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 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Claim 3, Lines 9-10, “a diameter of each of the two air outlet” should read “a diameter of each of the two air outlets” (plural).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakata et al (JP2017152075 cited in IDS with references to the machine English translation provided herewith) in view of Cho (PGPub 2018/0006321 cited in IDS).
Regarding Claim 1, Sakata teaches an electrode supply device [0001] comprising:
a magazine part configured to include a plurality of stacked electrodes (Fig. 1- tray 11);
an electrode pick-up part configured to pick up a first electrode disposed at an uppermost side among the plurality of stacked electrodes (Fig. 1- transport mechanism 18); and
an air supply part configured to inject air between the first electrode and the second electrode, which adjoins the first electrode (Fig. 1- nozzles 15, 16), to reduce pressure between electrodes and on the lower surface of the second electrode ([0012]- blowing air between electrode plates; [0039]- floating uppermost electrode plates 1 and 2 in air layer 25; Fig. 1- air layer 25).
Sakata does not teach injecting air toward an upper surface of the first electrode to reduce pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode.
Cho teaches an alternative electrode supply device (Abstract) wherein air is injected toward an upper surface of the first electrode to reduce pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode (Fig. 5- air jet hole 41; static pressure p2) in order to stably lift the top electrode plate sufficiently to facilitate easier absorption by the gripper [0064]-[0066].
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 device of Sakata to include injecting air toward an upper surface of the first electrode to reduce pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode as taught by Cho with reasonable expectation of success to stably lift the top electrode plate sufficiently to facilitate easier absorption by the gripper [0064]-[0066].
Regarding Claim 2, Sakata further teaches the electrode pick-up part comprises: an electrode fixing part configured to fix the first electrode (Fig. 1- absorption portions 18A); and an electrode transfer part configured to transfer the first electrode, which is fixed by the fixing part (Fig. 1- transport mechanism 18), to a stack table (Fig. 1- storage platform 22).
Regarding Claim 3, Sakata teaches the air supply part comprises: an air injection port configured to be injected through with air (not shown but necessarily exists to supply nozzles 15, 16);
two air outlets, configured to inject air between electrodes and to the lower surface of the second electrode (Fig. 1- nozzle 15, 16); and
a flow path configured to connect the air injection port and the two air outlets (not shown but necessarily exists to supply nozzles 15, 16), and
wherein the two air outlets have a shape in which a diameter of each of the two air outlets gradually decreases in an air injection direction.
Cho further teaches an air outlet configured to inject air to the upper surface of the first electrode (Fig. 5- air jet hole 41).
Cho further teaches modifying the shape of the sidewall of the air jet hole to induce an eddy flow of air and blow symmetrically on the component to avoid tipping the component in any one direction [0059]-[0061].
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 combination of Sakata and Cho to include a specific air jet hole (nozzle) shape as taught by Cho with reasonable expectation of success to induce an eddy flow of air and blow symmetrically on the component to avoid tipping the component in any one direction [0059]-[0061].
Regarding Claim 5, Sakata teaches an electrode supply method [0001] comprising:
lowering a pressure between a first electrode, which is disposed at an uppermost side among a plurality of electrodes stacked in a magazine part, and second electrode and also lowering a pressure on an lower surface of a second electrode adjoining the first electrode ([0012]- blowing air between electrode plates; [0039]- floating uppermost electrode plates 1 and 2 in air layer 25; Fig. 1- air layer 25); and
picking up the first electrode to transfer and supply the first electrode to a stack table (Fig. 1- conveyance means 18).
Sakata does not teach lowering a pressure on an upper surface of the first electrode.
Cho teaches an alternative electrode supply device (Abstract) wherein air is injected toward an upper surface of the first electrode to reduce pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode (Fig. 5- air jet hole 41; static pressure p2) in order to stably lift the top electrode plate sufficiently to facilitate easier absorption by the gripper [0064]-[0066].
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 device of Sakata to include injecting air toward an upper surface of the first electrode to reduce pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode as taught by Cho with reasonable expectation of success to stably lift the top electrode plate sufficiently to facilitate easier absorption by the gripper [0064]-[0066].
