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 .
Examiner Note
It is noted that all references hereinafter to Applicant’s specification (“spec”) are to the published application US-2025-0007051-A1, unless stated otherwise. Further, any italicized text utilized hereinafter is to be interpreted as emphasis placed thereupon.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed 24JUN2024 and 30DEC2025 are in compliance with 37 CFR 1.97 and have been considered.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Part 5033 in Fig. 22B. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either "Replacement Sheet" or "New Sheet" pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 2, 3, 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The terms “having flexibility” of the phrase “according to claim 1, having flexibility” in claim 2 (lines 1-2), “flexible” of the phrase “flexible battery” in claim 7 (lines 5, 7 and 9) and claim 8 (lines 5, 8 and 12), and “flexible” of the phrase “flexible display” in claim 8 (lines 6 and 10) are relative terms which render the claim indefinite. The terms “flexibility” and “flexible” are not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. This therefore renders “flexible” and “having flexibility” indefinite. It is noted that the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed terms “flexible” and “flexibility,” in view of the Applicant’s specification and for examination on the merits, is any degree of flexibility.
Claims 3 are indefinite and rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as they are directly or ultimately dependent on claim 2 and therefore include, and do not remedy the indefiniteness issues of claim 2 identified hereinabove.
Claims 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 3-5, the term "the exterior body" in claims 3 (line 3), claims 4-5 (line 2 of each), lacks sufficient antecedent basis and thereby renders the claim indefinite. There is no prior introduction or recitation of an exterior body in claims 1-2. As such, it is unclear whether “the exterior body” refers to “an external body” of claim 1 or a different element. This renders the structure of the secondary battery unclear and thereby indefinite.
It is noted that the broadest reasonable interpretation of claims 3-5 is such that “the exterior body” of line 3 of claim 3 and line 2 of claims 4-5 refer to any exterior body.
Claim 6 is indefinite and rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as they are directly or ultimately dependent on claim 4 and therefore include, and do not remedy the indefiniteness issues of claim 4 identified hereinabove.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tajima (US-20160218387-A1; “Tajima”).
Regarding Claim 1, Tajima teaches a secondary battery including an exterior (external) body that contains a positive and negative electrode [0005]. Tajima teaches that the exterior bodies 107a and 107b are provided to wrap (surround) the positive electrode 111, the negative electrode 115, and the separator 103 [0058].
Tajima teaches a positive electrode lead 121 and a negative electrode lead 125 that extends from the inside to the outside of the external body [0058] (please refer to Fig. 1A of Tajima below).
Tajima teaches that the separator 103 may be contiguous with a groove or an opening. Moreover, Tajima teaches that the separator 103 is provided such that the edge is located outside the edge of either the positive electrode or the negative electrode 115 in each of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 [0069]. This forms the third and fourth opening portions (see Fig. 2A and 2B of Tajima below).
[AltContent: textbox (Electrode leads extend from the inside to the outside of the external body)][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: oval][AltContent: textbox (10 – Secondary Battery
11 – First Portion
12 – Second Portion
13 – Third Portion
21 – First Direction
22 – Second Direction
121 – Positive Electrode Lead
125 – Negative Electrode Lead
107a, 107b, 107c – Exterior Bodies)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (First Region)]
Fig. 1A of Tajima, duplicated from Sheet 1 of 29 of Drawings of Tajima
Tajima teaches that the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode current collector that has an exposed portion corresponding to the third portion 13, where it is connected to the positive electrode lead [0072] at a position overlapping with the second opening portion and the fourth opening portion (please see Fig. 2B of Tajima – to see overlap in the first, second, third and fourth opening portions – and Fig. 2A of Tajima – to see the positive electrode lead - below). The first opening portion of the positive electrode is indicated in Fig. 2A of Tajima below.
Tajima teaches that the negative electrode current collector 105 is exposed in the portion corresponding to the third portion 13, where it is connected to the negative electrode lead [0073] at a position overlapping with the first opening portion and the third opening portion (please see Fig. 2A of Tajima – to see overlap in the first, second, third and fourth opening portions – and Fig. 2B of Tajima – to see the negative electrode lead - below). Tajima teaches that the first electrode is folded in the third portion so as to form the first folded portion [0013]. The second opening portion of the negative electrode is indicated in Fig. 2B of Tajima below.
[AltContent: textbox (First Region)]
[AltContent: textbox (First Opening Portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (10 – Secondary Battery
11 – First Portion
12 – Second Portion
13 – Third Portion
21 – First Direction
22 – Second Direction
103 – Separator
107a, 107b, 107c – Exterior Bodies
111 – Positive Electrode
115 – Negative Electrode
121 – Positive Electrode Lead
125 – Negative Electrode Lead)][AltContent: oval]
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[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: oval][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: oval][AltContent: textbox (Third Opening Portion)]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (First Region)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: oval][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: textbox (Second Opening Portion)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Fourth Opening Portion)]
Fig. 2A and 2B of Tajima, duplicated from Sheet 2 of 29 of Drawings of Tajima
Regarding Claim 2, Tajima teaches that the exterior body is formed using a flexible material and that the secondary battery has a curved shape [0005]. Tajima teaches a first region included in the vicinity of a midpoint in a curved direction of the secondary battery, wherein each of the first opening portion and the second opening portion comprises a region overlapping with the first region (please refer to Fig. 2A of Tajima above).
