DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 20160064711) in view of Lipari (US 4,410,383).
As to claims 1, 3, 4, and 6, Zhao teaches a method for manufacturing a separator capable of use in a secondary battery ([0061]). Zhao teaches molding a separator composition ([0015], extruding) containing polar powder particles ([0015], calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide, etc.) to form a separator composition sheet. Zhao extracts a diluent ([0015], paraffin oil and dioctyl phthalate) using a polar aprotic organic solvent ([0015], acetone), which forms a separator.
Zhao is silent to the application of an ultrasonic treatment to the separator composition sheet using a 1-100 kHz frequency and 50-200 W output power.
Lipari teaches ultrasonic welding polyethylene and polypropylene tubular separators for use in electrochemical cells. Lipari teaches applying this ultrasonic welding treatment to the separator at a frequency of 10-40 kHz and 500-1000 watts (10:17-22).
It would have been prima facie obvious to incorporate the Lipari treatment into Zhao in order to form the Zhao separator into a tubular shape for use in cylindrical battery. One would have been motivated to perform the Lipari welding process in order to fabricate cylindrical batteries having a diameter of 0.25 to 4 inches (9:39), which is the conventional size of AA batteries.
As to claim 2, Zhao teaches acetone ([0015]) which has a dielectric constant of 20.7 and is within the claimed range.
As to claim 5, Zhao teaches ([0015]) calcium carbonate (6.1-9.1 dielectric constant) and silicon dioxide (3.9 dielectric constant) which have dielectric constants within the claimed range.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed November 25, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The arguments point to the ultrasonic treatment conditions now present in claim 1 as distinguishing from Zhao. However, Lipari demonstrates that the claimed conditions are conventional for ultrasonic welding of battery separators similar to those of Zhao.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J DANIELS whose telephone number is (313)446-4826. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00 pm.
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/MATTHEW J DANIELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742