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
Applicant’s amendments filed October 25, 2025 have been filed. Claims 1, 2, 3, 6 have been amended; support for the amendments can be found in at least Figures 1-3. Claim 11 is new; support for the new claim can be found in at least paragraph [0012]. Claims 1-11 remain pending and have been examined on their merits in this office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed October 25, 2025 have been fully considered but are considered moot in view of the new grounds of rejection below in view of Applicant’s amendments to the independent claims 1 and 2.
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 1-5 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (Published U.S. Patent Application US 20210273282 A1) in view of Kim et al. (KR 101634167 B1), hereinafter referred to as Kang and Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kang teaches a welding method of a rechargeable battery (“a method of manufacturing a battery module”) (see e.g., Abstract). Kang teaches a welding bead part 200 formed along the circumference of the cap plate 150 and formed on the contact surface C of the case 120 and the cap plate 150 wherein the case 120 includes an inner space 125 in which the electrode assembly 100 is accommodated (“a) aligning a first base material and a second base material, which are welding objects and housing members that are combined with each other to form an internal accommodating space in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated”) (see e.g., paragraph [0063]). Kang teaches the welding bead part 200 includes a first region 210 (“a bonding region”) and a second region 220 (“a surface region”) (see e.g., paragraph [0064] and Figure 3), wherein the first region may be formed by a keyhole welding method using a first laser beam, and the second region may be formed by a conduction welding method using a second laser beam (“b) forming a welding joint portion including a bonding region and a surface region covering the bonding region by irradiating a contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser”) (see e.g., paragraph [0016]). Kang teaches the second region 220 covers substantially the entire first region (“wherein the surface region covers substantially the entire bonding region”) (see e.g., Figure 3).
Kang teaches the first region 210 may be formed by a keyhole welding method using a first laser beam 270, and the second region 220 may be formed by a conduction welding method using a second laser beam 280 (see e.g., paragraph [0134] and Figures 6-7); however, Kang does not explicitly teach the first region 210 and the second region 220 have different microstructures due to different thermal history.
However, Kim teaches a multi-layer welding method (see e.g., Abstract). Kim teaches the multilayer welding including a plurality preceding welding paths 11a to 11f and a plurality of final welding paths 12a to 12c, wherein the preceding welding path may be one welding pass, and the final welding path may also be one welding pass (see e.g., paragraph [0018]). Kim teaches the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f perform a high heat input welding (see e.g., paragraph [0019]), and the final welding paths 12a-12c on the surface is performed with lower heat input than the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f is performed (see e.g., paragraph [0021]). Kim teaches the performing low heat input welding in the final welding paths 12a to 12c reduces the grain growth and the fraction of the low-temperature structure in the final welding path heat-affecting portion, thereby, the crystal grains can be miniaturized to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that one of ordinary skill that differing the welding methods of the first region and second region of Kang would produce different microstructures due to different temperature histories, as taught by Kim, in order to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 2, Kang teaches a welding method of a rechargeable battery (“a method of manufacturing a battery module”) (see e.g., Abstract). Kang teaches a welding bead part 200 formed along the circumference of the cap plate 150 and formed on the contact surface C of the case 120 and the cap plate 150 wherein the case 120 includes an inner space 125 in which the electrode assembly 100 is accommodated (“a) aligning a first base material and a second base material, which are welding objects and housing members that are combined with each other to form an internal accommodating space in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated”) (see e.g., paragraph [0063]). Kang teaches the welding bead part 200 includes a first region 210 (“a bonding region”) and a second region 220 (“a surface region”) (see e.g., paragraph [0064] and Figure 3), wherein the first region may be formed by a keyhole welding method using a first laser beam, and the second region may be formed by a conduction welding method using a second laser beam (“b) forming a welding joint portion including a bonding region and a surface region covering the bonding region by irradiating a contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser”) (see e.g., paragraph [0016]). Kang teaches the second region 220 covers substantially the entire first region (“wherein the surface region covers substantially the entire bonding region”) (see e.g., Figure 3).
