DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to an application that was filed on 12/04/2023. Claims 1-10 are presented for examination consideration.
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 .
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, 2, 4, 5, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Na et al. (US20170018816A1 and Na hereinafter, family member cited in the following: the 12/04/2023 IDS; the 06/26/2023 International Search Report; the 04/16/2025 European Office Action; the 10/24/2024 Japanese Patent Grant; and the 01/09/2026 Korean Office Action).
Regarding claim 1, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell (items 710, 700 of Fig. 1 and ¶[0035_0045-0049] shows and indicates pouch-shaped battery cell 710_700 {polymer battery cell 700 in the shape of pouch 710}), comprising: a pouch-shaped battery case (items 720, 730 of Fig. 1 & item 730 of Fig. 2 & item 720 of Figs. 3A-3B and ¶[0041-0043] shows and indicates pouch-shaped battery case 720_730 (case formed by lower case 720 and upper case 730); an electrode assembly received within the pouch-shaped battery case (item 750 of Figs. 1_3A-3B and ¶[0035-0037_0041-0046_0048_0050-0052 & 0054] shows and indicates electrode assembly 750 {electrode body 750} received within pouch-shaped battery case 720_730); and a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) having a plating portion disposed at an outermost surface of a part of the flexible printed circuit board that abuts a sealed portion of the pouch-shaped battery case at which the pouch-shaped battery case is sealed (items 400, 300, 50, 720, 730 of Fig. 1 & item 400 of Figs. 2, 3A-3B_9 & item 300 of Figs. 3A-3B_6_7A-8 & item 50 of Figs. 6_8-9 and ¶[0039_0041-0043_0047_0054 & 0075-0076] shows and indicates a FPCB 400 having plating portion 300_50 {lead frame 50 of the battery protection circuit module 300, where the bottom surface of the lead frame 50 corresponding to external connection terminal area may be plated} disposed at the outermost surface of the part of FPCB 400 that abuts sealed portion 720-bonded-730 {pouch 710 includes an upper case 730 and a lower case 720 bonded to the upper case 730, where the surfaces of the upper case 730 and the lower case 720 are integrally bonded to each other} of pouch-shaped battery case 720_730 at which pouch-shaped battery case 720_730 is sealed).
Regarding claim 2, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein the plating portion is consisting of: gold plating or nickel plating (Figs. 6_8-9 and ¶[0076] indicates where plating portion 300_50 is consisting of nickel plating).
Regarding claim 4, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein further comprising a thermal bonding film disposed between an outer surface of the plating portion and the sealed portion (item TH of Figs. 5_7B and ¶[0061] shows and indicates where thermal bonding film TH {film formed on Thermistor TH for detecting battery temperature} disposed between the outer surface of plating portion 300_50 and sealed portion 720-bonded-730).
Regarding claim 5, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein a first end and a second end of the flexible printed circuit board are located inside the pouch-shaped battery case and outside the pouch-shaped battery case, respectively, such that the flexible printed circuit board extends through the sealed portion (Figs. 2-3B and ¶[0039_0041-0043_0047_0054 & 0075-0076] shows and indicates where the first end and the second end of FPCB 400 are located inside pouch-shaped battery case 720_730 and outside pouch-shaped battery case 720_730, respectively; and where such that FPCB 400 extends through sealed portion 720-bonded-730).
Regarding claim 10, Na discloses a battery pack comprising the pouch-shaped battery cell, the pouch-shaped battery cell being a unit battery cell (item 700 of Fig. 1 and ¶[0035_0045-0049] indicates where pouch-shaped battery cell 710_700 is unit battery cell 700 {polymer battery cell 700}).
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Na, as detailed in the rejection of claim 5 above, in view of Kirisken et al. (US20200333938A1 and Kirisken hereinafter).
Regarding claim 6, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, further comprising a connector, to which an external terminal is connected, disposed at the second end (item 460 of Figs. 1-3B and ¶[0039] shows and indicates pouch-shaped battery cell 710_700 is further comprised connector 460 {conductive terminal 460} to which an external terminal is connected disposed at the second end).
However, Na does not disclose wherein a pouch-shaped battery cell is further comprised a pressure sensor disposed at the first end.
