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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-12 are pending.
Examiner Notes
In claim 1, a feeding unit feeds the material to the winding heads and then, it would appear that the winding heads are sequential (and part of the plurality of winding heads) because the material goes to a first winding head and then the second winding head.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “cutting device which is configured to cut the composite material” phrase is repeated consecutively in the claim. Examiner suggests keeping one instance of the phrase. 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.
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 1 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. Claim 1 recites a “plurality of winding heads”, “a first winding head” and “a second winding head”. Applicant should be clear insofar as how the winding heads are claimed. Examiner suggests changing to “a first winding head of the plurality of winding heads” and “a second winding head of the plurality of winding heads” for clarity. For examination purposes, it is considered that the winding heads are sequential and the first and second are part of the plurality of winding heads.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the minimum mutual distance” in line 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner suggests changing to “a minimum mutual distance”.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the first cutting device” in Line 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites “a cutting device”, and not “first cutting device”. Examiner suggests changing to “the cutting device”.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the first cutting device" in Lines 2,3,5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner suggests changing to “the cutting device”.
Claim 11 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. Claim 11 refers to “a winding head” on line 6, “a plurality of winding heads” on line 8, “the winding heads” on line 9, “a first winding head” on line 15, “ a second winding head” on line 16. The repetition of term “winding head” and same number designation (13) for all terms makes the claim unclear e.g. is the first winding head part of the plurality or separate therefrom.
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)(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.
Claims 1,3-6, 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yang et al (US 20220363502 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, and Claim 11,
Yang teaches a manufacturing machine to manufacture an electrochemical cell consisting of including a spiral winding of a composite material (Paragraph 0005, a non-stop constant-speed efficient winding machine for separator, which can realize constant-speed feeding of the separator; Paragraph 0003, the winding machine winds a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator in a certain order).
Yang teaches that there are two electrode feeding mechanisms 130, and there are also two layers of separator, so as to realize the winding of double-layer separators and electrodes (Paragraph 0058). This is akin to at least two conductor bands and at least two separator bands overlapping one another.
Yang teaches a plurality of winding heads (Paragraph 0038; winding needles), each supporting a holding device, which is configured to grab an end of the composite material and to rotate on itself around a first rotation axis so as to obtain a spiral winding of the composite material (Paragraph 0040; an adsorption structure such as a vacuum adsorption structure or an adhesive structure on the outer circumferential surface of the winding needle 153, the separator end is directly adsorbed, so that the separator end can be stuck to the outer circumferential surface of the winding needle 153, thereby realizing constant-speed feeding of the separator, and continuous winding action of the winding needle 153).
Yang teaches a drum (Paragraph 0038; winding head 151), which supports the winding heads and is mounted so as to rotate around a second rotation axis in order to move the winding heads along a processing path P2 (Paragraph 0038; the winding head 151 is rotatably provided on the base plate 110, and has a winding position 155, a taping position 157, and a unloading position 159, and the three winding needles 153 can be switched clockwise or anticlockwise).
Yang teaches a feeding unit which is configured to feed the composite material to the winding heads (Paragraph 0037; the electrode feeding mechanism 130 is configured to transport an electrode and a separator to the separator compounding mechanism 190, and the separator compounding mechanism 190 is configured to thermally compound the separator and tightly clamp the separator).
Yang teaches a cutting device which is configured to cut the composite material and, hence, create a new free end of the composite material while the composite material is still being wound by a first winding head and a second winding head which follows the first winding head along the processing path (P2), is configured to grab the new free end of the composite material and start the winding of the composite material while first winding head is still completing the winding of its own composite material (Paragraph 0038; the separator cutting mechanism 170 is provided close to the winding head 151 for cutting the thermally compounded separator, and the winding needle 153 located at the winding position 155 is configured to adsorb the separator end after the cutting, and wind the separator end on an outer circumferential surface of the corresponding winding needle 153, so that the electrodes and the separator are wound to form an jellyroll). Yang teaches that the thermally compounded separator is cut by the separator cutting mechanism 170, thereby forming a separator end and a separator tail, wherein the separator end is wound after being directly adsorbed by the winding needle 153 switched to the winding position 155, without the need of passing through the center of the winding needle 153, that is, the separator passes through the outer circumferential surface of the winding needle 153 to realize cutting and head-tail separation, and meanwhile the separator end is fixedly attached to the outer circumferential surface of the winding needle 153, the separator tail continues to be wound by the winding needle 153 switched to the taping position 157, and during the switching of the working station, the rotation action of the winding needle 153 continues for continuous winding, and when the action of station switching is completed, a linear speed of rotation of the winding needle 153 on the winding position 155 is consistent with a moving speed of the separator, meanwhile, the separator cutting mechanism 170 cuts off the separator, and the winding needle 153 can directly adsorb the separator end to perform the winding operation, thereby realizing the seamless switching of the separator end, thus, the separator can keep a constant-speed motion (Paragraph 0039).
