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 without traverse of Group I claims 1-6 in the reply filed on December 8, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-13 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sherritt Gordon Mines Limited (GB 943,365) IDS 06/10/2025, hereinafter Sherritt Gordon, in view of Althues (US 2021/0320288 A1), IDS 04/12/2024 with evidence provided for claim 3 from S. Lee “Current Collectors in Energy Storage A Comprehensive Guide to Materials and Applications June 10, 2025 from https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/current-collectors-in-energy-storage
Regarding Claim 1, Sherritt Gordon discloses a mixture sheet production apparatus (p. 1, ll. 10-21, ll. 59-68 compacted products including metal and non-metal compounds and mixtures thereof; forming compactible particulate matter into useful shapes mixtures to form a green sheet), which comprises;
a stacking mechanism that stacks two or more mixture sheets (Fig. 1 p.1 ll. 70-74; p. 3 ll. 62-2 forming a vertical stack of at least two of said plurality of strips; two strips superimposed into a stack – 35 in a stacker device – 32 to form a laminated sheet of desired thickness); and
a press-fusing mechanism that is provided downstream of the stacking mechanism and that integrates the stacked mixture sheets by applying pressure (Fig. 1 p. 3 ll. 100-108 compacting rolls – 36-37 which are downstream of the stacking device – 32 in Fig. 1 to produce a densified product of desired shape – 38).
But Sherritt Gordan is silent as to its production apparatus being intended to be used for an electrochemical device, nor that the mixture sheets contain a binder resin.
However, the apparatus of Sherritt Gordan is intended to be used in an electrochemical device and indicated by the products being formed of finely divided particle selected from metals, metal alloys, metal coated particles and mixtures thereof having a fine particle size and being densified (p. 1 l. 79 – p.2 l. 17) and, therefore, it is not germane to the issue of the patentability of the claimed structure. See MPEP § 2144.07.
Moreover, Althues discloses, in the same field of endeavor, a method for producing a mixture sheet by means of a rolling device (Fig. 2 abs paragraph [0042] dry film powder mixture on a substrate – 4 dry film – 3), which is utilized in an electrochemical device (paragraph [0008] object of invention achieved by a method step of adding an electrochemical element) which can be used in electrodes for further electrochemical elements (paragraph [0044]).
Althues further discloses that its mixture sheets contains a binder resin (paragraph [0020] whereby prior to the lamination of the dry film the substrate can be provided with a binder which can be a thermoplastic (resin) binder).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the disclosure of Sherritt Gordan with the teaching of Althues whereby a mixture sheet production apparatus having a stacking mechanism that stacks two or more mixture sheets would also include a binder resin.
One with this ordinary skill would consider this advantageous because an improved connection of the laminated (stacked) film (sheets) is thereby achieved (paragraph [0020]).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Sherritt Gordon and Althues disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Sherritt Gordon further discloses that the press-fusing mechanism has parallel rolls that face each other (See Fig. 1 and also Fig. 9 pl. 2 ll. 77-79 where the rolls are described as “co-planar”).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Sherritt Gordon and Althues disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Althues further discloses that an adhesion mechanism adheres the press-fused mixture sheets that have passed through the press-fusing mechanism to a current collector (Fig. 2 paragraphs [0039]-[0040] first roll has an adhesion-enhancing surface, second roll has adhesion-reducing surface to which the dry film adheres with subsequent lamination to a current collector provided with the thermoplastic binder with the adhesion enhancement, an electrode can be removed in a solvent-free manner).
Note: From S. Lee “Current Collectors in Energy Storage A Comprehensive Guide to Materials and Applications – Definition and Function of Current Collectors “Current collectors are materials or structures that facilitate the transfer of electrical current between the active material and the external circuit in energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors.”
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Sherritt Gordon and Althues disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Sherritt Gordon further discloses a sheet forming mechanism that produces the mixture sheets using a forming roll (Fig. 1 p. 2 ll. 104-112 particles flow or are carried to the nip of conventional rolls – 22-23 spaced apart at a predetermined distance to compact the particles into a green sheet or strip – 24 to a desired thickness).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Sherritt Gordon and Althues disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Althues further discloses the binder resin contains a polytetrafluoroethylene resin (paragraph [0014] polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) binder).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Sherritt Gordon and Althues disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Althues further discloses the electrochemical device is a lithium ion secondary battery (paragraph [0044] described method is for continuous film production for battery electrodes including lithium ion batteries).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE K. SWIER whose telephone number is (571)272-4598. The examiner can normally be reached M-F generally 8:30 am - 5:30 pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abbas Rashid can be reached at 571-270-7457. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WAYNE K. SWIER/ Examiner, Art Unit 1748
/Abbas Rashid/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1748