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 Amendment
This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed 3/11/26. Claims 1 and 10 are amended. Claims 1-10, 15-22, and 24 are rejected finally for the reasons provided below.
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.
Claims 1-10, 15-22, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (CN 207896134) in view of Kugino et al. (US 2013/0177803).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Huang teaches a power battery ([0004]-[0005], [0016]) including a power battery cover, or power battery cover assembly (Figures 1-6, [0029]), comprising:
a top cover (4);
a copper-aluminum composite terminal, or negative electrode column (6), disposed to pass through the top cover (4), and comprising a copper base body part, or copper electrode column (62), and an aluminum base body part, or aluminum electrode column (61), wherein the copper-aluminum composite terminal (6) of Huang has the claimed structure, as seen in in annotated Figures 5 and 6 below:
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Huang further teaches that the end surfaces of the columns are connected by friction welding, which the skilled artisan will recognize as forming a composite connection surface ([0029]).
Huang teaches a seal, or sealing ring (5), between the terminal (6) and the top cover (4); an upper plastic insulator, or negative electrode upper plastic (2), and a lower plastic insulator, or negative electrode lower plastic part (7) (Figure 2, [0026]).
With further regard to claims 1 and 10, Huang fails to teach specifically the claimed seal structure.
Kugino teaches a power battery cover comprising a top cover, or lid (2), a terminal (3), and a seal having a cylindrical first sealing part, or resin material (6’), a ring-shaped second sealing part, or annular elastic member (4), and a ring-shaped third sealing part, or resin gasket (5), wherein the sealing parts have relative diameters as claimed (Figures 3-5). Kugino further teaches that the seal structure has sufficient seal performance after start of use of a battery ([0009], [0034]-[0036]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to form the seal of Huang having the structure of Kugino in order to maintain seal performance.
With further regard to claims 1 and 10, Kugino teaches that the ring-shaped second sealing part, or elastic member (4), and ring-shaped third sealing part, or resin gasket (5), may be integrally formed, allowing a reduction in number of components ([0017]). The skilled artisan will easily understand that reducing a number of components is desirable, for example, for reducing the places where failure can occur. While Kugino does not specifically teach that the cylindrical first sealing part (6) may be formed integrally with the ring-shaped second sealing part (4), it has been held that making integral that which was separate is not inventive, and the examiner finds that it would have been obvious to form the cylindrical first sealing part integrally with the ring-shaped second sealing part in order to reduce a number of components. MPEP 2144.04 V B
Further regarding claims 1 and 10 and with regard to claims 2-4 and 15-17, Huang fails to teach specifically that the seal wraps the composite connection surface. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to change the shape of the seal of Huang in order to ensure proper and complete sealing of the power battery such as to ensure that the flip sheet works as intended, and that gas does not leak out of other portions of the cover. It has been held that changes in shape are generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (IV B)
With regard to claims 5-6 and 18-19, Huang teaches fixing the terminal in a stamping member by stamping, or riveting, the upper end surface of the terminal (6) in a riveting block (1) (Figure 2, [0029]).
As for claims 7-8, 20-21, and 24, it is seen in Figures 4-6, that the riveting block (2) comprises the claimed step hole such that the terminal fits as claimed, and in Figures 2 and 4 that the riveting block comprises a counter bore. With further regard to claim 24 and the relative sizes of the first step hole and counter bore, the examiner finds that it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to change the size or proportion of the hole and bore to ensure proper fit of the terminal in the top cover. It has been held that changes in size/proportion of relative dimensions of a prior art device is within the ordinary level of skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 IV A
With regard to claims 9 and 22, it is seen in Figures 2 and 4 that the upper plastic insulator (2) comprises an accommodation groove for the riveting block (1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/11/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner finds that it would have been obvious to form the claimed components integrally as suggested by Kugino and supported by the rationale of MPEP 2144.04 as discussed above.
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 ALIX ECHELMEYER EGGERDING whose telephone number is (571)272-1101. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 4:30pm.
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/ALIX E EGGERDING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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