Regarding Claim 6, Sakata further teaches the picking up the first electrode to transfer and supply the first electrode to the stack table comprises: fixing the first electrode, forming a fixed first electrode (Fig. 1- absorption portions 18A); and transferring the fixed first electrode (Fig. 1- transport mechanism 18) to the stack table (Fig. 1- storage platform 22).
Regarding Claim 7, Sakata and Cho further teaches the lowering of the pressure on the upper surface of the first electrode and also lowering the pressure on the lower surface of the second electrode comprises: injecting air toward the upper surface of the first electrode (Cho Fig. 5- air jet hole 41; static pressure p2) and toward the lower surface of the second electrode (Sakata [0012]- blowing air between electrode plates; Sakata [0039]- floating uppermost electrode plates 1 and 2 in air layer 25; Sakata Fig. 1- air layer 25).
Claims 4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakata et al (JP2017152075 cited in IDS with references to the machine English translation provided herewith) in view of Cho (PGPub 2018/0006321 cited in IDS) and Lee et al (KR-20210049297)
Regarding Claim 4, Sakata teaches an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus [0001], which manufactures an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are alternately disposed between folds of a folded separator (Fig. 6), the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a positive electrode supply part configured to supply the positive electrode to a stack table (Fig. 1);
a negative electrode supply part configured to supply the negative electrode to the stack table (Fig. 1);
a separator supply part configured to supply the folded separator to the stack table (Fig. 6- implied by the presence of separator 8);
the stack table, which is configured to be a surface on which a stack is manufactured (Fig. 1- storage platform 22),
wherein the stack has a shape in which the positive electrode and the negative electrode are alternately disposed between folds of the folded separator (Fig. 6); and
wherein at least one of the positive electrode supply part and the negative electrode supply part comprises the electrode supply device according to claim 1 (See rejection of Claim 1 above).
Sakata and Cho do not specify a pressing part configured to manufacture the electrode assembly by bonding the positive electrode, the folded separator, and the negative electrode by heating and pressing the stack.
Lee teaches an alternative electrode assembly device [0001] comprising a pressing part configured to manufacture the electrode assembly by bonding the positive electrode, the folded separator, and the negative electrode by heating and pressing the stack [0014] in order to improve the adhesion between the electrode and the separator while simplifying the process in the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, and minimizing damage to the electrode assembly [0012].
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 combination of Sakata and Cho to include heat pressing the electrode assembly as taught by Lee with reasonable expectation of success to improve the adhesion between the electrode and the separator while simplifying the process in the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, and minimizing damage to the electrode assembly [0012].
Regarding Claim 8, Sakata teaches an electrode assembly manufacturing method [0001], which manufactures an electrode assembly in which a positive and a negative electrode are alternately disposed between folds of a folded separator (Fig.6), the electrode assembly manufacturing method comprising:
supplying the positive electrode to a stack table (Fig. 1);
supplying the negative electrode to the stack table (Fig. 1);
supplying the folded separator to the stack table (Fig. 6- implied by the presence of separator 8);
manufacturing a stack by stacking the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode on a stack table (Fig. 6; Fig. 1- storage platform 22),
wherein the stack is in a shape in which the positive electrode and the negative electrode electrodes are alternately disposed between folds of the folded separator (Fig. 6); and
wherein at least one of the supplying of the positive electrode to the stack table and the supplying of the negative electrode to the stack table comprises the electrode supply method according to claim 5 (See rejection of Claim 5 above).
Sakata and Cho do not specify manufacturing the electrode assembly by bonding the positive electrode, the folded separator, and the negative electrode by heating and pressing the stack.
Lee teaches an alternative electrode assembly method [0001] comprising manufacturing the electrode assembly by bonding the positive electrode, the folded separator, and the negative electrode by heating and pressing the stack [0014] in order to improve the adhesion between the electrode and the separator while simplifying the process in the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, and minimizing damage to the electrode assembly [0012].
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 combination of Sakata and Cho to include heat pressing the electrode assembly as taught by Lee with reasonable expectation of success to improve the adhesion between the electrode and the separator while simplifying the process in the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, and minimizing damage to the electrode assembly [0012].
Conclusion
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/A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1748 8/20/26
/Abbas Rashid/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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