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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I: claims 1-10 and 19-20 and Species 2: Fig. 5 in the reply filed on 07/23/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that it would not be a serious burden on the Examiner to examine each of Groups I, II and III, as a search for each group would require a search for similar features, including a battery cell or cells, electrode layer tabs in various configurations. This is not found persuasive because each of Groups I, II, and III have distinct electrode tab patterns that require at least different keywords and require different search strategies to search said patterns. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 11-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 07/23/2026.
Applicant is reminded that upon the cancelation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be corrected in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(a) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. A request to correct inventorship under 37 CFR 1.48(a) must be accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.76 that identifies each inventor by his or her legal name and by the processing fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 –
(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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Daidoji et al. (US20080060189A1).
Regarding claim 1, Daidoji discloses a battery cell ([0051] stacked battery 1) comprising:
a housing ([0051] flexible film casing 3) enclosing an anode ([0052] negative electrodes 6) and a cathode ([0051] positive electrodes 4); and an electrode assembly (See annotated Fig. 13A below, stacked member 2) disposed in the housing ([0051] casing covers stacked member), the electrode assembly including a plurality of electrode layers (Fig. 13A, negative electrodes 6 and positive electrodes 4) each of the plurality of electrode layers having a respective tab (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collection tabs 8 and positive electrode current collection tabs 7) configured to electrically connect the plurality of electrode layers to one another ([0051] current collection tabs bonded to connect to the electrode), wherein a first electrode layer includes a first tab (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collection tab 8), the first tab being offset (See Fig. 13A. Note tabs as shown arranged similar to applicants’ definition of offset in Fig. 4 of instant application) from another tab of another electrode layer (Fig. 13A, positive electrode current collection tab 7).
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Regarding claim 2, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly (See annotated Fig. 13A above, stacked member 2) includes at least one of: a plurality of anode layers (Fig. 13A, negative electrodes 6), each of the plurality of anode layers having a respective anode tab (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collection tabs 8) configured to electrically connect the plurality of anode layers to one another ([0052] current collection tabs bonded to connect to the electrode), wherein a first anode layer includes a first anode tab, the first anode tab being offset from another anode tab of another anode layer (See Fig, 13A. Note tabs as shown arranged similar to applicants’ definition of offset in Fig. 4 of instant application); and a plurality of cathode layers (Fig. 13A, positive electrodes 4), each of the plurality of cathode layers having a respective cathode tab (Fig. 13A, positive electrode current collection tabs 7) configured to electrically connect the plurality of cathode layers to one another ([0051] current collection tabs bonded to connect to the electrode), wherein a first cathode layer includes a first cathode tab, the first cathode tab being offset from another cathode tab of another cathode layer (See Fig. 13A Note tabs as shown arranged similar to applicants’ definition of offset in Fig. 4 of instant application).
Regarding claim 3, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is a first subset of the plurality of electrode layers (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collection tab 8), the first subset having a first group of tabs (See Fig. 13A), and the another electrode layer is a second subset of the plurality of electrode layers (Fig. 13A, positive electrode current collection tab 7), the second subset having a second group of tabs (See Fig. 13A), wherein the first group of tabs is offset from the second group of tabs (See Fig. 13A, negative electrode tabs 8 offset from positive electrode tabs 7).
Regarding claim 4, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 3, wherein the first group of tabs (See annotated Fig. 13B below, negative electrode current collection tabs 8. Note Fig. 13B is Fig 13A after welding the tabs) and the second group of tabs (Fig. 13B, positive electrode current collection tabs 7) each define an individual tab stack (See Fig. 13B), each individual tab stack configured to be welded together by a single weld (Fig. 13B, welding section 12).
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Regarding claim 5, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, wherein the respective tabs of the plurality of electrode layers (7 and 8) are arranged in an alternating pattern (See Fig. 13A).
Regarding claim 6, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, wherein the first tab (8) overlaps (See Fig. 13A, tabs 7 and 8 overlap in the x-direction. Note tabs as shown arranged similar to applicants’ definition of overlap in Fig. 5 of instant application) the another tab (7).
