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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following minor informalities: Repeated phrase.
Claim 1 recites: “A battery manufacturing a battery manufacturing a battery that includes…” These phrases are repeated.
For purposes of examination, examiner will interpret claim 1 as reciting: “A method of manufacturing a battery that includes…”
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.
Claims 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Toru, N. (EP0928035A1, hereinafter Toru).
In regard to Claim 1, Toru discloses a method of manufacturing a battery that includes an electrode body, an outer encasement, and a lid body, the battery manufacturing method comprising:
preparing the outer encasement that satisfies (i) to (iii) in which
the outer encasement (#4) includes a first face (#4B), a second face (#4A) opposite the first face, a third face connecting the first face (#4B) and the second face (#4A), and a fourth face connecting the first face (#4B) and the second face (#4A) and also opposite the third face (see figure 5 below and paragraph [0038]),
the outer encasement (#4) includes an inner space defined by the first face (#4B), the second face (#4A), the third face, and the fourth face, and an opening situated at an end portion of the inner space (see figure 5 below and paragraph [0038]),
in a cross-section perpendicular to the first face and the third face at an end portion of the outer encasement, the outer encasement (#4) includes a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the third face, and also includes a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the fourth face (see figure 5 below and paragraph [0038]);
inserting the electrode body (electrode element) into the inner space through the opening (see figures 4-5 and paragraph [0039]);
pressing at least one of the first face (#4B) and the second face (#4A) toward the electrode body (electrode element), following the inserting, in a state in which relative positions of the third face and the fourth face are fixed, or in a state in which at least one of the third face and the fourth face is pressed toward the electrode body (see figure 5 and paragraph [0040]); and
placing the lid body (#10) in the opening prior to the pressing or following the pressing (see figure 5 and paragraph [0040]).
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In regard to Claim 2, Toru discloses wherein the outer encasement (#4) includes, in the cross-section perpendicular to the first face (#4B) and the third face at the end portion of the outer encasement (#4), the corner portions each with the curved shape at both end portions of the side made up of the third face, and also the corner portions each with the curved shape at both end portions of the side made up of the fourth face (see figure 5 above).
In regard to Claim 5, Toru discloses wherein the placing is performed following the pressing (see paragraph [0040]).
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. 2019/0198908, hereinafter Lee) in view of Kasahara et al. (US Pat. No. 6,777,130, hereinafter Kasahara).
In regard to Claim 1, Lee discloses a method of manufacturing a battery that includes an electrode body (#10), an outer encasement (#25), and a lid body (#20), the battery manufacturing method comprising:
preparing the outer encasement that satisfies (i) to (iii) in which
the outer encasement (#25) includes a first face, a second face opposite the first face, a third face connecting the first face and the second face, and a fourth face connecting the first face and the second face and also opposite the third face (see figure 6 below and paragraph [0070]),
the outer encasement (#25) includes an inner space (inner space for accommodating electrode assembly) defined by the first face, the second face, the third face, and the fourth face, and an opening situated at an end portion of the inner space (see figure 6 and paragraph [0070]),
inserting the electrode body (#10) into the inner space through the opening (see figures 6-7A and paragraphs [0070]-[0071]);
pressing at least one of the first face (identified in figure 7A as first exterior wall #251) and the second face toward the electrode body (#10), following the inserting, in a state in which relative positions of the third face and the fourth face are fixed, or in a state in which at least one of the third face and the fourth face is pressed toward the electrode body (see figures 6-7A and paragraph [0072]; Lee discloses wherein first pressing portion #50 is a pressing member between the electrode assembly #10 and the case #25, and when the electrode assembly #10 is accommodated in the case #25, a pressing force is applied to the first pressing portion #150 which is transferred to the electrode assembly #10. The first pressing portion #50 may be between one side surface of the electrode assembly and the first exterior wall #251 of the case #25. This is considered equivalent to pressing at least one of the first face toward the electrode body, following the inserting in a state in which relative positions of the third face and the fourth face are fixed, or in a state in which at least one of the third face and the fourth face is pressed toward the electrode body, as claimed by the applicant.); and
placing the lid body (#20) in the opening prior to the pressing or following the pressing (see figure 6 and paragraph [0070]).
Lee fails to disclose in a cross-section perpendicular to the first face and the third face at an end portion of the outer encasement, the outer encasement includes a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the third face, and also includes a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the fourth face.
However, Kasahara teaches a sealed prismatic battery characterized in that the battery case, substantially square in cross-section has four lateral walls each being gradually arc-shaped to curve outwardly with a radius of curvature R1. In addition, the battery case is rounded, i.e. corner portion with a curved shape, at each corner with a radius of curvature R2 (see abstract). The sealed prismatic battery has a battery case that causes neither an increase in outer shape nor a decrease in inner volume but has a high pressure resistance enough to prevent the battery case from being deformed due to an increase in pressure inside the battery (see column 2, lines 12-18).
Kasahara further teaches a prismatic battery comprising a battery case (#8) that is substantially square in cross section and a spiral wound electrode group (#2) is accommodated. The battery case (#8) is configured to have four lateral walls (36) each of which is gradually arc-shaped to curve outwardly with a predetermined radius of curvature R1. In addition to this shape, the four corners, each of which is a boundary between two neighboring lateral walls (#6) are each arc-shaped with a predetermined radius of curvature R2 (see column 5, line 48 to column 6, line 9).
It would have been obvious by one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify the battery manufacturing method as disclosed by Lee by further having in a cross-section perpendicular to the first face and the third face at an end portion of the outer encasement, the outer encasement to include a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the third face, and also includes a corner portion with a curved shape on at least one of both end portions of a side made up of the fourth face, as claimed by the applicant, with a reasonable expectation of success, as Kasahara teaches a sealed prismatic battery characterized in that the battery case, substantially square in cross-section has four lateral walls each being gradually arc-shaped to curve outwardly with a radius of curvature R1, whereby in addition, the battery case is rounded, i.e. corner portion with a curved shape, at each corner with a radius of curvature R2, wherein the sealed prismatic battery has a battery case that causes neither an increase in outer shape nor a decrease in inner volume but has a high pressure resistance enough to prevent the battery case from being deformed due to an increase in pressure inside the battery (see column 2, lines 12-18 and column 5, line 48 to column 6, line 9).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Kasahara and further in view of Kwon et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0255755, hereinafter Kwon).
In regard to Claim 4, Lee, in view of Kasahara, discloses the battery manufacturing method of claim 1, but is silent in regard to wherein the electrode body includes a solid electrolyte.
However, Kwon teaches an electrode assembly which includes a cathode, an anode, and a separator coated with a solid electrolyte and one or more corners of each of the unit cells, which do not tangent to one side of each of the unit cells at which the electrode tabs are formed, are round. The electrode assembly is accommodated in a pouch-shaped battery case having a prismatic shape (see paragraphs [0001] and [0007]).
It would have been obvious by one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify the battery manufacturing method as disclosed by Lee, in view of Kasahara, by having the electrode body to include a solid electrolyte, as claimed by the applicant, with a reasonable expectation of success, as Kwon teaches an electrode assembly which includes a cathode, an anode, and a separator coated with a solid electrolyte and one or more corners of each of the unit cells, which do not tangent to one side of each of the unit cells at which the electrode tabs are formed, are round, and the electrode assembly is accommodated in a pouch-shaped battery case having a prismatic shape (see paragraphs [0001] and [0007]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JELITZA M PEREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8139. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JELITZA M PEREZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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