Kang does not explicitly teach wherein operation b) comprises b1) forming a welded bead in which a first alloy of the first base material and a second alloy of the second base material are melted and solidified by irradiating the contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser for welding, and b2) re-melting and solidifying a surface of the welded bead by irradiating the welded bead with a laser for surface treatment to form a welding joint portion including a bonding region which is not re-melted in the welded bead and a surface region covering the bonding region and having a microstructure different from that of the bonding region due to the re-melting and solidification.
However, Kim teaches a multi-layer welding method (see e.g., Abstract). Kim teaches the multilayer welding including a plurality preceding welding paths 11a to 11f and a plurality of final welding paths 12a to 12c, wherein the preceding welding path may be one welding pass, and the final welding path may also be one welding pass (see e.g., paragraph [0018]). Kim teaches the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f perform a high heat input welding (“b1) forming a welded bead in which a first alloy of the first base material and a second alloy of the second base material are melted and solidified by irradiating the contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser for welding”) (see e.g., paragraph [0019]), and the final welding paths 12a-12c on the surface is performed with lower heat input than the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f is performed (“b2) re-melting and solidifying a surface of the welded bead by irradiating the welded bead with a laser for surface treatment to form a welding joint portion including a bonding region which is not re-melted in the welded bead and a surface region covering the bonding region and having a microstructure different from that of the bonding region due to the re-melting and solidification”) (see e.g., paragraph [0021]). Kim teaches the performing low heat input welding in the final welding paths 12a to 12c reduces the grain growth and the fraction of the low-temperature structure in the final welding path heat-affecting portion (“the bonding region and the surface region forming the welding joint having different microstructures due to different thermal history”), thereby, the crystal grains can be miniaturized to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that one of ordinary skill would modify welding method of the first region and second region of Kang to include preceding welding paths at a higher heat input and final welding paths at a lower heat input to produce different microstructures due to different thermal histories, as taught by Kim, in order to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness of the weld by miniaturizing the crystal grains near the surface of the weld (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 3, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 2, as previously described.
Kang teaches when the vertical distance from the point where the highest depth is formed in the first region 210 to the surface of the cap plate 150 is defined as 100%, the first contact point 232 and the second contact point 234 where the first boundary line 215 and the second boundary line 225 meet may have the depth of 30-60% (“in operation b2), the laser for surface treatment is irradiated so that a thickness of the surface region is in the range of 0.05 D to 0.30 when a penetration depth of the welding joint portion is D”) (see e.g., paragraph [0100]).
Regarding claim 4, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 2, as previously described.
As previously described in claim 2, Kim teaches multilayer welding includes a plurality of preceding welding paths 11a to 11f and a plurality of final welding paths 12a to 12c (“in operation b2), the laser for surface treatment is irradiated n times (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2)”) (see e.g., paragraph [0018]). Kim teaches the final welding paths 12a-12c are produced with a lower heat input than the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f, so the surface of the welded bead is thinner than that of the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f (“wherein a j-th (j is a natural number of 2 to n) laser for surface treatment is irradiated so that the surface of the welded bead is re-melted and solidified to be thinner than a depth of a region re-melted and solidified by irradiation of a (j-1)th laser for surface treatment”) (see e.g., paragraph [0021] and Figure 1).
Regarding claim 5, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 2, as previously described.
As previously described in claim 2, Kim teaches multilayer welding includes a plurality of preceding welding paths 11a to 11f and a plurality of final welding paths 12a to 12c (“wherein operation b2) is performed after a melt melted by irradiating the laser for welding is solidified into a solid in operation b1)”) (see e.g., paragraph [0018]).
Regarding claim 7, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
As previously described in claim 1, Kim teaches the performing low heat input welding in the final welding paths 12a to 12c (“surface region”) reduces the grain growth and the fraction of the low-temperature structure in the final welding path heat-affecting portion, thereby, the crystal grains can be miniaturized to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (“the surface region has a finer microstructure than the bonding region”) (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 8, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 7, as previously described.
