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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 3/26/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10 is indefinite because it is unclear what is meant by “welding units being on opposite sides about a transfer central axis of the electrode plate”. What is a transfer axis? Is this an axis that the electrode plate moves along? Where is the electrode plate being transferred to? Is this an axis when removing the electrode plate from the apparatus? The Examiner requests that the Applicant please clarify what is meant by “transfer axis”. For the purpose of examination, the transfer axis can be any axis.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca et al. (2022/0181702A1) in view of Kim (KR2023-0108775A) and Umehara et al. (2023/0187599A1).
Regarding claim 1, Busacca discloses an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a welding unit contacting an electrode plate (ultrasonic welding device, paragraph 0237); a coating unit 1800 configured to apply an insulating material (paragraph 0238);
Busacca does disclose an imaging unit with a controller (user interface) (paragraph 0149) wherein the controller controls an imaging unit, but does not specifically disclose imaging the welded-surface imaging unit being configured to capture an image of the welded surface. However, Kim discloses an ultrasonic welding apparatus with a vision inspection system and a control unit for inspecting the weld (abstract). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to have a camera with a controller for inspecting an ultrasonic weld because it allows the user to efficiently determine if the weld performed correctly before proceeding to the next step in the process.
Busacca discloses a coating unit and moving the electrode from an ultrasonic welding unit to a coating/packaging station (paragraphs 0237-0238), but does not disclose a control unit electrically connected to the coating unit. However, Umehara discloses a coating device for coating an insulating layer on a battery electrode wherein the coating device uses an image inspection unit and a controller to control the amount of coating being applied (paragraphs 0007, 0073-0074). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to have the control unit be connected to the coating unit so that the amount of insulating material being applied to the battery electrode can be controlled to prevent either over coating or undercoating the battery which could render the battery useless.
The limitation “an electrode plate, the electrode plate including a stack of a plurality of substrates” is material worked upon and does not further limit the apparatus. With that being said, Busacca does disclose and electrode plate with a plurality of substrates (abstract, paragraph 0237-0238).
The limitation “for manufacturing an electrode plate for a secondary battery” is intended use and does not further limit the structure of the apparatus.
The limitation “the welding unit being configured to weld the plurality of substrates in a thickness direction, resulting in a welded surface is functional and is dependent on the material worked upon. This does not further limit the structure of the apparatus. With that being said, Busacca does disclose the welding unit being configured to weld the plurality of substrates in a thickness direction, resulting in a welded surface (paragraphs 0236-0238).
The limitation of the insulating material being coated “onto the welded surface of the electrode plate, resulting in a coated insulating material” is functional and does not further limit the structure of the apparatus. With that being said, Busacca does disclose applying a coating of insulating material on the stacked cell (including the electrode plate) (paragraph 0238).
Regarding claim 2, Busacca discloses that the welding unit is an ultrasonic welding unit (paragraph 0237).
Regarding claim 3, Umehara discloses a drying unit configured to apply heat to the coated insulating material, resulting in a dried insulating material (paragraphs 0066-0069).
Regarding claim 4, Umehara discloses a coating-layer imaging unit outside the electrode plate, the coating-layer imaging unit being configured to capture an image of the coated insulating material (paragraphs 0007, 0073-0074).
Regarding claim 5, Umehara discloses that the control unit is configured to receive, from the coating-layer imaging unit, information about a coating layer and to control operation of the coating unit (paragraphs 0007, 0073-0074).
Regarding claim 6, Umehara discloses that the controller a drying-amount measuring unit outside the electrode plate, the drying-amount measuring unit being configured to capture an image of the dried insulating material (paragraph 0074).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses that the welding unit comprises: an anvil facing one side of the electrode plate; and a horn facing the anvil with the electrode plate therebetween, the horn being configured to weld the electrode plate by applying ultrasonic waves while pressing the electrode plate on the anvil (description of figures, figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 10, Busacca does not specifically disclose the welding unit comprises a plurality of welding units, the plurality of welding units being on opposite sides about a transfer central axis of the electrode plate. However, this just a duplication of parts. Having multiple welding units would allow multiple areas or parts to be welded at the same time. This would cut down on production costs and time.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca et al. (2022/0181702A1) in view of Kim (KR2023-0108775A) and Umehara et al. (2023/0187599A1) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Architecture Lab (https://www.architecturelab.net/can-thermal-imaging-detect-moisture/, 1/5/2023).
Regarding claim 7, Umehara discloses using cameras and controllers with a drying furnace. Umehara does not specifically disclose that the control unit receives, from the drying-amount measuring unit, information on a drying amount of a coating layer, the control unit controlling operation of the drying unit. However, Architecture Lab discloses that it is known to use thermal imaging camera to determine a thermal gradient of a surface to determine if something is wet/dry. Thermal imaging is well known and it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of the invention to use thermal imaging with the drying of the insulation layer to ensure that the entire layer is dried. If it does not dry properly, areas where it is not dry can be accidentally removed exposing the surface of the electrode plate.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Busacca et al. (2022/0181702A1) in view of Kim (KR2023-0108775A) and Umehara et al. (2023/0187599A1) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view Inoue et al. (2001/0028978A1)
Regarding claim 9, Busacca does not specifically disclose that the anvil and the horn contact the electrode plate, each of the anvil and the horn being rotatable around a preset axis of rotation. However, Inoue discloses a ultrasonic welding apparatus for welding battery electrodes that uses a rotating anvil and rotating ultrasonic horn (paragraph 0012, claim 9). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to use a rotatable ultrasonic horn and anvil because it allows the workpieces to be produced continuously (paragraph 0012). This would cut down on production costs and time.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN B SAAD whose telephone number is (571)270-3634. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30a-6p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIN B SAAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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