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 in the reply filed on 9/9/26 is acknowledged.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1,4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Shin (US20110076547).
As to claim 1, Shin discloses a battery (figure 5 number 310) comprising: a winding electrode group formed by stacking and winding a separator and an electrode plate (paragraph 0009); and a current collector plate (320), wherein the electrode group has a joined region (323) in which ends of a plurality of electrode plates arranged in a radial direction are bent in the radial direction and a plurality of bent ends are joined to the current collector plate (320), wherein the joined region (323) is sandwiched by two non-joined regions (321) arranged in a circumferential direction of the electrode group, and a first boundary portion (322), which is a boundary between the joined region (323)and one of the non-joined regions (321), and a second boundary portion, which is a boundary between the joined region and the other non-joined region, extend substantially parallel to a predetermined imaginary line passing through a center of winding of the electrode group and the joined region (323a).
As to claim 4, Shin discloses wherein the joined region extends to an outer edge of the electrode group in the radial direction (figure 5 number 323b).
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) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin (US20110076547).
Shin discloses the battery described above. Shin fail to disclose wherein, given that a diameter of the electrode group is denoted by D, each of the first boundary portion and the second boundary portion extends such that an amount of displacement in a direction orthogonal to the imaginary line is less than 0.075D or wherein, given that a spacing between the first boundary portion and the second boundary portion at each position in the radial direction is denoted by M and a diameter of the electrode group is denoted by D, the spacing M satisfies 0. 1D<M<0.25D.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Shin with wherein, given that a diameter of the electrode group is denoted by D, each of the first boundary portion and the second boundary portion extends such that an amount of displacement in a direction orthogonal to the imaginary line is less than 0.075D or wherein, given that a spacing between the first boundary portion and the second boundary portion at each position in the radial direction is denoted by M and a diameter of the electrode group is denoted by D, the spacing M satisfies 0. 1D<M<0.25D in order to provide optimal value in absence of unexpected results.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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/JANE J RHEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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