Kirisken disclose wherein a pouch-shaped battery cell is further comprised a pressure sensor disposed at the first end (items 107, 140, 102, 143, 142, 144 of Fig. 14 and ¶[0055-0056] shows and indicates where pouch-shaped battery cell 107_140 {battery 107 that is formed in pouch shape of pouch 140} is further comprised a pressure sensor 102 disposed at first end 143 {second separator 143} of circuit board 142_144 {circuit formed by anode 142 and cathode 144}).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein a pouch-shaped battery cell is further comprised a pressure sensor disposed at the first end into the structure of Na. One would have been motivated in the pouch-shaped battery cell of Na and have the pouch-shaped battery cell be further comprised of a pressure sensor disposed at the first end, in order to determine a pressure value for the pressure applied a certain location, as implied by Kirisken in ¶[0009], in the pouch-shaped battery cell of Na.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Na, as detailed in the rejection of claim 1 above, in view of Kwak (KR101606492B1 and Kwak hereinafter).
Regarding claim 8, Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein the flexible printed circuit board comprises of a base layer being made of an insulative material (item 420 of Figs. 1-3B and ¶[0039] shows and indicates where FPCB 400 is comprised of base layer 420 {resin part 420} being made of an insulative material).
However, Na does not disclose wherein the flexible printed circuit board comprises: a conduction layer; a base layer extending along one surface of the conduction layer, the base layer being made of an insulative material; and a cover layer extending along and configured to protect the conduction layer.
Kwak disclose wherein the flexible printed circuit board comprises: a conduction layer; a base layer extending along one surface of the conduction layer, the base layer being made of an insulative material; and a cover layer extending along and configured to protect the conduction layer (items 110, 120, 130, 124, 122, of Fig. 1 and ¶[0031 & 0062] from the Espacenet Translation shows and indicates where FPCB 110_120_130 {FPCB formed by the following structures: coverlay 110; flexible film layer 120; and reinforcing material 130} comprises: a conduction layer; a base layer extending along one surface of conduction layer 124 {Cu pattern layer 124}, base layer 122 {PET substrate 122} being made of an insulative material; and cover layer 110 {coverlay 110 that includes a lower part of a PET substrate 112} extending along and configured to protect conduction layer 124).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the flexible printed circuit board comprises: a conduction layer; a base layer extending along one surface of the conduction layer, the base layer being made of an insulative material; and a cover layer extending along and configured to protect the conduction layer into the structure of Na. One would have been motivated in the pouch-shaped battery cell of Na and have the flexible printed circuit board be comprised of the following: a conduction layer; a base layer extending along one surface of the conduction layer, the base layer being made of an insulative material; and a cover layer extending along and configured to protect the conduction layer, in order to provide a manufacturing method for a flexible circuit board that is inexpensive, flexible, has improved thickness, and enhanced adhesion by using an integrated fabric composed of PET, as indicated by Kwak in ¶[0001], in the pouch-shaped battery cell of Na.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Na in view of Kwak, as detailed in the rejection of claim 8 above, as evidenced by NPL “Polypropylene - Wikipedia_Jan 2022” (NPL “Polypropylene” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 9, modified Na discloses a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein each of the base layer and the cover layer comprises at least one of; polyethylene or polyimide, and the inner adhesive layer of the pouch-shaped battery case comprises a polypropylene-based material (Kwak: Fig. 1 and ¶[0031 & 0062] from the Espacenet Translation shows and indicates where each of base layer 122 and cover layer 110 comprised of polyethylene; Na: Figs. 1-3B and ¶[0041-0043 & 0045] shows and indicates where the inner adhesive layer of pouch-shaped battery case 720_730 is comprised of a polypropylene-based material as a polymer battery cell 700, as evidence by NPL “Polypropylene”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the primary reason for allowance is due to a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein the plating portion has a thickness of 3 μm to 6 μm.
Regarding claim 7, the primary reason for allowance is due to a pouch-shaped battery cell, wherein the sealed portion comprises thermal bonding of an outer periphery of the pouch-shaped battery case, the pouch-shaped battery case comprising an outer protective layer, a metal layer, and an inner adhesive layer.
Conclusion
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/GUILLERMO J EGOAVIL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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