Regarding Claim 3, Tajima teaches that the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead extend from the inside to the outside of the exterior body in the first region (please refer to Fig. 1A of Tajima, Fig. 2A of Tajima and Fig. 2B of Tajima above).
Regarding Claim 4, Tajima teaches that the secondary battery may have a curved shape by being interposed between a projected arc-shaped mold (projection) and a depressed arc-shaped mold (depression) in the exterior body [0217]. Moreover, Tajima teaches that projections or depressions formed on the exterior bodies 107a to 107c can relieve a strain caused by stress applied to the exterior bodies 107a to 107c [0160].
Regarding Claim 5, Tajima teaches a cushioning material 130 provided between the exterior body 107a and the negative electrode [0189]. Tajima teaches that the cushioning material may be a plastic film with a smooth surface (functioning as a separator). Tajima teaches that the negative electrode 115 may be in contact with any of the exterior bodies 107a to 107c [0074] (please refer to Fig. 2B of Tajima above). Moreover, Tajima teaches that the separator may have a bag-like structure to wrap negative electrode 115, in which case the negative electrode is in contact with the exterior body with the separator therebetween [0202].
Regarding Claim 6, Tajima teaches a secondary battery as taught in claim 4 mounted on an electronic device [0217].
Regarding Claims 7-8, Tajima teaches a first housing, a second housing, a hinge portion 407e in a flexible secondary battery, wherein the first housing is connected to the second housing through the hinge portion (regarding claims 7-8, please refer to Fig. 27B of Tajima below throughout). Tajima teaches that the wristband device 407 includes two curved secondary batteries 407b in a case 407a (a flexible battery is placed so as to overlap with the first housing, the second housing, and the hinge portion). A curved (flexible) display portion 407c is provided over a surface of the case 407a (a flexible display is placed so as to overlap with the first housing, the second housing, and the hinge portion). The armband device 407 includes a connection portion 407d (containing a positive and negative electrode lead) and a hinge portion 407e. A portion between the connection portion 407d and the hinge portion 407e can be flexibly moved using the hinge portion 407e as an axis. Charging or the like through an external terminal (connected to a positive and negative electrode lead) provided in the connection portion 407d is also possible [0338]. Because the connection portion overlaps with the hinge portion due to the flexibility of the device, the flexible battery must contain a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead, as taught by Tajima in Embodiment 1 [0064], in a region overlapping with the hinge portion (407d falls within this [AltContent: textbox (Positive and Negative Electrode Lead and Terminal )]region in Fig. 27B of Tajima below).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Flexible Battery)]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First Housing)]
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[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: oval][AltContent: textbox (407 – Wristband Device
407a – Case
407b – Two Curved Secondary Batteries
407c – Curved Display Portion
407d – Connection Portion
407e – Hinge Portion)]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second Housing)][AltContent: textbox (Flexible Display)]
[AltContent: textbox (Hinge Portion)]
Fig. 27B of Tajima, duplicated from Page 27 of 29 of Drawings of Tajima
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
JP-2017143030-A, a machine translation of which is being made of record and is used as the citation copy throughout this rejection, except where otherwise noted, to Matsumoto M. teaches that two separating holes 26, 27 are formed in the separator 12. When the separator 12 is overlapped with the positive electrode plate 10 and the negative electrode plate 11, the punched holes 26 are so formed as to overlap the punched holes 16 of the positive electrode plate 10 and the punched holes 27 are overlapped with the punched holes 24 of the negative electrode plate 11 at the same position [0022]. Matsumoto teaches that the stacked battery of Matsumoto teaches a stacked battery which suppresses potential unevenness and stacking deviation in the electrode body while using the stacked electrode body [0005]. Matsumoto teaches that the openings serve as points of electrical connection, for example to the outside of the battery [0039].
US-20160156012-A1 to Takahashi M. teaches a flexible secondary battery [0008] where the positive and negative electrode leads are drawn from opposite sides of the exterior body [0050].
US-20150243962-A1 to Hiroki M. teaches hinges for a flexible display [0117] along with slits in the positive electrode [0145] and the negative electrode [0147]
US-20190267579-A1 to Kawai T. teaches a flexible exterior body [0029] with a stepped region that reduces the size of the secondary battery [0007]
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM FADDOUL SAVAGE whose telephone number is (571)270-0315. The examiner can normally be reached 8a.m.-5p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aaron Austin can be reached at 571-272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM FADDOUL SAVAGE/
Examiner, Art Unit 1782
/ANTHONY J FROST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
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