Kim teaches the final welding paths 12a to 12c (“surface region”) reduces the grain growth of the weld (“the surface region has a smaller average grain size or lamellar spacing compared to the bonding region”) (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 9, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
Kim teaches the performing low heat input welding in the final welding paths 12a to 12c reduces the grain growth and the fraction of the low-temperature structure in the final welding path heat-affecting portion (“distributions of impurities in the bonding region and the surface region are different due to as difference in the microstructure”), thereby, the crystal grains can be miniaturized to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 10, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 2, as previously described.
Kang teaches the case 120 is made of a metal such as aluminum (“each of the first alloy and the second alloy is an aluminum-based alloy”) (see e.g., paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 11, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
As previously described in claim 1, Kim teaches the multilayer welding including a plurality preceding welding paths 11a to 11f and a plurality of final welding paths 12a to 12c, wherein the preceding welding path may be one welding pass, and the final welding path may also be one welding pass (see e.g., paragraph [0018]). Kim teaches the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f perform a high heat input welding (“b1) forming a welded bead in which a first alloy of the first base material and a second alloy of the second base material are melted and solidified by irradiating the contact surface between the first base material and the second base material with a laser for welding”) (see e.g., paragraph [0019]), and the final welding paths 12a-12c on the surface is performed with lower heat input than the preceding welding paths 11a to 11f is performed (“b2) re-melting and solidifying a surface of the welded bead by irradiating the welded bead with a laser for surface treatment to form a welding joint portion including a bonding region which is not re-melted in the welded bead and a surface region covering the bonding region and having a microstructure different from that of the bonding region due to the re-melting and solidification”) (see e.g., paragraph [0021]).Kim teaches the performing low heat input welding in the final welding paths 12a to 12c reduces the grain growth and the fraction of the low-temperature structure in the final welding path heat-affecting portion (“the bonding region and the surface region forming the welding joint having different microstructures due to different thermal history”), thereby, the crystal grains can be miniaturized to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that one of ordinary skill would modify welding method of the first region and second region of Kang, as modified by Kim, to include preceding welding paths at a higher heat input and final welding paths at a lower heat input to produce different microstructures due to different thermal histories, as taught by Kim, in order to significantly improve the low-temperature toughness of the weld by miniaturizing the crystal grains near the surface of the weld (see e.g., paragraph [0022]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (Published U.S. Patent Application US 20210273282 A1) in view of Kim et al. (KR 101634167 B1), and further in view of Jung et al. (WO 2012165737 A2), hereinafter referred to as Jung.
Regarding claim 6, Kang, as modified by Kim, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 2, as previously described.
Kang, as modified by Kim, does not explicitly teach each of the laser for welding and the laser for surface treatment each is a near-infrared laser.
However, Jung teaches secondary battery for bonding a can and a cap using a fusing member having a melting point lower than the melting point of the can and the cap forming the case of the secondary battery (see e.g., paragraph [0001]). Jung teaches the can and the cap are joined together with a YAG laser (typically, emit light with a wavelength of 946, 1064, 1120, 1320, and 1440 nm which is in the near-infrared wavelength range) (“each of the laser for welding and the laser for surface treatment each is a near-infrared laser”) (see e.g., paragraph [0029]). Jung teaches the laser allows bonding to be performed at such a temperature to prevent the risk of thermal damage to the components of the battery (see e.g., paragraph [0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that one of ordinary skill would modify the lasers of the welding method of Kang, as modified by Kim, to be a near-infrared laser, as taught by Jung, in order to prevent the risk of thermal damage to the components of the battery (see e.g., paragraph [0045]).
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 Katherine N Higgins whose telephone number is (703)756-1196. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays - Thursdays 7:30-4:30 EST, Fridays 7:30 - 11:30 EST.
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/KATHERINE N HIGGINS/Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728