Regarding claim 7, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 6, wherein the first tab (8) and the another tab (7) are part of a group of tabs, each of the group of tabs successively offset (See Fig. 13B, tabs 7 and 8 offset from each other) to form a continuous tab (See Fig. 13B, group of tabs 7 welded to terminal 9 and group of tabs 8 welded to terminal 10).
Regarding claim 8, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, wherein the first tab (8) is offset by forming the first tab so that the first tab is located at a first distance from a side of the first tab (Fig. 13A, first distance), and the another tab (7) is located at a second distance from a side of the another tab (Fig. 13A, second distance), the first distance being different than the second distance (See Fig. 13A, first and second distances different)
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.
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 9-10 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Daidoji et al. (US20080060189A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cui et al. (CN107302074A English Machine Translation provided with this Office Action).
Regarding claim 9, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the battery cell is configured to be installed in a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells.
Cui discloses a battery cell with overlapping electrode tabs in which the battery cell is configured to be installed in a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells ([0031] battery module).
Daidoji and Cui are analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely battery cells with overlapping electrode tabs.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the battery cell of Daidoji such that the cell can be installed in a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells as taught by Cui because combination of the battery cells to from a battery assembly is well within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2141 III(A) Combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results
Regarding claim 10, Daidoji discloses the battery cell ([0051]) of claim 9, but does not disclose wherein the battery assembly is configured to be disposed in a vehicle to supply power for propulsion of the vehicle.
Cui discloses a battery assembly comprising battery cells with overlapping electrode tabs in which the battery assembly is configured to be disposed in a vehicle to supply power for propulsion of the vehicle ([0021] battery module is the core component of electric vehicle).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the battery assembly of Daidoji such that the battery assembly is configured to be disposed in a vehicle to supply power for propulsion of the vehicle as taught by Cui because applying the battery assembly to a vehicle to supply power is well within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2141 III(D) Applying a known technique to a known device (product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
Regarding claim 19, Daidoji discloses a battery assembly including a battery cell, the battery cell including a housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing, the electrode assembly including a plurality of electrode layers (See annotated Fig. 13A above, negative electrodes 6 and positive electrodes 4), each of the plurality of electrode layers having a respective tab configured to electrically connect the plurality of electrode layers to one another (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collector tab 8 and positive electrode current collector tab 7), wherein a first electrode layer includes a first tab, the first tab being offset from another tab of another electrode layer (See Fig. 13A).
Daidoji does not disclose a vehicle system comprising the battery assembly.
Cui discloses a battery assembly comprising battery cells with overlapping electrode tabs in which the battery assembly is configured to be disposed in a vehicle to supply power for propulsion of the vehicle ([0021] battery module is the core component of electric vehicle).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the battery assembly of Daidoji such a vehicle system comprises the battery assembly as taught by Cui because applying the battery assembly to a vehicle system is well within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2141 III(D) Applying a known technique to a known device (product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
Regarding claim 20, Daidoji discloses the vehicle system of claim 19, wherein the electrode assembly includes at least one of:
a plurality of anode layers (Fig. 13A, negative electrodes 6), each of the plurality of anode layers having a respective anode tab (Fig. 13A, negative electrode current collector tab 8) configured to electrically connect the plurality of anode layers to one another ([0051] current collection tabs bonded to connect to the electrode), wherein a first anode layer includes a first anode tab, the first anode tab being offset from another anode tab of another anode layer (See Fig. 13A, offset in the z-direction); and
a plurality of cathode layers (Fig. 13A, positive electrodes 4), each of the plurality of cathode layers having a respective cathode tab (Fig. 13A, positive electrode current collector tab 7) configured to electrically connect the plurality of cathode layers to one another ([0051] current collection tabs bonded to connect to the electrode), wherein a first cathode layer includes a first cathode tab, the first cathode tab being offset from another cathode tab of another cathode layer (See Fig. 13A, offset in the z-direction).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Park et al. (US20130052515A1) discloses a battery module with pairs of adjacent terminals ([0036]).
Sakamoto et al. (US20190229364A1) discloses a battery module with overlapping positive and negative electrode terminals ([0057])
Batson et al. (US20210184265A1) discloses a battery module with offset groups of tabs ([0038])
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAN N TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0183. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Susan Leong can be reached at 5702701487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAN NGUYEN TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/SUSAN D LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1754
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