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.
Claim 3 is 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.
Regarding claim 3, it is unclear to the examiner how the limitation “wherein the cut line includes a broken line or a cut line” in lines 1-2 is meant to be interpreted. The cut line would inherently include a cut line. It is unclear whether “a cut line” of line 2 is the same “the cut line” of line 1. The instant specification, for example on page 17, beginning in paragraph 2, also fails to clarify the meaning of this claim limitation, instead stating that “the cutout portion 31 may include a broken line or a cut line.”
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.
Claims 1-8 and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bai et al. (WO 2022233050 A1), hereinafter Bai, cited using the Espacenet machine-generated translation.
Regarding claim 1, Bai teaches an electrode assembly, comprising: a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode wound together ([0141]-[0142] fig. 5; first and second electrodes 1 and 2 wound with diaphragm 3), wherein the negative electrode comprises: a negative electrode active material portion ([0141] active material coated in the first coating area of the first electrode or the second coating area of the second electrode); and a negative electrode non-coated portion ([0141]-[0144] the first and second tab regions are not coated with active material including the first and second reinforcing regions), wherein the negative electrode active material portion is made by applying a negative electrode active material onto a negative electrode current collector ([0204] active material is coated onto the current collector), and wherein the negative electrode non-coated portion including a central negative electrode non-coated portion positioned at a winding center portion of the electrode assembly and having no negative electrode active materials ([0006] the tab is located at the end of the main body portion; figs. 4-5 the tab is throughout the entirety of the winding, therefore a portion of the tab is included at a winding center position) and an outermost peripheral negative electrode non-coated portion positioned at an outermost winding periphery of the electrode assembly ([0006] the tab is located at the end of the main body portion; figs. 4-5 the tab is throughout the entirety of the winding, therefore a portion of the tab is included at an outermost winding periphery of the electrode assembly), wherein a variable unit is provided on the outermost peripheral electrode non- coated portion and configured to adjust a length or width of the variable unit ([0006]-[0007]; shaping guide that includes multiple spaced indentations and guides the deformation), and wherein the variable unit comprises: one or more cutout portions having a non-straight shape ([0006]-[0009] spaced indentations; [0148] indentation or opening structure); and a variable portion configured to adjust a length or width of the variable unit ([0006]-[0009] shaping guide with shaping deformation area).
Bai doers not explicitly teach that the exemplary examples showing the different forms of the shaping guide are of a negative electrode including a variable unit on a negative electrode non-coated portion. Instead, Bai teaches that the first electrode 102a is a positive electrode ([0143]) and that the first tab region is 12 including the shaping guide as shown in exemplary figures 7-22 ([0144]). However, Bai teaches that the shaping guide guides the tab 102 to produce deformation ([0155]-[0157]; [0159]-[0164]; [0166]-[0170]) and that the tab 102 is inclusive of both the positive and negative electrode tabs ([0135]; [0139]; figs. 3-5). Further, Bai teaches that the first and second electrode tabs have opposite polarities, and that the first electrode being a positive electrode and the second electrode being a negative electrode is just an example ([0143]). Therefore, it would be obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the exemplary embodiments of the shaping guide as shown in figs. 7-22 would also be applicable to the negative electrode tab such that a variable unit is provided on the outermost peripheral negative electrode non- coated portion and configured to adjust a length or width of the variable unit.
Regarding claim 2, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the one or more cutout portions are provided in the form of a cut line or a cut groove ([0148] the shaping guide can be an indentation or opening structure, therefore either a cut line or groove).
Regarding claim 3, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 2. Bai also teaches wherein the cut line includes a broken line or a cut line (figs. 7, 10, 13, 16, 18, 20, and 22 show non-continuous, or broken, lines; [0016] and [0183] discontinuously arranged indentations).
Regarding claim 4, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the non-straight shape has a zigzag shape or a wavy shape (fig. 13).
Regarding claim 5, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the cutout portion is provided in any one of or both length and width directions of the negative electrode non-coated portion (figs. 7-22).
Regarding claim 6, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the negative electrode non- coated portions are positioned at front and rear ends based on a length direction of the variable unit, and the electrode assembly further includes one or more fixed portions fixed to a boundary line between the variable unit and the negative electrode non-coated portion (annotating fig. 16 of Bai as an example, but is applicable to most of the embodiments shown in figs. 7-22 of Bai; the “length direction” is not defined, so is open to interpretation such as:
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Regarding claim 7, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the variable portion includes a same material as the negative electrode current collector ([0204] it is obvious that the variable portion is an extension of the current collector as the area where the active material is not coated is reserved during coating, meaning it is part of the current collector).
Regarding claim 8, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the outermost peripheral negative electrode non-coated portion includes a first negative electrode non-coated portion and a second negative electrode non-coated portion, and the variable unit is positioned between the first negative electrode non-coated portion and the second negative electrode non-coated portion (see copied annotated fig. 16 from claim 6 below).
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Regarding claim 10, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches wherein the one or more cutout portions is two or more cutout portions (figs. 7-22).
Regarding claim 11, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 10. Bai also teaches wherein the two or more cutout are provided in a same direction (fig. 11).
Regarding claim 12, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 10. Bai also teaches wherein the two or more cutout portions are provided in different directions (figs. 12, 15, and 19).
Regarding claim 13, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai also teaches a secondary battery comprising: the electrode assembly; a casing having one open side with an opening portion and configured to accommodate the electrode assembly; and a cap assembly coupled to the open opening portion of the casing ([0135]-[0136] and fig. 3; housing with openings to accommodate the electrode assembly with a cap assembly).
Regarding claim 14, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 13. Bai also teaches a battery pack comprising the secondary battery according to claim 13 ([0131] battery pack with multiple cells connected).
Regarding claim 15, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 14. Bai also teaches a transport means comprising the battery pack according to claim 14 ([0129]-[0130] vehicles).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bai as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ueki et al. (JP 2008060130 A), hereinafter Ueki, cited using the Espacenet machine-generated translation.
Regarding claim 9, Bai teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Bai fails to teach wherein one surface or two opposite surfaces of the variable portion are coated with an electrically conductive material.
Ueki is considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of non-coated areas on negative electrodes (Ueki [0029]-[0035]). Ueki teaches wherein one surface or two opposite surfaces of the variable portion are coated with an electrically conductive material (Ueki [0031]-[0033] metallic lithium is attached in the blank area of the current collector electrically connected to the negative electrode).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bai such that one surface or two opposite surfaces of the variable portion are coated with an electrically conductive material. Doing so enables improved production efficiency and lower costs by shortening the lithium pre-storage time (Ueki [0032]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20220059847 A1 teaches a collector foil including a base material with at least one coating region and an uncoated region (Abstract). The uncoated region includes an expanding region that has an elasticity of flexibility such that the expanding region can deform both elastically and plastically when a force is introduced ([0005]). The expanding region includes at least one slit or cut in the form of a straight line, a zigzag, an arrow, and/or an arc ([0009]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADISON L KYLE whose telephone number is (571)272-0164. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at (571) 272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.L.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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