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 .
The Applicant has amended independent claims 11 and 19; and added new claims 21-24. The pending claims are claims 11-24.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11-15, 17, 18, 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wakimoto et al., US 2017/0250394.
Regarding claim 11, Wakimoto et al., teaches a battery cell (abstract; 0009-0011), comprising: an electrical fuse (abstract; 0010-0011); a terminal (abstract; 0028) on an outer surface of a housing (0075; 0081) of the battery cell (0010-0011), wherein the terminal (0010; positive terminal 15; negative terminal 16) comprises an electrically conductive rivet (“blind rivet”; 0083-0084) (positive electrode conductive member 17) (0033-0034) extending through the housing (Fig. 1B and 2B) , electrical fuse (0009-0010; 0034-0045) is arranged on and electrically connected to the rivet (positive electrode conductive member 17), and the electrical fuse (0010-0011) is covered by a polymer (0036).
Regarding claim 12, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the terminal is a positive terminal (0028-0034).
Regarding claim 13, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the polymer (0036) comprises at least one filler that improves heat removal (insulating resin member; 0036) (resin material having heat resistance; 0077).
Regarding claim 14, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the filler comprises Al203 (0029-0030; 0034; aluminum alloy).
Regarding claim 15, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the polymer contains at least one filler that is an oxidant (alloy; 0029; 0069).
Regarding claim 17, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the terminal is electrically insulated from the housing (insulating member) (0010; 0032; 0036).
Regarding claim 18, Wakimoto et al., teaches further comprising: a seal (abstract; 0010; 0028) comprising an electrically conductive plastic (0010; 0028; 0032-0035), the seal being arranged between the terminal and the housing (0010; 0028; 0032-0033; 0036).
Regarding claim 21, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the electrical fuse (0034-0042) is connected to the rivet (blind rivet; 0083-0084) (positive electrode conductive member 17), by laser welding (0050; 0084).
Regarding claim 22, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the terminal (0010; 0028; 0032-0034) comprises an electrical connection plate (0034; 0062; 0070-0072), and the electrical fuse is electrically connected to the electrical connection plate (0034-0036).
Regarding claim 23, Wakimoto et al., teaches further comprising an annular insulator (0032; 0036) preventing direct contact between the rivet (positive electrode conductive member 17), and the electrical connection plate (0034; 0062).
Regarding claim 24, Wakimoto et al., teaches wherein the electrical connection plate (positive electrode conductive member 17) comprises a recess (0050), and the annular insulator (0032) and the electrical fuse (0035) are arranged within the recess (0046; 0050-0053).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
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) 16, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wakimoto et al., US 2017/0250394, in view of Tang et al., CN 110600736.
Regarding claim 16, Wakimoto et al., does not teach wherein the filler is ammonium perchlorate.
Tang et al., teaches a filler of ammonium perchlorate (0011; 0035; 0044).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Tang into the teachings of Wakimoto because Tang teaches:
“The charging and discharging process of the battery is realized by embedding and extracting the ammonium ions or quaternary ammonium ions and anions dissociated from the electrolyte into the positive and negative electrode materials.” (0054).
Regarding claim 19, Wakimoto et al., teaches a plurality of battery cells (0034; 0088), each battery cell comprising: an electrical fuse (0009-0011); a terminal (0028-0034) on an outer surface of a housing of the battery cell (0009-0011), wherein the terminal comprises an electrically conductive rivet (“blind rivet”; 0083-0084) (positive electrode conductive member 17) (0033-0034) extending through the housing (Fig. 1B and 2B),
the electrical fuse is arranged on and electrically connected to the rivet (electrically connected to the rivet (positive electrode conductive member 17), and the electrical fuse is covered by a polymer (resin material; 0077).
Wakimoto does not teach a lithium ion battery.
Tang teaches a lithium ion battery (0025).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Tang into the teachings of Wakimoto because Tang teaches:
“The purpose of the present invention is to provide a non-metallic ion secondary battery, aiming to solve the problems of limited lithium resource reserves, high cost, poor safety, and low operating voltage, low capacity, and low energy density of existing non-metallic ion batteries such as ammonium ions.” (0007).
Regarding claim 20, Wakimoto et al., does not teach a motor vehicle comprising a lithium-ion battery according to claim 19.
Tang et al., teaches a motor vehicle (0004) comprising a lithium ion battery (0004; 0034).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Tang into the teachings of Wakimoto because Tang teaches:
“The purpose of the present invention is to provide a non-metallic ion secondary battery, aiming to solve the problems of limited lithium resource reserves, high cost, poor safety, and low operating voltage, low capacity, and low energy density of existing non-metallic ion batteries such as ammonium ions.” (0007).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/11/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues that “Amended claim 11 requires a fundamentally different structure: a rivet extending through the housing with a fuse arranged on and electrically connected to that rivet. Wakimoto does not disclose this arrangement.”
However, Wakimoto teaches an electrically conductive rivet (“blind rivet”; 0083-0084) (positive electrode conductive member 17) (0033-0034) extending through the housing (Fig. 1B and 2B) , electrical fuse (0009-0010; 0034-0045) is arranged on and electrically connected to the rivet (positive electrode conductive member 17), and the electrical fuse (0010-0011).
Applicant argues that “Regarding claim 15, the Office Action has alleged that Wakimoto's "alloy" teaches "a filler that is an oxidant…The alloy discussed in Wakimoto is the material of the terminal and conductive member, not a filler within the polymer covering the fuse. Wakimoto does not disclose any filler in the polymer,”.
However, Wakimoto teaches a terminal electrically connected to the positive electrode sheet (abstract) and a polymer (0077-0078) and an aluminum alloy (0029; 0069).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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