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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/18/2025 has been entered.
Status of the Claims
The amendment/remarks submitted 12/18/2025 have been entered and fully considered. Claims 1-3, 5-7, and 9-19 are pending. Claims 4 and 8 are cancelled. Claim 19 is new. Claims 1, 3, 7, and 11 are amended. Claims 1-3, 5-7, and 9-19 are examined herein.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0265708 A1 (“Lim”) in view of KR 10-2011-0007785 A (“Lee” – machine translation cited herein).
Regarding claims 1-2, Lim discloses a negative electrode sheet 120 configured to wound into a jelly roll shape (Figs. 1-3).
The negative electrode sheet 120 comprises a negative electrode collector 121 having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface (see annotated Fig. 3 below). The first surface has a first electrode coated portion onto which a negative electrode active material portion 122 is applied and a first electrode non-coated portion onto which the negative electrode active material is not applied. The second surface has a second electrode coated portion onto which a negative electrode active material portion 122 is applied and a second electrode non-coated portion onto which the negative electrode active material is not applied (see annotated Fig. 3 below). The first and second electrode non-coated portions extend from a side portion 120a (“first terminal end”) of the electrode in a longitudinal direction of the electrode.
The negative electrode sheet 120 further comprises a second negative electrode tab 162 (“electrode tab”) disposed on the first electrode non-coated portion (Fig. 3; [0073], [0086]).
The negative electrode sheet 120 further comprises a second negative electrode insulation tape 182 (“first protective tape”) disposed on the first electrode non-coated portion that at least partially overlies the second negative electrode tab 162 in the longitudinal direction (shown as the horizontal direction in Fig. 3). The second negative electrode insulation tape 182 is spaced from the first electrode coated portion such that a region of the first electrode non-coated portion is exposed between the second negative electrode insulation tape 182 and the first electrode coated portion (Fig. 3).
The negative electrode sheet 120 further comprises a fourth negative electrode insulation tape 184 (“second protective tape”) disposed on the second electrode non-coated portion that at least partially overlies the second negative electrode tab 162 in a longitudinal direction of the electrode (shown as the horizontal direction in Fig. 3). The fourth negative electrode insulation tape 184 is spaced from the second electrode coated portion such that a region of the second electrode non-coated portion is exposed between the fourth negative electrode insulation tape 184 and the second electrode coated portion (Fig. 3).
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Lim is silent regarding the relations in Equations 1 and 2 (i.e. 25% ≤ a1 ≤ 100% and 25% ≤ b1 ≤ 100%), and wherein at least one of a1 or b1 is 50% or more.
Lee discloses a negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery (Abstract; Title). Lee discloses that when electrode active material coatings are sprayed onto electrode foils (or other active material application processes), microscopic particles are deposited in areas where application is not desired. These microscopic units of deposited active materials are called islands. These islands can have a significant negative impact on the safety of the battery. In particular, dendrites may grow on the negative electrode due to the island. Dendrites formed in this way can ultimately destroy the separator or cause a short circuit, which can significantly harm the safety of the battery (pg. 3). Lee teaches an insulating tape that covers substantially the entirety the non-conductive portion (Fig. 1; pp. 4-5). This creates sufficient electrical insulation to prevent dendrite growth (pg. 5).
Lee further discloses the insulating tape be adhered to active material with substantially no step difference in thickness. The part where a step is formed between the active material application area and the non-active area may be a part that may cause damage to the current collector when the current collector is subjected to pressure and increasing a risk of electrical short-circuiting occurring at this portion (pp. 5-6). As a person having ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize, applying the tape to the surface of the active material after application would create a step difference in height (i.e. by the thickness of the insulating tape). This provides further motivation to cover substantially the entirety the non-conductive portion and not extend the tape over the active material coated portion.
As discussed above, Lim discloses two tapes (second negative electrode insulation tape 182 and fourth negative electrode insulation tape 184). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form both tapes as claimed in view of the teaching of Lee to cover substantially all of the first and second electrode non-coated portions to prevent dendrite growth, thereby improving safety, and without a step difference in height to decrease a risk of electrical short-circuiting.
Regarding claim 3, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. As shown in Fig. 3 of Lim, the second negative electrode insulation tape 182 extends from the terminal end of the electrode.
Regarding claims 5-6, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. As shown in Fig. 3 of Lim, the second negative electrode insulation tape 182 and fourth negative electrode insulation tape 184 overlie an entirety of the width of the second negative electrode tab 162 in a longitudinal direction of the electrode.
Regarding claim 7, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. As shown in Fig. 3 of Lim, the negative electrode collector 121 comprises a third electrode non-coated portion extending from a second end of the electrode opposite from the first end in the longitudinal direction of the electrode (i.e. on the left side in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. Lee discloses the insulating tape is made of a material with high electrical insulation and thermal stability. Examples of such materials include polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyimide (pg. 6). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the tapes from polyethylene terephthalate or polyimide as taught by Lee to provide high electrical insulation and thermal stability.
