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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2022-198182 filed on 12/12/2022.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 recites “a laminate film that includes at least a metal layer…”; this is interpreted here as the laminate film comprising at least one metal layer, possibly with one or more layers of non-metallic material which may be disposed on one or both sides of the metal layer or layers.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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- 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masahiko, et al. (JP2000173558A, machine translation), cited by the applicant in the IDS filed on 3/8/2025.
Claim 1: Masahiko teaches a lithium ion secondary battery with a gel polymer electrolyte (Figs. 1-2, Element 23, Lines 27-28), interpreted here as “A battery comprising…” recited in Claim 1. Masahiko also teaches that the battery contains positive and negative electrodes and their respective current collectors; either one of the electrodes (Fig. 3, Elements 22 and 24, Lines 29-30) is interpreted here as “…an electrode body…” recited in Claim 1. Masahiko further teaches that the electrodes are connected to lead wires (Figs. 1-2, Elements 6, 27, Lines 36-37, 186-190); as these lead wires are depicted as flat strips in Figs. 1-2, either one of the lead wires is interpreted here as “…a terminal that is electrically connected to the electrode body…” recited in Claim 1. Additionally, Masahiko teaches an aluminum foil laminate consisting of an outer aluminum foil layer and an inner polyethylene layer (Figs. 1-3, Elements 26, 2, 3) which is heat-sealed around its periphery (Figs. 2-3, Element 26a, Lines 35-37) to form a pouch (Lines 13-14) which houses the electrodes, current collectors and gel polymer electrolyte, with the lead wires heat-sealed into the periphery where they exit and protrude from the pouch; this is interpreted here as “a laminate film which includes at least a metal layer and that covers an entire surface of the electrode body and a portion of the terminal” recited in Claim 1. Masahiko also teaches that the inner polyethylene sealant layer of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Element 3, Lines 124-128) is interposed between the metal lead and the outer aluminum foil layer of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Elements 6, 2, Lines 194-199), which is interpreted here as “a resin layer that is interposed between the terminal and the metal layer” recited in Claim 1. Further, Masahiko teaches that a large number of insulating particles are distributed in the sealant layer (Fig. 1, Elements 5, 3, Lines 83-84, 221); this is interpreted here as “…the resin layer includes insulating particles” recited in Claim 1.
Claim 2: Masahiko teaches all the limitations of Claim 1. Masahiko further teaches that the inner polyethylene sealant layer of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Element 3, Lines 124-128) is interposed between the metal lead and the outer aluminum foil layer of the laminate, and that the lead wire is heat-sealed into the polyethylene sealant layer at the periphery of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Elements 6, 2, Lines 194-199); this is interpreted here as “…the resin layer, [where] the laminate film includes a fusing resin layer at a terminal-side surface of the metal layer…” recited in Claim 2. Further, Masahiko teaches that a large number of insulating particles are distributed in the sealant layer (Fig. 1, Elements 5, 3, Lines 83-84, 221); this is interpreted here as “…the fusing resin layer includes the insulating particles” recited in Claim 2.
Claim 3: Masahiko teaches all the limitations of Claim 2. Included in those limitations, Masahiko teaches that the inner polyethylene sealant layer of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Element 3, Lines 124-128) is interposed between the metal lead and the outer aluminum foil layer of the laminate, and that the lead wire is heat-sealed into the polyethylene sealant layer at the periphery of the laminate film (Fig. 1, Elements 6, 2, Lines 194-199); this is interpreted here as “a fusing resin film that is interposed between the terminal and the laminate film [which] is included as the resin layer...” recited in Claim 3. Masahiko also teaches that a large number of insulating particles are distributed in the sealant layer (Fig. 1, Elements 5, 3, Lines 83-84, 221); this is interpreted here as “the fusing resin film includes the insulating particles” recited in Claim 3.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREVOR MICHAEL SACCUCCI whose telephone number is (571)270-1867. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/TREVOR MICHAEL SACCUCCI/Examiner, Art Unit 1712
/MICHAEL B CLEVELAND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1712
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