected to the negative electrode (see para. [0072]; Fig. 7), wherein the battery case (50) includes an exterior body (52b) including an opening (52h), a bottom wall (52a) facing the opening, a pair of first side walls (52c) extending from the bottom wall and facing each other, and second side walls 52b) extending from the bottom wall and facing each other, and a sealing plate (54) that seals the opening, and the positive electrode tab group and the negative electrode tab group are provided at an end part of the wound electrode body on a side of the sealing plate (see paras. [0049]; [0051]; Figs. 1-2). The reference Kawamura et al., however, does not specifically disclose having both the positive electrode tab group (42) and the negative electrode tab group (44) on one end part of the wound electrode body as claimed by applicant. However, as evidenced by the reference Wakimoto (see para. [0077]; Fig. 11), it known in the art to provide both the plurality of positive electrode tabs and the plurality of negative electrode tabs only on one end part of the wound electrode body. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to similarly provide the positive electrode tab group (42) and the negative electrode tab group (44) of Kawamura et al. on one end part of the wound electrode body because, as evidenced by the reference Wakimoto (see para. [0077]; Fig. 11), it typical in the art to provide both the plurality of positive electrode tabs and the plurality of negative electrode tabs only on one end part of the wound electrode body. Further, such a modification would have involved rearrangement of parts which is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lessanework T Seifu whose telephone number is (571)270-3153. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9:00 am - 6:30 pm; F 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at 571-270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /LESSANEWORK SEIFU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 2 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 3 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 4 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 5 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 6 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 7 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 8 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 9 Art Unit: 1774 Application/Control Number: 18/492,784 Page 10 Art Unit: 1774