DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 103
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-5 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US-20190393511-A1, provided in IDS received on 21 June 2025) in view of Li et al. (US-20190221855-A1).
As to claim 1, Zhou discloses an electrode plate (figure 8, electrode plate 1), characterized by comprising a current collector (figure 8, current collector 11), an active substance layer (figure 8, active material layer 12), and a conductive structure (figure 8, conductive structure 13);
wherein the current collector comprises a body portion (figure 8, current collector 11, [0036]) and a tab portion provided along a first direction (figure 8, current collector 11, [0036]), wherein the body portion is covered with the active substance layer (figure 8, current collector 11, [0036]), the tab portion is not covered with the active substance layer (figure 8, current collector 11, [0036]), and the conductive structure extends along the first direction and is connected to the tab portion, forming a connecting zone (figure 8, conductive structure 13, [0046]); and
wherein, the second direction is a thickness direction of the electrode plate, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the body region of the electrode plate is a region corresponding to the body portion covered with the active substance layer (figure 8, electrode plate 1).
However, Zhou does not disclose wherein in a second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension greater than thickness of a body region of the electrode plate, so that after an electrode assembly is wound, connecting zones of adjacent layers are mutually attached.
Li discloses an electrode plate for a rechargeable battery, wherein in a second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension greater than thickness of a body region of the electrode plate, so that after an electrode assembly is wound, connecting zones of adjacent layers are mutually attached (figure 4, conductive structure 2, reinforcement structure 3, [0072]) to enhance the strength of and prevent deformation of the conductive structure.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to further include that in a second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension greater than thickness of a body region of the electrode plate, so that after an electrode assembly is wound, connecting zones of adjacent layers are mutually attached to enhance the strength of and prevent deformation of the conductive structure as disclosed within Li.
As to claim 2, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that the conductive structure comprises a first conductive portion (figure 8, conductive structure 13) and a second conductive portion (figure 8, conductive structure 13), the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion being connected to two sides of the tab portion in the second direction, respectively (figure 8, conductive structure 13).
As to claim 3, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 2, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that the current collector comprises an insulating layer (figure 8, insulating layer 111) and a first conductive layer (figure 8, conductive layer 112) and a second conductive layer provided on two sides of the insulating layer (figure 8, conductive layer 112), and the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are connected to the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, respectively (figure 8, conductive layer 112).
As to claim 4, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that the connecting zone is a welding mark zone formed by welding between the conductive structure and the tab portion (figure 8, conductive structure 13, [0059]).
As to claim 5, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses wherein d1 is thickness of the body region of the electrode plate, d2 is thickness of a body region of an electrode plate with an opposite polarity that forms an electrode assembly with the electrode plate, and d3 is thickness of a separator that forms the electrode assembly with the electrode plate (figure 8, electrode plate 1). However, Zhou does not disclose wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that in the second direction, the dimension D of the connecting zone satisfies: D ≥ d1 + d2 + 2d3.
Li discloses an electrode plate for a rechargeable battery, wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that in the second direction, the dimension D of the connecting zone satisfies: D ≥ d1 + d2 + 2d3 (figure 4, conductive structure 2, reinforcement structure 3) to enhance the strength of and prevent deformation of the conductive structure.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally include that the electrode plate is characterized in that in the second direction, the dimension D of the connecting zone satisfies: D ≥ d1 + d2 + 2d3 to enhance the strength of and prevent deformation of the conductive structure as disclosed within Li.
As to claim 9, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that material of the conductive structure comprises aluminum [0062].
As to claim 10, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses an electrode assembly (figure 4, [0031]), comprising a positive electrode plate (figure 4, positive electrode plate 1A), a separator (figure 4, separator 5), and a negative electrode plate (figure 4, negative electrode plate 1B), wherein the separator is provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate (figure 4, separator 5, [0031]), the positive electrode plate, the separator, and the negative electrode plate are wound (figure 4, [0031]), and the positive electrode plate and/or the negative electrode plate is the electrode plate according to claim 1 (figure 4, [0061]).
