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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that the claims are sufficiently related such that searching all claims would not result in a serious burden. The argument has been considered but it not persuasive. The claims of the different Groups are directed to distinct subject matter requiring separate search strategies and consideration of prior art. A search directed to Group I would not reasonably be expected to encompass the distinct subject matter of Group II. Accordingly, examination of all Groups would result in a serious burden, and the restriction requirement is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimura (US 20190036373), in view of Zheng et al. (US 20090162744), hereinafter Zheng.
Regarding claim 1, Shimura teaches:
A power storage cell comprising (Abstract, [0072]):
an electrode assembly that includes ([0016], Fig. 3, 4, wound electrode structure 21):
a positive electrode sheet ([0016], Fig. 3, 4, positive electrode 22);
a negative electrode sheet ([0016], Fig. 3, 4, negative electrode 24);
a separator including ([0016], Fig. 3, 4, separator 26);
a separator layer ([0016], Fig. 3, 4, separator 26)
an adhesion layer provided on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the separator layer in a radial direction of the electrode assembly ([0144], adhesive film 51);
is constructed as a wound body in which the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are wound with the separator interposed therebetween ([0016], Fig. 3, 4);
a termination end portion of the electrode assembly is affixed via the adhesion layer to a portion included in the electrode assembly and positioned inside the termination end portion in the radial direction ([0055], exterior member).
Additionally, Zheng teaches that the separator extends beyond the termination points of the anode and cathode sheets ([0081]).
Shimura and Zheng are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wound batteries. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify the wound electrode assembly of Shimura to incorporate the extended separator configuration of Zheng. This would advantageously provide additional insulation of the wound electrode assembly and maintain separation of the electrode sheets at the termination region.
Further, it would have been obvious to employ Shimura’s adhesion layer at the extended termination portion of Zheng because Zheng’s extended separator portion is wound around the core and positioned at the exterior of the wound electrode assembly, the extended portion overlies an underlying turn of the separator positioned radially inward thereof. Such a modification would secure the terminal portion of the separator against the underlying wound layer and inhibit loosening or unwinding of the terminal portion. The combination represent the predictable use of known adhesive separator structures with known extended separator configuration, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 2, Shimura and Zheng teach the limitations of claim 1, as stated above. Shimura teaches an extension portion as stated above ([0055], exterior member).
Shimura fails to teach:
The separator includes an extension portion that extends further than a termination end of the positive electrode sheet and a termination end of the negative electrode sheet in a circumferential direction of the electrode assembly ([0049], [0081], Fig. 2B, separator sheet);
The extension portion is affixed via the adhesion layer to the separator positioned inside the extension portion in the radial direction ([0049], [0081], Fig. 2B, separator sheet).
Shimura and Zheng are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wound batteries. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify the wound electrode assembly of Shimura to incorporate the extended separator configuration of Zheng. This would advantageously provide additional insulation of the wound electrode assembly and maintain separation of the electrode sheets at the termination region.
Further, it would have been obvious to employ Shimura’s adhesion layer at the extended termination portion of Zheng because Zheng’s extended separator portion is wound around the core and positioned at the exterior of the wound electrode assembly, the extended portion overlies an underlying turn of the separator positioned radially inward thereof. Such a modification would secure the terminal portion of the separator against the underlying wound layer and inhibit loosening or unwinding of the terminal portion. The combination represent the predictable use of known adhesive separator structures with known extended separator configuration, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Additionally, it would have been obvious to modify the Zheng’s extended separator configuration using Shimura’s adhesion layer to secure the extended separator portion to the underlying separator turn. Such a modification would secure the terminal portion of the separator against the underlying wound layer and inhibit loosening or unwinding of the terminal portion. The combination represent the predictable use of known adhesive separator structures with known extended separator configuration, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 3, Shimura and Zheng teach the limitations of claim 2, as stated above. Shimura teaches the adhesion layer associated with the separator, as stated above. Shimura fails to teach the extension portion gradually decreases in thickness with increase in distance from the termination end of the positive electrode sheet and the termination end of the negative electrode sheet.
Zheng teaches a coating thickness transition region associated with the separator extension ([0080], Fig. 5). Zheng teaches that the thickness of the coating changes through the transition region, such that the thickness gradually decreases with increasing distance from the termination ends of the electrode sheets ([0080], Fig. 5).
Shimura and Zheng are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wound batteries. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to employ Zheng’s coating thickness transition region in the extended separator configuration of the combination, since Zheng demonstrates that varying the thickness of the separator/coating toward the terminal region is a known technique for controlling the configuration of the wound electrode assembly. The modification would have been a predictable use of a known structure for its known purpose, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 4, Shimura and Zheng teach the limitations of claim 1, as stated above. Shimura teaches an adhesion element provided on a surface of the separator layer in the radial direction ([0144], adhesive film 51).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide Shimura’s adhesion layer on both the inner and outer surface of the separator layer. Doing so would merely involve applying the same known adhesion material to the opposite surface of the separator, thereby providing adhesion between the separator and adjacent layers/components on both sides. Such a modification would be a predictable use of a known adhesion layer for its intended purpose, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success because Shimura already demonstrates that the adhesion layer can be used to secure the separator to adjacent components. Providing the adhesion layer on both surfaces would further advantageously improve adhesion and securement of the separator within the wound electrode assembly.
Conclusion
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/TAMARA ORDUNA/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776
