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 pending claims are claims 11-20.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11-15, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) 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 electrical fuse is arranged on the terminal (0028), 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).
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 electrical fuse is arranged on the terminal (0035-0036), 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 with respect to claim(s) 11-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the primary reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727