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 09/16/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 12-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 04/22/2024, 06/20/2025 and 12/30/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 04/15/2024 have been entered. Claims 1-2, 5-8 and 11-16 are amended and Claims 1-16 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6-7 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohashi et al. (US 20110129710 A1), hereinafter "Ohashi" in view of Ahn et al. (US 20130045405 A1), hereinafter "Ahn". Ohashi and Ahn are analogous prior art to the claimed invention because they pertain to the same field of endeavor, namely wound electrode assemblies.
In regard to Claims 1 and 10, Ohashi et al. discloses a jelly-roll type electrode assembly comprising: a first separator sheet, a first electrode sheet, the first electrode sheet folded to form a second separator sheet, and a second electrode sheet sequentially arranged in a stack that is wound in a circumferential direction about a winding center to define a spiral, wherein the first electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet, and the second electrode sheet is a positive electrode sheet with the first separator sheet being located at a radially innermost side of the wound stack and the second electrode sheet being located at a radially outermost side of the wound stack, such that each of the first separator sheet, the first electrode sheet, the second separator sheet, and the second electrode sheet extend in the circumferential direction from a respective inner end to a respective outer end, wherein each of the inner ends is positioned radially closer to the winding center than the respective outer end (Ohashi, Figure 2, [0041-0042, 0044, 0057-0058).
Ohashi et al. also discloses, wherein a corner of the inner end of the second electrode sheet that is in contact with the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet is rounded (Ohashi, [0054, 0057]). While Ohashi discloses one variation of an electrode assembly with a folded separator to form a second separator layer, the skilled artisan would be well aware of configurations with two separate separator sheets in an electrode assembly as described in the same way in the current application as an applicant admitted prior art conventional electrode assembly (Original Specification, [0006-0007, 0067], Figure 1) and as evidenced by Ahn et al.
Ahn discloses a jelly-roll type electrode assembly comprising: a first separator sheet, a first electrode sheet, a second separator sheet, and a second electrode sheet sequentially arranged in a stack that is wound in a circumferential direction about a winding center to define a spiral, wherein the first electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet, and the second electrode sheet is a positive electrode sheet with the first separator sheet being located at a radially innermost side of the wound stack and the second electrode sheet being located at a radially outermost side of the wound stack, such that each of the first separator sheet, the first electrode sheet, the second separator sheet, and the second electrode sheet extend in the circumferential direction from a respective inner end to a respective outer end, wherein each of the inner ends is positioned radially closer to the winding center than the respective outer end with a rounded corner of the inner electrode assembly(Ahn, [0046-0051, 0066], Figure 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide the rounded corners on the inner end of the second electrode sheet that is in contact with the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet as disclosed in Ohashi and Ahn on the electrode assembly variations in both Ohashi and Ahn as doing so would give the skilled artisan the reasonable expectation of success and as doing so amounts to nothing more than the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way.
In regard to Claims 2, 6-7 and 9, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1. Ohashi et al. also discloses wherein a protective resin is disposed on at least a part of the corner and an edge of the inner end of the second electrode sheet such that an outer surface of the protective resin is rounded, wherein the protective resin is disposed on a cut surface of the inner end of the second electrode sheet, and wherein a cut surface of the inner end of the second electrode sheet is rounded and wherein the protective resin is not adhered to the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet. (Ohashi, [0107, 0113-0115, 0117, 0122-0125, 0127], Figure 12).
In regard to Claim 3, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1. The skilled artisan of Ohashi et al. would be well aware of different material properties for the protective resin to include a disclosed embodiment wherein the adhesive undergoes thermal pressing and cooling, which causes remelting and recuring to achieve bonding (Ohashi, [0113]), which is reasonably equivalent to a hot melt adhesive.