As to claim 11, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 10, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that the tab portion of the positive electrode plate and the tab portion of the negative electrode plate are provided opposite each other along the first direction (figure 5, conductive structure 13, [0046]).
As to claim 12, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 10, and Zhou further discloses wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that the conductive structure at the outermost layer of the positive electrode plate is covered with a separator (figure 4, separator 5).
4. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US-20190393511-A1, provided in IDS received on 21 June 2025) in view of Li et al. (US-20190221855-A1) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Karditsas et al. (WO-2019042712-A1).
As to claim 6, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, however, Zhou does not disclose wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that in the second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H of 2mm-9mm.
Karditsas discloses a tab for a battery terminal, wherein in the second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H of 2mm-9mm (figure 2, lead tab 40, greater than 0.2 mm, [0010]) for improved high current capacity.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally require that in the second direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H of 2mm-9mm for improved high current capacity as disclosed within Karditsas.
5. Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US-20190393511-A1, provided in IDS received on 21 June 2025) in view of Li et al. (US-20190221855-A1) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Zhang et al. (CN-114367554-A, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 7, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, however, Zhou does not disclose wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that in the first direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H1 of 3mm-11mm.
Zhang discloses a power battery current collecting body, wherein the body is characterized in that in the first direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H1 of 3mm-11mm (figure 1, pre-welding region 411, page 4 lines 17-35, 4-5mm) to help prevent breakage of the battery tab.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally require that in the first direction, the connecting zone has a dimension H1 of 3mm-11mm to help prevent breakage of the battery tab as disclosed within Zhang.
As to claim 8, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 1, however, Zhou does not disclose wherein the electrode plate is characterized in that in the first direction, the conductive structure has a dimension H2 of 3mm-12mm.
Zhang discloses a power battery current collecting body, wherein the body is characterized in that in the first direction, the conductive structure has a dimension H2 of 3mm-12mm (figure 1, main welding area 412, page 4 lines 17-35, 3.5-4.5mm) to help prevent breakage of the battery tab.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally require that in the first direction, the conductive structure has a dimension H2 of 3mm-12mm to help prevent breakage of the battery tab as disclosed within Zhang.
6. Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US-20190393511-A1, provided in IDS received on 21 June 2025) in view of Li et al. (US-20190221855-A1) as applied to claim 10, and further in view of Suzuki et al. (US-20060166089-A1).
As to claim 13, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 10, and Zhou further discloses a battery cell (figure 3), comprising: the electrode assembly according to claims 10 [0034-0035]; a housing body (figure 3, case 2), the housing body is configured to accommodate the electrode assembly (figure 3, case 2, [0034]); and a top cover (figure 3, top cover 3), wherein the top cover is connected to an end of the conductive structure away from the body portion and covers the opening (figure 3, top cover 3, [0034]).
However, Zhou does not disclose wherein the housing body has openings at two ends.
Suzuki discloses a battery pack having a wound electrode assembly, wherein the housing body has openings at two ends (figure 4, outer jacket member 1, [0110]) to receive and secure a battery element.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally include that the housing body has openings at two ends to receive and secure a battery element as disclosed within Suzuki.
As to claim 14, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 13, and Zhou further discloses a battery, comprising the battery cell according to claim 13 (figure 3, [0034]).
As to claim 15, modified Zhou discloses the electrode plate of claim 14, however, Zhou does not disclose an electric device comprising the battery according to claim 14, wherein the battery is configured to provide electric energy for the electric device.
Li discloses an electrode plate for a rechargeable battery, wherein the battery is used within the electric device, and the battery is configured to provide electric energy to the electric device [0003] to allow these devices to function.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode plate as disclosed within Zhou to additionally include that the battery is used within the electric device, and the battery is configured to provide electric energy to the electric device to allow these devices to function as disclosed within Li.
Conclusion
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/J.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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