DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 5/20/24, 9/30/24, 5/23/25, and 8/7/25 were filed on 5/20/24, 9/30/24, 5/23/25, and 8/7/25. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 5/20/24 are accepted by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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, 3-6, and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al (US 2015/0111091).
Regarding claims 1, 3-6, and 10-15, Lee et al discloses a secondary battery “100” comprising:
an electrode assembly “120” comprising a first electrode plate “121” (positive electrode plate) having first non-coating portions “121a” (positive electrode non-coating portion) exposed on one side of the electrode assembly, a first separator “123”, a second electrode plate “122” (negative electrode plate) having second non-coating portions “122a” (negative electrode non-coating portion) exposed on another side of the electrode assembly, and a second separator “123”, wherein the electrode assembly is a stack type electrode assembly;
a case “110” having a open top surface, the case accommodating the electrode assembly;
a cap plate “160” sealing the open top surface of the case;
a first collector plate “132a” & “134a” (positive electrode current collector plate) perpendicular to the first non-coating portion and welded to the first non-coating portion along a first welding line;
a second collector plate “132b” & “134b” (negative electrode current collector plate) perpendicular to the second non-coating portion and welded to the second non-coating portion along a second welding line;
a first terminal “170a” (positive electrode terminal) on the cap plate and electrically connected to the first collector plate; and
a second terminal “170b” (negative electrode terminal) on the cap plate and electrically connected to the second collector plate;
wherein the cap plate has a safety vent “163” (vent hole), and wherein the safety vent is sealed by a vent member;
wherein the vent member has a notch;
wherein the first collector plate “132a” & “134a” (positive electrode current collector plate) is welded to the first non-coating portion along a first laser welding line;
wherein the second collector plate “132b” & “134b” (negative electrode current collector plate) is welded to the second non-coating portion along a second laser welding line;
wherein the first laser welding line extends in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the first non-coating portion;
wherein the second laser welding line extends in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the second non-coating portion;
wherein the first collector plate is in line-contact with an edge of the first non-coating portion;
wherein the second collector plate is in line-contact with an edge of the second non-coating portion;
wherein the first collector plate “132a” (positive electrode current collector plate) has a rectangular shape;
wherein the second collector plate “132b” (negative electrode current collector plate) has a rectangular shape;
wherein at least one of one side or the another side of the electrode assembly has a rectangular shape (Fig. 1c);
wherein the first collector plate and the second collector plate each has an area corresponding to an area of one side of the electrode assembly;
wherein the first collector plate does not have a portion extending beyond an area of the one side of the electrode assembly, and/or wherein the second collector plate does not have a portion extending beyond an area of the another side of the electrode assembly (Fig. 2);
wherein the cap plate has an electrolyte injection hole “161”, wherein the electrolyte injection hole is sealed with a plug “162” ([0049],[0053],[0054],[0062], [0063],[0068],[0069],[0092] and Fig. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2, and 5d).
Claims 1, 3, 5-10, and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2005/0221178).
Regarding claims 1, 3, 5-10, and 13-16, Kim discloses a secondary battery comprising:
an electrode assembly “8” comprising a positive plate “2” (positive electrode plate) having uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), a negative plate “6” (negative electrode plate) having uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion), a first separator “4” between the positive plate and the negative plate, the uncoated regions “2a” and uncoated regions “6a” being exposed at opposite sides of the electrode assembly, and a second separator “4”, wherein the electrode assembly is a stack type electrode assembly;
a container “16” (case) having a top opening and an internal space accommodating the electrode assembly;
a base plate “24” (cap plate) sealing the top opening of the container;
a positive collector plate “10” (positive electrode current collector plate) perpendicular to the uncoated region “2a” and welded to the uncoated region “2a” along a first welding line “40”;
a negative collector plate “12” (negative electrode current collector plate) perpendicular to the uncoated region “6a” and welded to the second non-coating portion along a second welding line “40”;
a positive terminal “18” (positive electrode terminal) on the base plate and electrically connected to the positive collector plate;
a negative terminal “20” (negative electrode terminal) on the base plate and electrically connected to the negative collector plate;
wherein the base plate “24” (cap plate) has a safety vent “28” (vent hole), and wherein the safety vent is sealed by a vent member “28”;
wherein the positive collector plate is welded to the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion) along at least one first laser welding line, and/or wherein the negative collector plate is welded to the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion) along at least one second laser welding line;
wherein the at least one first laser welding line extends in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line extends in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion);
wherein the at least one first laser welding line comprises a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line comprises a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion);
wherein the at least one first laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion);
wherein the at least one first laser welding line comprises a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line comprises a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion);
wherein the positive collector plate is in line contact with an edge of the uncoated regions “2a” (positive electrode non-coating portion), and/or wherein the negative collector plate is in line contact with an edge of the uncoated regions “6a” (negative electrode non-coating portion);
wherein the positive collector plate has an area corresponding to an area of one side of the electrode assembly, and/or wherein the negative collector plate has an area corresponding to an area of the another side of the electrode assembly;
wherein the positive collector plate does not have a portion extending beyond an area of the one side of the electrode assembly, and/or wherein the negative collector plate does not have a portion extending beyond an area of the another side of the electrode assembly (Fig. 8);
wherein the base plate has an electrolyte injection hole (not labeled), wherein the electrolyte injection hole is sealed with a plug; and an insulation member “26” between the base plate and the negative electrode terminal “20” ([0045],[0048],[0055],[0058] and Fig. 1 and 8).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 2015/0111091) in view of Umeyama et al (US 2016/0072119). The Lee reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Lee et al does not expressly teach at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or negative electrode current collector plate that has a thickness of approximately 1 mm or more (claim 2).
