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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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, 2, and 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sohn et al. (KR101871341B1- Machine translation provided herein).
Regarding claim 1, Sohn teaches a notching apparatus for secondary batteries ([0012] Although the film material constant velocity transfer device described below is applied to an electrode notching system for forming an electrode tab by punching an edge portion of an electrode film constituting an electrode plate of a secondary battery as a film material), the apparatus comprising:
a notching processing part (punch 3; Figure 1) provided on a transport path of an electrode film to create an electrode tab on the electrode film ([0014]);
a first variable roller (front buffer roll 40; Figure 1) positioned in front of the notching processing part based on a proceeding direction of the electrode film and provided to be movable ([0013] front buffer roll 40 which periodically absorbs the displacement of the electrode film F by the constant speed conveying unit and a front buffer roll 40 which is disposed between the film roll 1 and the feeding roll 10 and continuously reciprocates);
a first fixed roller (tension application rolls 21 and back buffer roll 60; Figure 1) fixedly placed near the first variable roller (see auxiliary tension application rolls 21 and back buffer roll 60 near front buffer roll 40 in Figure 1);
a second variable roller (rear buffer roll; Figure 1) positioned at a rear of the notching processing part based on the proceeding direction of the electrode film and provided to be movable ([0019] when the front buffer roll 40 moves forward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves forward at the same speed, and when the front buffer roll 40 moves backward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves backward at the same speed And absorbs the transport displacement of the electrode film (F) while moving); and
a second fixed roller (auxiliary constant speed roll 31 and back buffer roll 60; Figure 1) fixedly placed near the second variable roller (see auxiliary constant speed roll 31 and back buffer roll 60 near rear buffer roll 50 in Figure 1).
Regarding claim 2, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the notching processing part comprises an upper mold (punch 3; Figure 1) and a lower mold (die 2; Figure 1) placed facing each other above and below the electrode film with the electrode film in between ([0014]).
Regarding claim 4, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first variable roller and the second variable roller are provided to be able to move both in a forward direction same as the proceeding direction of the electrode film and in a reverse direction opposite to the proceeding direction ([0019] when the front buffer roll 40 moves forward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves forward at the same speed, and when the front buffer roll 40 moves backward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves backward at the same speed And absorbs the transport displacement of the electrode film (F) while moving).
Regarding claim 5, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first variable roller and the second variable roller are provided to move a same distance in a same direction ([0019] when the front buffer roll 40 moves forward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves forward at the same speed, and when the front buffer roll 40 moves backward, the rear buffer roll 50 also moves backward at the same speed And absorbs the transport displacement of the electrode film (F) while moving; see Figure 3 where both variable rollers move at the same speed for the same amount of time such that the distance is the same).
Regarding claim 6, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 5. Further, Sohn teaches all the structural limitations of claim 1, 4, and 5 such that the apparatus would be capable of setting a movement distance of the first variable roller and the second variable roller so that a portion where a next electrode tab is to be processed on the electrode film reaches a notching position in the notching processing part. Paragraph [0008] describes how the electrode film is continuously generated without stopping or breaking and paragraphs [0029]- [0034] describe how the electrode film F moves forward after the electrode tab is formed such that another portion of the electrode film reaches a notching position in the notching processing part and can then be processed to form a next electrode tab.
Regarding claim 7, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first variable roller and the second variable roller participate in a transport of the electrode film ([0013] A front buffer roll 40 which periodically absorbs the displacement of the electrode film F by the constant speed conveying unit and a front buffer roll 40 which is disposed between the film roll 1 and the feeding roll 10 and continuously reciprocates And a back buffer roll (50) which periodically absorbs displacement of the electrode film (F) unwound from the feeding roll (10)), and the electrode film is provided to be wound around at least a portion of an outer periphery of the first variable roller and around at least a portion of an outer periphery of the second variable roller (see electrode film F wrapped around outer periphery of first and second variable roller in Figure 1 and Figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first fixed roller is placed ahead of the first variable roller based on the proceeding direction of the electrode film (see tension applying rolls 21 ahead of front buffer roll in Figure 1 and Figure 2).
Regarding claim 9, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second fixed roller is placed behind the second variable roller based on the proceeding direction of the electrode film (see auxiliary constant velocity roll 31 behind rear buffer roll 50 in Figure 1 and Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first variable roller and the second variable roller are independently moved by separately provided respective moving parts ([0021] The front buffer roll 40 and the rear buffer roll 50 may each be configured to reciprocate horizontally back and forth by respective linear motion units but).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sohn et al. (KR101871341B1- Machine translation provided herein), and further in view of Choi et al. (US20160036085).
