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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's reply filed 6/23/2026 includes claim amendments and corresponding arguments. The Claim Objection (Claim 13) set forth in the previous action has been withdrawn/rendered moot due to Applicant’s cancellation of Claim 13.
Applicant argues the art of record does not disclose all limitations set forth in amended Claims 1 and 8. Applicant’s amendments to Claim 1 include a limitation that is not generic to all embodiments of the instant invention (“the first protruding portion is intersected with the second protruding portion”). However, Examiner notes dependent Claim 4 is drawn to another embodiment that does not have the first protruding portion intersecting with the second protruding portion. See 35 USC 112(a) Section in this action for more detail.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the prior art (Zhou and modifying references) not teaching amended Claims 1 and 8 is persuasive. After an updated search and consideration, the claimed invention remains obvious, but over new prior art (Wei, Ganton, and Song). See updated action below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation invention “the first protruding portion is intersected with the second protruding portion” on the last two lines of the claim. This limitation is supported by the embodiment shown in instant Figs. 1-3 and described in [0042-0044] of the published application.
Claim 4 recites “the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector are equal in height.” Although the limitation is disclosed in the instant specification, the limitation is drawn to a different embodiment than Claim 1. See [0052] of the instant specification: “As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in one embodiment, the positive electrode connector 21 and the negative electrode connector 22 are equal in height.” It is also clear that the embodiment of Figs. 7-9 does not have a structure that permits the first protruding portion (21) to intersect with the second protruding portion (22), as required by Claim 1.
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17/789,960 – Fig. 1 (L) and Fig. 8 (R)
Please amend Claim 1 to be generic to the embodiments described in the dependent claims, or amend dependent Claim 4 accordingly.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 recites “the first protruding portion is intersected with the second protruding portion” on the last two lines of the claim. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the instant specification, the “intersected” limitation may be met by the first and second protruding portions crossing paths with each other when viewed from a certain direction.
Since the instant drawings and written description do not disclose “intersected” also means the protruding portions are in physical contact with other, this will not be required for the prior art to meet the limitation. This interpretation appears to be consistent with the instant invention, see Examiner’s annotations to instant Figs. 1-2:
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17/789,960 – Figs. 1 (left) and 2 (right) Annotated by Examiner
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-5, and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei et al., WO 2021102976 A1, and further in view of Ganton et al., US 20180177061 A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Wei discloses an energy storage device (battery 100, Figs. 1-12), comprising a device body (battery body 10 [0039]), an electric connector (electrical connection structure 30 [0047]) and an insulating member (insulating member 15, layer 40, film 50 [0044-0054]),
the device body comprises a top, a bottom, and a side wall between the top and bottom (top wall 111, bottom wall 113, side wall 115 [0040]) and has a positive electrode region and a negative electrode region which are insulated from each other (tab 175 is the positive tab, tab 173 is the negative tab, insulated to prevent short circuits [0045-0048]);
the electric connector comprises a positive electrode connector connected to the positive electrode region (tab 175 is electrically connected to the cell body 171 and the terminal post 12 [0045]) and a negative electrode connector connected to the negative electrode region (tab 173 is electrically connected to the cell body 171 and the outer casing 11 [0045]);
a first part of the electric connector is connected with the positive electrode region (first terminal 31/35/33 is electrically connected to the terminal post 12 [0047]);
a second part of the electric connector protrudes outward from the device body (second terminal 32/34 [0053], see protrusion direction in Figs. 10, 11);
the insulating member comprises an insulating sleeve (40/50) and an insulating layer (insulating member 15), a first end of one of the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector is provided with the insulating sleeve (40) which prevents the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector from shorting (insulating layers 40 prevent terminal portions 33/35 from contacting the housing 11, thereby preventing short circuits [0048]), and a second end is provided with the insulating layer (insulating member 15 is disposed between the outer casing 11 and the terminal post
12, connected to terminal 31 [0044], Fig. 5), and
the insulating member is provided on the device body and configured to prevent the device from shorting ([0048]), wherein the positive electrode connector is provided with the insulating member ([0044-0048]), and
one of the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector is connected to the side wall and extends in a vertical direction to form a first protruding portion (second terminal 34 extends from film 50 along the direction of the sidewall 115 [0054], Fig. 10), the other one of the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector is connected to the top or the bottom and extends in a horizontal direction to form a second protruding portion (first terminal 33 is disposed along the plane of the top wall [0007], extends along the direction of the top wall 111 [0051], Figs. 1, 6, 10) and the first protruding portion is intersected with the second protruding portion (Fig. 10).
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Wei – Fig. 10
The limitation “to connect an electronic module for supplying power” is considered intended use and is given weight to the extent that the prior art is capable of performing the intended use. A recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. In the instant case, Wei discloses the battery is capable of performing the intended use (battery can be connected to other batteries in series and parallel, and also can be “electrically connected to external electronic components” [0058-0059]).
Wei discloses the second terminal is connected (but not welded) to the side wall. Wei does not disclose how the first terminal is connected to the top of the battery. However, Ganton et al. teaches welding as a connection method for first and second battery terminals.