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Claim 11 is the manufacturing method associated with the machine limitations of Claim 1, and Yang teaches the manufacturing method that includes the structure of the manufacturing device, and the steps related to moving the winding heads, feeding the composite material, and cutting the composite material.
Regarding Claim 3,
Yang shows in annotated figure 3 below that the feeding unit comprises two opposite compression rollers between which the composite material is caused to pass; and the cutting device is arranged downstream of the two compression rollers.
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Regarding Claim 4,
Yang teaches that feeding unit is configured to move the composite material at a substantially constant moving speed (Paragraph 0040; realizing constant-speed feeding of the separator, and continuous winding action of the winding needle 153. The separator is fed at a constant speed) and, hence, without any interruption of the movement of the composite material.
Regarding Claim 5, and Claim 6,
It is seen in annotated Figure 2 of Yang that the feeding unit moves the composite material along a straight feeding path, and that the straight feeding path is arranged vertically and the feeding unit is configured to move the composite material from the top to the bottom.
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Regarding Claim 8,
Yang teaches that the cutting mechanism includes a first linear driving structure 171, a rotational driving structure 173, and a cutting roller 175. The first linear driving structure 171 is provided on the base plate 110, and the rotational driving structure 173 is in transmission connection with the first linear driving structure 171, to get close to or away from the winding position 155 under the driving of the first linear driving structure 171 (Paragraph 0048). This is akin to the cutting device being mounted in a movable manner so as to move back and forth along a segment of the feeding path (P1).
Regarding Claim 9, and Claim 10,
Yang teaches that the cutting device comprises an actuator device (Paragraph 0048; rotational driving structure). The cutting roller 175 is in transmission connection with the rotational driving structure 173, to rotate under the driving of the rotational driving structure 173.
Yang teaches that the separator cutter adopts a retractable structure, that is, the separator cutter extends outward from the cutting roller 175 at the right time to cut off the separator, and meanwhile retracts again after cutting (Paragraph 0054). This is akin to the first cutting device having a forth stroke. Yang teaches that the driving direction is consistent with the moving direction of the electrode, so that the cutter mounting base is driven to move in parallel with the electrode, and the cutter driving member can be a cylinder, and drives the movable cutter 1333 close to or away from the fixed cutter 1331. The electrodes are cut when the electrodes move to a cutting position (Paragraph 0060).
Regarding Claim 12,
Yang teaches the use of the non-stop constant speed efficient winding machine for separator in lithium cell devices and manufacturing (Paragraph 0002, 0003). This is akin to a battery comprising an electrochemical cell manufactured according to method in rejection above.
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.
Claim 2, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (US 20220363502 A1).
Regarding Claim 2,
The instant specification states that the previous winding head 13 and the next winding head 13 are arranged at the minimum mutual distance along the processing path P2 at the instant in which the cutting device 28 cuts the composite material 8; in this way, the back end of the composite material 8 which is downstream of the cut and is wound by the previous winding head 13 is short and therefore does not take on undesirable and potentially damaging positions.
Yang teaches that the separator is compounded into a whole, and the separator is cut by the separator cutting mechanism 170. When one of the winding needles 153 winds a preset length and needs to switch the working station by the winding head 151, the winding needle 153 located at the winding position 155 can adsorb and wind the cut separator end, and the separator tail is continuously wound by the winding needle 153 rotated to the taping position 157. As the separator is compounded into a whole, the winding needle 153 can realize one-time adsorption and winding, and further realize that the winding action is continuously performed without stopping (Paragraph 0043).
While Yang does not specifically teach that the drum (11) is configured to place the first winding head (13) and the second winding head (13) at the minimum mutual distance along the processing path (P2) in the instant in which the first cutting device (28) cuts the composite material (8), however, based on the similarities between the teaching and motivation in Yang and instant specification it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention that there is a minimum distance along the processing path in order to ensure the winding action is continuously performed without stopping.
Regarding Claim 7,
In annotated figure 2 above, Yang shows a segment of the processing path that is substantially straight. Yang teaches that at the winding position the winding needle is configured to adsorb the separator end after cutting and wind the separator end (Paragraph 0038). This is akin to each holding device being configured to grab an end of the composite material and then start the spiral winding of the composite material.
Yang states that there is an action of station switching of the winding head/needle between the winding position and the taping position, but does not provide any specific details of the path of the winding head/needle. Yang does not specifically teach that the winding head moves along the substantially straight segment of the processing path.
However, the substantially straight processing path shows the motion and path of the separator composite. The separator composite is held by the winding head, and hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the winding head would also move along the substantially straight segment of the processing path in order to move the composite winding from the winding position to the taping position.
Examiner Notes
Examiner notes the following references of interest for this field of invention.
JP 2014154457 A
Conclusion
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/SUHANI JITENDRA PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783