Regarding claim 3, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
However, Sohn fails to teach wherein the notching processing part simultaneously creates multiple electrode tabs on the electrode film with a single shearing process.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to fabricating secondary batteries, Choi teaches a notching processing part simultaneously creates multiple electrode tabs on the electrode film with a single shearing process ([0007]- [0008]). A multi-tab electrode assembly can greatly reduce the area which a current collector occupies ([0007] Since the multi-tabs serve as the current collector, the area of the current collector occupied in the can may be greatly reduced, as compared to an area of a current collector that does not include a multi-tab electrode).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the notching processing part of Sohn simultaneously create multiple electrode tabs on the electrode film with a single shearing process, as taught by Choi, for the benefit of reducing the area which a current collector occupies.
Claim(s) 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sohn et al. (KR101871341B1- Machine translation provided herein), and further in view of Lee et al. (KR101240968B1- Machine translation provided herein).
Regarding claim 11, Sohn teaches the apparatus of claim 10.
Sohn teaches the moving parts are a linear motion unit that may be a linear motor or a linear motion device using a ball screw and a servo motor ([0021] The linear motion unit for linearly reciprocating the front buffer roll 40 and the rear buffer roll 50 may be a linear motor or a linear motion device using a ball screw and a servo motor), but fails to explicitly teach the linear motion unit structure, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related art for linear motion unit structures.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to processing films through tensioned webs, Lee teaches a roller (transporting conveying roller 150; Figure 2) moving in a horizontal direction by a moving part ([0053] The moving conveying roller 150 is moved in the horizontal direction along the guide part 170), wherein the moving part comprises:
a shaft part on which the first variable roller or the second variable roller is rotatably installed (see annotated Figure 5 below);
a moving body connected to the shaft part and provided so that the first variable roller or the second variable roller may move ([0053] The moving conveying roller 150 is moved in the horizontal direction along the guide part 170; see annotated Figure 5 below);
a power generation part (driving motor unit 165; Figure 5) provided to supply external force to the moving body ([0068] The driving motor unit 165 is configured to provide an external force to move the transporting transport roller 150 in the horizontal direction); and
a power transmission part (pinion gear 165a; Figure 5) provided to transmit external force of the power generation part to the moving body ([0068]). Further, Lee teaches the power transmission part may be a ball screw or a lead screw configuration which can be selected according to a user’s needs ([0046] The rack gear and the pinion gear do not necessarily have to be limited to the rack gear and the pinion gear, It is also possible to adopt a configuration of a ball screw or a lead screw, which can be selected according to the needs of the practitioner, and such a design change should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present invention).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art for the linear motion unit of Sohn to comprise a shaft part on which the first variable roller or the second variable roller is rotatably installed, a moving body connected to the shaft part and provided so that the first variable roller or the second variable roller may move, a power generation part, and a power transmission part, as taught by Lee, to achieve the predictable result of imparting a linear motion to the first variable roller and the second variable roller. There would have been a reasonable expectation of success for the linear motion unit of Sohn to comprise the linear motion components of Lee, since both Sohn and Lee are directed to web tensioning rollers that horizontally reciprocate. As noted above, Sohn teaches a linear motion unit that may be a linear motor or a linear motion device using a ball screw and a servo motor, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to the linear motion unit of Lee to identify the structure that horizontally reciprocates web tensioning rollers.
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Regarding claim 12, Sohn modified with Lee teaches the apparatus of claim 11.
As noted in the rejection of claim 11 above, Sohn teaches the linear motion device may use a ball screw and a servo motor, and Lee teaches the power transmission part may be a ball screw or a lead screw configuration which can be selected according to a user’s needs.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art for the power transmission part of Sohn modified with Lee to comprise a rotating body configured to rotate forward and reversely by the power generation part and screw threads formed on an outer periphery thereof; and a conversion part configured to extend from the moving body toward the rotating body and be helically connected to the rotating body to convert a rotational motion of the rotating body into a reciprocating linear motion, to achieve the predictable result of a power transmission part with a lead screw configuration that provides linear reciprocating motion to a web tensioning roller.
There would have been a reasonable expectation of success for the linear motion unit of Sohn to comprise the linear motion components of Lee, since both Sohn and Lee are directed to web tensioning rollers that horizontally reciprocate. As noted above, Sohn teaches a linear motion unit that may be a linear motor or a linear motion device using a ball screw and a servo motor, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to the linear motion unit of Lee to identify the structure that horizontally reciprocates web tensioning rollers.
Conclusion
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/ARIELLA MACHNESS/ Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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