Umeyama et al discloses a current collecting plate “74” that has a thickness of about 1 mm ([0078]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Lee secondary battery to include at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or negative electrode current collector plate that has a thickness of about 1 mm in order to provide a current collector plate with suitable strength for welding to current collector non-coating portions.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 2015/0111091) in view of Kim (US 2005/0221178). The Lee reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Lee et al does not expressly teach the at least one first laser welding line comprising a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or the at least one second laser welding line comprising a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion (claim 7); wherein the at least one first laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion (claim 8); wherein the at least one first laser welding line comprises a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line comprises a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion (claim 9).
Kim discloses a welded portion “40” (first welding line / second welding line) that is formed by laser welding on each of the collector plates “10”, “12”, wherein the welded portion has a width substantially equal to a width of the electrode assembly; wherein the welded portion comprises a plurality of first welding lines, which are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion and/or second welding line comprises a plurality of second welding lines, which are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion; wherein the secondary battery does not include a component between the positive collector plate “10” (positive electrode current collector plate) and the electrode assembly “8” ([0048],[0058] and Figs. 1 and 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Lee secondary battery to include the at least one first laser welding line comprising a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or the at least one second laser welding line comprising a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion; wherein the at least one first laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line extends continuously in a direction perpendicular to an edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion; wherein the at least one first laser welding line comprises a plurality of first laser welding lines, to the plurality of first laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the positive electrode non-coating portion, and/or wherein the at least one second laser welding line comprises a plurality of second laser welding lines, the plurality of second laser welding lines being spaced apart along a direction parallel to the edge of the negative electrode non-coating portion in order to easily attached collector plates without decreasing the collection efficiency of the electrical current even if the lengths of the positive uncoated region and the negative uncoated region exposed outside separator are not lengthened to the length necessary for attaching separate leads to the uncoated regions ([0060]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 2015/0111091) in view of Guen (US 2019/0312252). The Lee reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Lee et al does not expressly teach an insulation member between the cap plate and the negative electrode terminal (claim 16).
Guen discloses a first terminal “50” (positive electrode terminal) that is in contact with a cap plate “31” and a second terminal “52” (negative electrode terminal) that is disposed on a first insulation member “60” formed on the cap plate “31” ([0048],[0059] and Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Lee secondary battery to include an insulation member between the cap plate and the negative electrode terminal in order to simplify the configuration for connecting between the electrode terminal and the current collecting member, as well as minimizing the current loss due to resistance ([0016]).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0221178) in view of Umeyama et al (US 2016/0072119). The Kim reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Kim does not expressly teach at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or negative electrode current collector plate that has a thickness of approximately 1 mm or more (claim 2).
Umeyama et al discloses a current collecting plate “74” that has a thickness of about 1 mm ([0078]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Kim secondary battery to include at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or negative electrode current collector plate that has a thickness of about 1 mm in order to provide a current collector plate with suitable strength for welding to current collector non-coating portions.
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0221178). The Kim reference is applied to claim 1 for reasons stated above.
However, Kim does not expressly teach at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or the negative electrode current collector plate that has a rectangular plate shape (claim 11); at least one of one side or the another side of the electrode assembly that has a rectangular shape (claim 12).
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Kim battery to include at least one of the positive electrode current collector plate or the negative electrode current collector plate that has a rectangular plate shape and at least one of one side or the another side of the electrode assembly that has a rectangular shape because changes in shape was held to be obvious (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)).
Conclusion
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 5/23/2026
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