throbber
IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Art Unit
`
`: 1726
`
`Customer No; 035811
`
`Examiner
`Serial No.
`Filed
`Inventors
`
`: Julian Anthony
`: 13/146,669
`: July 28, 2011
`: Eduard Pytlik
`:
`Illa-gen Lindncr
`: Ulrich Barcnthin
`
`Title
`
`: Winfried Gaugicr
`: BUTTON CELLS AND METHOD
`: FOR PRODUCING SAME
`
`Docket No: RUF-l 1—1270
`
`Confirmation No: 6273
`
`Dated: May 2, 2014
`
`RESPONSE
`
`Mail Stop Amendment
`Commissioner for Patents
`PO. Box 1450
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Sir:
`
`In response to the Official Action dated March 27, 2014,
`
`the Applicants amend the
`
`application as follows:
`
`EASTWSMGSO 1.1
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 1 of 8
`PEAG/Audio Partnership v. VARTA
`|PR2020-01212
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 1 of 8
`PEAG/Audio Partnership v. VARTA
`IPR2020-01212
`
`

`

`In the Claims
`
`1.
`
`(Currently Amended) A button cell comprising:
`
`a housing cup and a housing top separated from one another by an electrically
`
`insulating seal and which form a housing with a flat bottom area and a flat top area
`
`parallel to it, and
`
`an electrode—separator assembly within the housing comprising at
`
`least one
`
`positive and at least one negative electrode in the form of flat layers and connected to one
`
`another by at least one flat separator,
`
`wherein the electrode layers are aligned essentially at right angles to the flat
`
`bottom and top areas and the button cell is closed without being beaded over: and the electrode-
`
`separator assembly is in the form ot‘a spiral winding whose end faces face in a direction of the
`
`flat bottom area and the flat top area.
`
`2.
`
`(Previously Presented) The button celi as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
`
`electrodes atrdfor the separator arefis in the form of strips or ribbons.
`
`3.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`4.
`
`(Currently Amended) The button cell as claimed in claim [5]] l, wherein the
`
`winding has an axial cavity in its centeri which axial cavity is at least partially filled by a
`
`winding core.
`
`EAS'IN75846SOI .l
`
`2
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 2 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 2 of 8
`
`

`

`5.
`
`(Previously Presented) The button cell as claimed in claim I, wherein the
`
`electrode—separator assembly has one of the following layer sequences:
`
`negative electrode/separator/positive electi'odefseparatot' and
`
`positive electrode/separator/negative electrode/separator.
`
`6.
`
`{Freviously Presented) The button cell as claimed in claim 1. wherein the positive
`
`electrode and/or the negative electrode arefis connected via an output conductor to the housing in
`
`an area of the flat bottom area and/or of the flat top area.
`
`7.
`
`(Currently Amended) The button cell as claimed in claim [[3]] 1,
`
`further
`
`comprising at least one insulator which prevents direct mechanical and electrical contact between
`
`the end faces of the winding and the flat bottom and top areas.
`
`8.
`
`(Previously Presented) The button cell as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least
`
`one insulator is a flat layer composed of plastic arranged between the end faces of the winding
`
`and the flat bottom and top areas.
`
`9.
`
`(Previously Presented) The button cell as claimed in claim 1, which is
`
`rechargeable.
`
`'10.
`
`(Previously Presented) The button cell as claimed in claim 1, having a
`
`heightzdiameter ratio of < l.
`
`EAST\7584650|.1
`
`D.)
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 3 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 3 of 8
`
`

`

`l 1,
`
`(Previously Presented) A method for producing a button cell according to claim 1,
`
`comprising inserting an electrode-separator assembly with electrodes in the form of a flat layer
`
`into the housing such that the electrode layers are aligned essentially at right angles to the flat
`
`bottom and top areas, wherein the housing comprises a metallic cup part and a metallic top part.
`
`12.
`
`(Previously Presented) The method as claimed in claim 1 1, wherein the electrode—
`
`separator assembly is inserted as a winding.
`
`13.
`
`(Previously Presented) The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:
`
`inserting the winding into the metallic top part, and
`
`inserting the metallic top part with the winding into a metallic cup part.
`
`14.
`
`(Previously Presented) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the winding
`
`is heat-treated on its end faces before being installed, with it being at least for a short time
`
`subjected to a temperature at which the separator is thennoplastically deformable.
`
`liAST\7584650|.l
`
`4
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 4 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 4 of 8
`
`

