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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the entire one main surface" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, “the entire one main surface” is interpreted to mean any surface of the protruding portion.
Claim 3 recites the limitations “the entire one main surface” in line 2 and "the other main surface" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For the purposes of examination, “the entire one main surface” and “the other main surface” are interpreted to mean any two surfaces of the protruding portion.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "both surfaces" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, “both surfaces” are interpreted to mean “both main surfaces”.
Claims 8, 9, and 10 recite the limitation "the two resin films" in lines 1-2, 2, and 2, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. Claims 8-10 should be dependent on Claim 2, which comprises the limitation of “two resin films,” rather than Claim 1.
Claims 2-12 are also rejected due to being dependent on Claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kazumi (JP 2018037398 A, cited in the 4/16/2024 IDS, machine translation provided).
Regarding Claim 1, Kazumi teaches a secondary battery (0043) comprising:
an electrode assembly formed by stacking at least one electrode constituting layer including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator (0086 – the battery includes an electrode body; 0045 – the electrode body includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode stacked on top of each other with a separator in between); and
an exterior body covering the electrode assembly (0086 – the battery includes... an outer casing 320),
wherein a current collector extending from one or both of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrode assembly protrudes as an electrode lead from the exterior body (0086 – the battery includes… a pair of lead-out sections 30 (positive electrode lead-out section 31 and negative electrode lead-out section 32)), the entire one main surface of a protruding portion of the current collector protruding from the exterior body is covered with a resin member (0087, Fig. 8 – first film material 361), and at least a part of the current collector is sandwiched by the resin member inside the exterior body (0090; Fig. 8).
Regarding Claim 2, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 1. The resin member includes two resin films (0087, Fig. 1 – the sealant film includes a first film material 361 and a second film material 362).
Regarding Claim 3, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. The entire one main surface of the protruding portion of the current collector (part 31) is covered with one of the two resin films (Fig. 8 – first film material 361), and at least a part of the other main surface of the protruding portion is covered with the other of the two resin films (Fig. 8 – second film material 362).
Regarding Claim 4, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. Both surfaces of the protruding portion of the current collector (part 31) are covered with the two resin films (Fig. 8 – parts 361 and 362).
Regarding Claim 5, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. A total thickness of the current collector and the two resin films is smaller than a total thickness of the secondary battery (Fig. 8 – part 320).
Regarding Claim 6, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 1. The resin member includes a resin having insulating properties (every material would necessarily have some insulating property) and a heat sealing property (0076 – the resin may be a thermoplastic such as polyethylene and polypropylene and would therefore have a heat sealing property as disclosed in paragraph 0119 of the instant specification).
Regarding Claim 7, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. The resin member includes a polyolefin-based resin (0076, 0088 – the first film material is formed from, for example, a polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene).
Regarding Claim 8, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. The two resin films extend inside the exterior body (Fig. 8) and are bonded to each other (0089 – the second film material… is also welded to the first film material).
Regarding Claim 9, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 2. At least a part of the two resin films is joined to the exterior body (0090).
Regarding Claim 11, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 1. The exterior body includes a laminate film (0051).
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.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kazumi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim (US 20050014036 A1).
Regarding Claim 12, Kazumi teaches the battery of Claim 1. Kazumi does not teach that the exterior body includes a metal plate or a clad material, and the exterior body is electrically connected to the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the electrode assembly.
Kim teaches a pouch secondary battery (Title) comprising an exterior body/case that includes a metal plate (0013 – the case is a pouch comprised of an intermediate metallic foil and internal and external insulating films attached to opposite surface of the intermediate metallic foil). The case is electrically connected to the positive electrode tab/current collector (Abstract). This allows for easier detection of malfunctioning batteries (0028).
Kazumi and Kim are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they relate to the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the exterior body of Kazumi to be that of Kim and to electrically connect the positive electrode tab/current collector to the exterior body as taught by Kim in order to provide easier detection of malfunctioning batteries.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 5-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn (US 20110143193 A1) in view of Kazumi (JP 2018037398 A, cited in the 4/16/2024 IDS, machine translation provided).
Regarding Claim 1, Ahn teaches a secondary battery (Title) comprising:
an electrode assembly (Abstract) formed by stacking at least one electrode constituting layer including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator (0039 – an electrode assembly is obtained by winding a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate); and
an exterior body covering the electrode assembly (Abstract – first and second case), wherein a current collector extending from one or both of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrode assembly protrudes as an electrode lead from the exterior body (Fig. 1 – first and second electrode tabs 12a and 12b).
Ahn teaches that the current collector is sandwiched by a resin member inside the exterior body (0026, 0042 – a polymer adhesive seals the openings around the tabs /current collectors) but does not teach that the resin member covers an entire main surface of the tab/current collector.
Kazumi teaches that a film (first film material 361) used to seal the opening between a tab (pull-out section 30) and a case (outer casing 320) may cover one entire main surface of the tab (Fig. 8). This makes it possible to suppress damage such as breakage to the tab when an external force is applied to it (0094).
Ahn and Kazumi are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they relate to the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the sealing adhesive of Ahn to cover one entire main surface of the tab/current collector as taught by Kazumi in order to suppress damage when an external force is applied to the tab/current collector.
Regarding Claim 2, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 1. The resin member includes two resin films (Figs. 6A and 6B – part 30).
Regarding Claim 5, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 1. The total thickness of the current collector and the two resin films is smaller than a total thickness of the secondary battery (Figs. 3 and 6B).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 1. The resin member includes a resin having insulating properties and a heat sealing property (0026 – the adhesive is a polyethylene, polypropylene, or casting polypropylene. The adhesive seals the openings around the electrode tabs and electrically insulates the electrode tabs).
Regarding Claim 7, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 1. The resin member includes a polyolefin-based resin (0016).
Regarding Claim 8, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 2. The two resin films extend inside the exterior body and are bonded to each other (Figs. 2-5 – part 30).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 2. Each of at least a part of the two resin films is joined to the exterior body (Figs. 2-5 – part 30).
Regarding Claim 10, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 2. Each of the two resin films has an opening and the electrode assembly is positioned inside the opening (0061, Figs. 1-5 – the resin films/adhesive 30 seals the case 20 together and would therefore run along the perimeter of the case. Thus, the resin films/adhesive can be viewed as having an opening, where the electrode assembly is positioned inside the opening).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Ahn teaches the battery of Claim 1. The exterior body includes a metal plate (0013).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Moriuchi (US 20130052512 A1) teaches a battery with an exterior body/outer package comprising a conductive layer (Abstract). The conductive layer may be a metal layer/plate (0042) and is electrically connected to one of the positive or negative terminals (0009). This allows for a simple structure to eliminate the influence of electrostatic discharge (0006-0008).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIHENG LU whose telephone number is (703)756-1077. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 - 5 ET.
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, Nicholas Smith can be reached at (571) 272-8760. 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.
/ZIHENG LU/ Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/NICHOLAS A SMITH/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
Prosecution Insights