Regarding claim 10, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. Lee discloses the thickness of the insulating tape is within the range of 15 to 70 µm. At a thickness of less than 15 µm, there is a risk of difficulty in sticking the tape during the process of attaching it, which may lower productivity. At a thickness exceeding 70 µm, there may be a problem of the battery thickness unnecessarily increasing and forming a severe step (pg. 6). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the tapes with the claimed thickness to limit production decreases and prevent increasing the battery thickness and forming a severe step.
Regarding claims 11-12, modified Lim discloses the electrode of claim 1. Lim discloses an electrode assembly 100 (“jelly roll electrode assembly”) comprising a positive electrode sheet 110 (“first electrode”), the positive electrode sheet 110 comprising a positive electrode collector 111; a first separator 141 disposed a surface of the first electrode; and the negative electrode sheet 120 (“second electrode”) (Figs. 1-3). The negative electrode collector 121 is disposed on a surface of the separator opposite to a surface that adjoins the positive electrode sheet 110 (Fig. 3). The electrode assembly 100 is wound around the negative electrode sheet 120 and defines a winding central axis C (“jelly roll hollow portion”) in a core part thereof (Fig. 2). The side portion 120 is disposed at a winding central portion ([0082]).
Regarding claim 13, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 12. Lim further discloses the positive electrode collector 111 comprises a positive electrode coated portion on which a positive electrode active material portion 112 is applied and a positive electrode non-coating portion 113 on which the positive electrode active material is not applied (Fig. 3). The electrode assembly 100 further comprises a positive electrode tab 151, 152 disposed on the positive electrode non-coated portion (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 13. Lim is silent regarding the negative electrode tab and the positive electrode tab are the only electrode tabs extending from the negative electrode current collector and the positive electrode current collector, respectively. However, Lee shows in Fig. 1 a configuration wherein each of the positive and negative electrodes are provided with a single tab. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a single positive electrode tab and a single negative electrode tab because, as shown by Lee, it is a configuration known in the art and would yield predictable results.
Regarding claim 15, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 13. Lim further discloses the positive electrode active material portion 112 is applied on two opposite surfaces of the positive electrode coated portion of the positive electrode current collector (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 17, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 11. As shown in Fig. 3, Lim discloses a second separator 142 disposed on another surface of the negative electrode sheet 120 opposite to the surface thereof that adjoins the first separator 141.
Regarding claim 18, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 11. Lim further discloses a cylindrical lithium secondary battery 10 (Fig. 1; [0010], [0047]). The battery comprises a battery case 11 (“battery exterior material”), the electrode assembly 100 disposed in the battery case 11, and a cap assembly 12 (“exterior cap”) having an electrode disposed in an opening portion of the battery case 11 (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 19, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 13. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of Lim, the positive electrode non-coating portion 113 is located at a central portion of the positive electrode collector 111 along a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode 110 ([0044]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0265708 A1 (“Lim”) in view of KR 10-2011-0007785 A (“Lee” – machine translation cited herein) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of US 2008/0280197 A1 (“Machida”).
Regarding claim 16, modified Lim discloses the jelly roll electrode assembly of claim 12. Modified Lim is silent regarding the jelly roll electrode assembly having a structure in which the negative electrode current collector is disposed at an outermost periphery thereof.
Machida discloses a spirally-wound non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a stacked electrode assembly (Abstract). An outermost periphery of the jelly roll structure is the a negative electrode current collector 12b (Fig. 3). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the claimed structure because it is known in the art and one would expect the structure to yield predictable results in view of Machida.
Response to Arguments
In view of the amendment to claim 1, the rejection under 35 USC 112(b) has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 12/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that one would not modify Lim with the teachings of Lee as the relationship identified in Lee that would lead to dendrite growth is not present in Lim. The Office respectfully disagrees. It is believed that Lim would appreciate the teachings of Lee. In Lee, the portion of the positive electrode which faces the uncoated portion of the negative electrode is not intended to be coated. Lee discloses that islands of active material can form on this portion during deposition of the active material layer (pg. 3). Lee seeks to remedy the issue by coving substantially all of the uncoated portion of the negative electrode with an insulating tape. Turning to Lim, while Lim does not disclose an uncoated portion of the positive electrode directly opposite the uncoated portion of the negative electrode as in Lee, when wound in the jelly-roll configuration as in Figs. 1 and 2 of Lim a coated portion of the positive electrode would face the uncoated portion of the negative electrode. The secondary reference Lee shows that even islands of positive electrode active material run the risk of dendrites forming and short-circuiting the battery. It is the position of the Office that an entirely coated portion of the positive electrode (as in Lim) would run an even greater risk of dendrites forming as there is necessarily more active material facing the uncoated portion of the negative electrode. It is believed that Lim would appreciate the teachings of Lee.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert Scott Carrico whose telephone number is (571)270-5504. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:15AM-5:45PM Eastern.
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Robert Scott Carrico
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/Robert S Carrico/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727