`

`Remarks
`
`The Applicants have amended Claim 1 to include the subject matter ot‘Claim 3.
`
`Claim 3 has been cancelled in View ol‘the inclusion ofthat subject matter into Claim 1.
`
`Claim 4 has also been amended to depend from Claim 1
`
`in View of the cancellation of
`
`Claim 3.
`
`Finally, Claim 7' has similarly been amended in View of the cancellation of Claim 3.
`
`Entry of the above amendments and cancellation into the official file and consideration
`
`on the merits is respectfully requested.
`
`The Applicants enclose a new Fig. 4 and respectfully request that it be entered into the
`
`official file.
`
`The drawings stand objected to with respect to the claimed insulator which prevents
`
`direct mechanical and electrical contacts between the end faces of the winding and the flat
`
`bottom of top areas must be shown. The Applicants note that original Claim 4 shows such an
`
`insulator with respect to reference numbers 41 l and 412. However, the originally submitted Fig.
`
`4 shows a button cell that is closed in a classical manner with an edge of the cell cup 401 being
`
`beaded inward over an edge of the cell top 402. New Fig. 4 has been modified such that the
`
`button cell 400 is closed without being beaded over in accordance with Claim 1 and, also, in
`
`accordance with the claimed feature wherein the insulator prevents direct and electrical contact
`
`between the end faces of the winding in the flat bottom and top areas. Withdrawal of the
`
`objections to the drawings is respectfully requested.
`
`Claims 1. 2, 6. 10 and 11 stand rejected under 35 USC {$102 as being anticipated by
`
`Nakayama. The Applicants respectfully submit that the rejection is moot in View of the addition
`
`EAS’TWSS‘IGSOH
`
`5
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 5 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 5 of 8
`
`

`

`of the subject matter of Claim 3 into Claim 3. Withdrawal of the rejection is respectfltlly
`
`requested.
`
`Claims 3-5, 9. 12 and 13 stand rejected under 35 USC §103 over the combinatiori of
`
`Suzuki with Nakayama. The Applicants note that the rejection is technically moot with respect
`
`to cancelled Claim 3. Nonetheless, the Applicants will address the substance 01‘ that rejection as
`
`it could theoretically apply to Claims l and ll.
`
`The rejection frankly acknowledges that Nakayama does not disclose a spiral winding.
`
`Hence, the rejection turns to Suzuki for such disclosure. However, the Applicants respectfully
`
`submit that importing the teachings of Suzuki
`
`into Nakayama would still result in a different
`
`button cell and a different method of producing a button cell as recited in Claims 1 and 11.
`
`respectively.
`
`Suzuki indeed discloses a spiral winding (Fig. 2). However, the end faces of the winding
`
`in Fig. 2 of Suzuki do not face in the direction of the flat bottom area and the flat top area. This
`
`difference is important. The Applicants explain in para. [0020] of their specification that a right—
`
`angled alignment of electrode layers (to the flat bottom and top areas)
`
`is unexpectedly
`
`advantageous. Lithium electrodes have a volume expansion and shrink during charging and
`
`discharging. It'a lithium electrode is in the form ot'a flat layer, in particular in the form ofa flat
`
`layer being spirally winded,
`
`the expansion/shrink .is directional. Mechanical forces resulting
`
`from the expansion/shrink do act in this case in a radial direction much stronger than in an axial
`
`direction.
`
`This allows the use of a housing of a housing cup and a housing top which is closed
`
`without being headed over. All mechanical forces resulting from the charging and discharging
`
`processes can be absorbed by the (radial) casing area and not by the flat bottom and top areas.
`
`EASTWSMGSO} .l
`
`6
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 6 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 6 of 8
`
`

`

`Mach or suggesi [115:5 unexpecied advantage and inherently fang '{0 disclnse, teach or suggest the
`
`Structure which msuli’s in this advantage.
`
`i‘feme, even ifcme skilkd in the art, were“. m import. the
`
`teachings of Suzuki inm Nakayama as set forth in the rejemim. both the ranking ‘bmmn cells
`
`and: the mathod of making such a button ceii would he: diff‘erem from the subjsc: matter of
`
`iimependem {liaim l. Withdrawal! ofthe mieci‘mn is accurdingiy respectfuliy requssied.
`
`Ciaims '7, 8 and 14 stand reiected under 35 USC §1{}3 owr {316 further combinatinn 0f
`
`Cantavc with Suzuki and Namyama.
`
`'fhe Applicants rcspectfuiiy submit than Cantata-“e fails to
`
`cure the dei'icimcies set. {mm abn‘ve with respect in the mmbination of Suzuki with Nakayama.
`
`\‘v"i£hdt‘3W31 Dfihi: mkcfian is respectfuiiy requcsmd.
`
`in light m" 1119 foregoing, the Appficams raspectfuily submit ma: the emire application is
`
`now in C(mdi‘mn for anuwance, which is reasptcifuiiy submii'ied.
`
`$3. submineat
`Respect
`
`i“ ““
`
`‘1‘. DamiE'l Chrismnimry
`Reg. No. 31,?50
`
`"rmrrvp
`{325) 556438:
`
`EASTWS 8465!}! .1
`
`7
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 7 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 7 of 8
`
`

`

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`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 8 of 8
`
`VARTA Ex. 2058 Page 8 of 8
`
`

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