In regard to Claim 11, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1. While Ohashi discloses a battery cell having the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1 it is silent as to a cylindrical battery case. However, the skilled artisan would be well aware of different shapes of batteries as evidenced by Sugaya et al. which discloses a jelly-roll type electrode assembly for a battery cell with a cylindrical battery case (Sugaya, Figure 1, Title). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide a variation of battery cell to include a cylindrical cell as taught in Sugaya as doing so would give the skilled artisan the reasonable expectation of success and as doing so would amount to nothing more than a variation of it for use in the same field based on design incentives or other market forces, as the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohashi et al. (US 20110129710 A1), hereinafter "Ohashi" in view of Ahn et al. (US 20130045405 A1), hereinafter "Ahn" as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Iguchi et al. (WO 2021172585 A1 - US 20220416250 A1 referenced for citations), hereinafter "Iguchi". Ohashi, Ahn and Iguchi are analogous prior art to the claimed invention because they pertain to the same field of endeavor, namely wound electrode assemblies.
In regard to Claim 4, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1. The skilled artisan of Ohashi et al. would be well aware of different material properties for the protective resin to include an elastic material. Further, Ohashi discloses an embodiment wherein the protective resin comprises PVDF and NMP which is a reasonably elastic material as evidenced by Iguchi et al. which discloses and PVDF and NMP dried and tested to reveal a storage elastic modulus of 1000-2000MPa with improved flexibility and reduced cracking (Iguchi, [0047-0053]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide the PVDF and NMP of Iguchi which comprises an elastic material as the PVDF and NMP protective resin of Ohashi as doing so would be obvious to try for the skilled artisan and as doing so would amount to nothing more than a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohashi et al. (US 20110129710 A1), hereinafter "Ohashi" in view of Ahn et al. (US 20130045405 A1), hereinafter "Ahn" as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Sugaya et al. (US 20200119406 A1), hereinafter "Sugaya". Ohashi, Ahn and Sugaya are analogous prior art to the claimed invention because they pertain to the same field of endeavor, namely wound electrode assemblies.
In regard to Claim 5, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claim 1. While Ohashi discloses offset ends of the electrode assembly (Ohashi, [0126]), it is silent as to the inner end of the first electrode sheet extends farther toward the winding center than the inner end of the second electrode sheet. However, the skilled artisan would be well aware of such a configuration of the wound jelly-roll as evidenced by Sugaya et al.
Sugaya discloses a jelly-roll wherein the inner end of the first electrode sheet extends farther toward the winding center in the circumferential direction than the inner end of the second electrode sheet to facilitate the attachment of a protective resin (Sugaya, [0031], Figure 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide the electrode assembly configuration of Sugaya as the electrode assembly of Ohashi as doing so would give the skilled artisan the reasonable expectation of achieving the benefits taught in Sugaya an as doing so would amount to nothing more than applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohashi et al. (US 20110129710 A1), hereinafter "Ohashi" in view of Ahn et al. (US 20130045405 A1), hereinafter "Ahn" as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Minagata (US 20210210788 A1), hereinafter "Minagata". Ohashi, Ahn and Minagata are analogous prior art to the claimed invention because they pertain to the same field of endeavor, namely wound electrode assemblies.
In regard to Claim 8, Ohashi in view of Ahn et al. discloses the jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to claims 1 and 7. While Ohashi discloses offset ends of the electrode assembly (Ohashi, [0126]), it is silent as to wherein a thickness of the inner end of the second electrode sheet decreases toward a center of an axial direction of the spiral. However, the skilled artisan would be well aware of such configurations as evidenced by Minagata et al.
Minagata discloses a jelly roll electrode assembly wherein a thickness of the inner end of the second electrode sheet decreases toward a center of an axial direction of the spiral with an advantage of this configuration taught as preventing separator stretching and tearing, reducing electrode contact and internal short circuits (Minagata, [0061, 0063, 0075-0077, 0113-0114, 0122]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the current invention to provide a tapered inner electrode sheet wherein a thickness decreases toward a center of an axial direction of the spiral as taught in Minagata as the electrode assembly of Ohashi as doing so would give the skilled artisan the reasonable expectation of achieving the benefits taught in Minagata and as doing so would amount to nothing more than the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shibutani et al. (US 20220255081 A1) discloses a wound electrode stack with a protective resin on the corners of the electrodes in the stack (Shibutani, Abstract, [0055, 0068]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH MAX OTERO whose telephone number is (571)272-2559. The examiner can normally be reached M-F Generally 7:30-430.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at (571) 270-3879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.M.O./Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/JONATHAN CREPEAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
