CTNF 18/561,128 CTNF 101808 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. Priority 02-27 AIA 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. JP2021-087432 , filed on 05/25/2026 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/15/2023 and 06/062025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Drawings The drawings received on 11/15/2023 were reviewed and are acceptable. Specification The specification filed on 11/15/2023 was reviewed and is acceptable. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 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. 07-103 AIA The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 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 (s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Doo et al. (US 2017/0092926 A1; hereinafter “Doo”), in view of Kusagawa et al. (US 2018/0040881 A1; hereinafter “Kusagawa”) Regarding claim 1 , Doo discloses a secondary battery [0003] comprising an electrode assembly [0003] in which a first electrode and a second electrode having different polarities from each other (a first electrode plate wound together with a second electrode plate, the second electrode plate having a different polarity from the first electrode plate; [0021]) are wound with a separator interposed therebetween (a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the electrode plates are wound together; [0056]); an electrolyte liquid [0091]; and a cylindrical exterior housing can (the can 200 is a cylinder; [0090]) housing the electrode assembly and the electrolyte liquid (accommodating the electrode assembly; [0090]), wherein the first electrode has a current collector and a mixture layer stacked on at least a part of a surface of the current collector (the non-coated portion is a portion in the electrode plate onto which an active material is not applied, and is distinguished from a coated portion, onto which the active material is coated; [0046]), a plurality of exposed portions where the current collector is exposed is formed on a surface of the first electrode along a winding direction of the electrode assembly (the first electrode plate includes a plurality of non-coated portions spaced apart from each other; [0021]), and a tab is connected to each of the exposed portions (and a plurality of tabs attached to the plurality of non-coated portions; [0010]), and when a rotation angle from an end on an initial winding side to an end on a terminal winding side of the exposed portion relative to a winding center of the electrode assembly is defined as an exposed portion angle (the first angle defined by lines passing through the winding center and both ends of the first non-coated portion, respectively, and the second angle defined by lines passing through the winding center and both ends of the second non-coated portion, respectively; [0014]). Doo does not explicitly disclose that an exposed portion angle of the exposed portion positioned on the initial winding side is larger than an exposed portion angle of the exposed portion positioned on the terminal winding side. However, Doo discloses that the first non-coated portion 112′ is formed to have a larger width than that of the second non-coated portion 114′ (a>b) [0074], and that the first and second non-coated portions 112′ and 114′ are positioned so that the first non-coated portion 112′ is laid between a winding center C of a jelly roll and the second non-coated portion 114′ after the winding of the electrode plate 110′, and so as to have an overlap section S; [0074]. Further, an angle a (defined by virtual lines L1 and L2 passing through the winding center C and both ends of the first non-coated portion 112, respectively) and an angle β (defined by virtual lines L3 and L4 passing through the winding center C and both ends of the second non-coated portion 114, respectively) overlap [0070]. Therefore, the first angle a (exposed portion angle on the initial winding side) is larger than the second angle β (angle of the exposed portion positioned on the terminal winding side), as a person skilled in the art would have noticed from the difference of width and distance from the center of the non-coated portions, see figure 4A of Doo. Doo fails to disclose that the electrolyte is a non-aqueous electrolyte. Kusagawa teaches a secondary battery that includes a non-aqueous electrolyte housed inside an outer can [Abstract]. Doo and Kusagawa are analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries. Before the effective filing date of the current invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to use a non-aqueous electrolyte in the disclosed battery with the reasonable expectation that doing so would result in a secondary battery having a high capacity and good output characteristics [0082], as suggested by Kusagawa. Regarding claim 2, Doo discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Doo further discloses that the plurality of tabs 120 of the positive electrode plate are electrically connected to each other and any one of the plurality of tabs 120 of the positive electrode plate is electrically connected to the plate [0101]. Therefore, the first electrode is exemplified as a positive electrode . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure : Chun et al. (US 2012/0009450 A1) discloses a rechargeable battery herein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator are spiral-wound in a jelly-roll structure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA N LIZARAZU whose telephone number is (571)272-9697. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:00pm. 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, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 5712703879. 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. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /J.N.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1725 /NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/561,128 Page 2 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/561,128 Page 3 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/561,128 Page 4 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/561,128 Page 5 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/561,128 Page 6 Art Unit: 1725
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