Ganton teaches a coin cell battery 250 comprising first and second battery terminals (conductive tabs 230 and 240 [0028], Fig. 2). Ganton teaches the first and second tabs can be connected to positive and negative terminals of the battery, and “may be joined or attached to the coin cell battery 250 by a technique known in the art such as soldering or welding” ([0028]).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art connect the first and second terminals to the side and top surfaces of the battery by welding, as Ganton teaches welding as a connection method well known in the art.
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Ganton – Fig. 2
Regarding Claim 3, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses the positive electrode region is located at the top or the bottom (Wei, first terminal 33 extends along the direction of the top wall 111), and the negative electrode region is located at the side wall (Wei, second terminal 34 extends along the direction of the sidewall 115; see Wei Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 4, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses a preferable embodiment of the battery, wherein the first terminal 33 and the second terminal 34 are arranged in parallel (Wei, [0055], see equal heights of 33 and 34 in Figs. 6-7).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have the claimed “protruding parts of the positive electrode connector and the negative electrode connector extending from the device body in a first direction are equal in height,” as modified Wei teaches this orientation as a preferred embodiment.
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Wei – Fig. 6
Regarding Claim 5, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses the electric connector is in the shape of a sheet or a strip (Wei, first and second terminals may be an electronic wire or conductive sheet [0010-0012]), and the insulating member is sleeved on an end of the electric connector (Wei, insulating member 15 disposed between outer casing 11 and terminal post 12 [0043-0044], see annular shape of insulating member 15 in Fig. 5; see also Wei film 50, Figs. 6-10).
Regarding Claim 10, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses the insulating member is an adhesive tape, a plastic tube or a rubber tube (Wei, insulating component may be plastic or rubber [0044]).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses the insulating member comprises a first insulating member (top portion of 50, see Annotated Fig. 10) and a second insulating member (side portion of 50, see Annotated Fig. 10), the first insulating member is provided between the device body and the second part of the electric connector (Wei,), and the second insulating member is provided outside the first part of the electric connector (Wei, first terminal 33 is exposed from the encapsulation film 50 [0050], Fig. 1).
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Wei, Fig. 1 (L) and Annotated Fig. 10 (R)
Regarding Claim 12, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei meets the limitations of Claim 12 in an alternate embodiment: “encapsulation film 50 is integrally molded onto the entire battery body 10 by injection molding, and covers the area of the electrical connection structure 30 except for the first output terminal 33 and the second output terminal 34” (Wei, [0058], Fig. 12).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, it would have been obvious to a person
of ordinary skill in the art to have the insulating layer (Wei, 50) comprise an upper, lower, and side insulating layer, with a protruding portion of the electric connector protruding from a gap between the side insulating layer and the device body, as modified Wei teaches applying the insulation layer over the entire battery surface in an alternate embodiment.
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Wei, Fig. 12
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Wei as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Song et al., CN 202231234 U.
Regarding Claims 8 and 9, modified Wei discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Wei discloses the positive electrode connector sequentially comprises a welding portion (first terminal portion 31), a guide portion (metal sheet 35) and a lead-out section (first terminal portion 33),
the welding portion is welded on the device body (see Wei modified by Ganton in Claim 1), the guide portion is connected with the welding portion (Wei, metal sheet 35 connects the first terminal 31 and the first terminal 33 [0047]),
the lead-out section comprises a wire (Wei, the first output terminal 33 can be an electronic wire [0049], Fig. 10) covered with the insulating layer to connect the electronic module for supplying power (Wei, insulating layers 40 may be provided between the first output terminal 33 and the housing 11 [0048]), one end of the lead-out section is welded on the guide portion (Wei, the first output terminal 33
is electrically connected to metal sheet 35 [0047]).
Modified Wei does not disclose “the guide portion is configured to guide a lead-out direction of the lead-out section so as to adjust a protruding direction of the positive electrode connector” as required by Claim 8. Modified Wei also does not disclose “a positioning structure is provided on the guide portion and capable of holding the wire” as required by Claim 9. However, these limitations are taught by Song.
Song teaches a battery electrode terminal connection structure (Fig. 4) comprising a guide portion (engagement connection 10 [0045], Fig. 4) which guides a lead-out direction of a lead-out section so as to adjust a protruding direction of the positive electrode connector (step 8 is provided at the boundary between the main body and the connecting part, is used to fix the lead wire and prevent the lead wire from protruding too far on the terminal [0045-0046]). Song also teaches a positioning structure is provided on the guide portion, and the positioning structure is capable of holding the wire (end of the lead wire 4 is inserted into the engagement hole 9; hole 9 is a structure for positioning the connection between the terminal piece 1 and the lead wire 4 [0045-0046]).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, it would have been obvious to a person
of ordinary skill in the art to configure the guide portion of modified Wei to guide the lead-out section using a positioning structure, as Song teaches the positioning structure prevents the lead wire from shifting, and prevents defects.
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Song – Annotated Fig. 4
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETHANY C GARCIA whose telephone number is (571)272-2475. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 0800 - 1730 MT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allison Bourke can be reached at 303-297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BETHANY C GARCIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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