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 .
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sada (U.S. Patent Publication 2017/0162837) in view of Matsumura (JP Publication S563972) and Nishikawa (WO Publication 2017-082259).
Regarding claim 1, Sada discloses a battery comprising: an electrode assembly 11, an electrolyte, and a battery case 12 housing them, wherein the battery case includes a case main body 20, a sealing body 30 that seals the opening of the case main body, and an insulating body 40 that is disposed at least at a part where the case main body and the sealing body are in contact with each other (Paragraph 0020). Sada also discloses that the battery case is a metal container housing includes the case main body having a bottomed cylinder shape, and has a structure in which the opening of the case main body is sealed by the sealing body, wherein the case main body has a supporting portion 21 on which the sealing body is mounted with the sealing body held between the supporting portion and an open end 22 crimped to the sealing body, and wherein the supporting portion is formed in the upper part of the case main body, has a shape such that part of the inner surface of the case main body protrudes inwardly, and supports the sealing body with the upper surface of the protruding part (Paragraphs 0030-0031). Sada teaches that an insulating body 40 is provided between the inner surface of the case main body and the outer peripheral surface and upper and lower surfaces of the sealing body, wherein the insulating body comprises a resin 41 and a filler 42, such as silica (Paragraphs 0037, 0038, 0048 and Fig. 3).
Sada fails to disclose that sealing body is caulked between the supporting portion and the open end, and that the filler can comprise a hydroxide, such as aluminum or magnesium hydroxide.
Regarding claim 1, Matsumura discloses an alkaline battery comprising a battery container and lid sealed by a gasket with a carbonate substance interposed between the metal parts of the container and lid (Paragraph 0001). Matsumura shows that the gasket is used to caulk the sealing body between the supporting portion and the open end (figure 2).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Nishikawa discloses a separator for a secondary battery comprising an inorganic filler, such as magnesium hydroxide (Page 9, Inorganic Filler). Regarding claim 2, it is known the magnesium hydroxide has a molecular weight of 58 and a total number of valences of cation of 2, which leads to a ratio of 29.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention that a gasket could be used between the sealing body and the insulating body of Sada because Matsumura teaches that the gasket aids in caulking the sealing body between the supporting portion and the open end of the case to create an improved seal. It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the filler of Sada could be a magnesium hydroxide because Nishikawa teaches that magnesium hydroxide reacts with the electrolyte to help absorb hydrogen fluoride that is created in the battery, which is known to prevent corrosion of seals.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 5/4/2026, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, due to the amendments made to the claims, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of a newly found prior art reference.
Applicants argue that the cited art fails to disclose that a region of an inner surface of the outer housing between the groove portion and the opening end includes powder of one or more hydroxides. The reference, Nishikawa, is now being used to teach that magnesium hydroxide can be used to absorb harmful compounds created by the electrolyte that are known to corrode the metals and sealants of the case.
Applicants also argue that the cited art fails to disclose that the compounds neutralize generated hydrogen fluoride to inhibit corrosion of the outer housing. The reference, Nishikawa, is now being used to teach that magnesium hydroxide can absorb the hydrogen fluoride that is often created by the electrolyte, which would prevent a known corrosion reaction between the hydrogen fluoride and the casing components.
Conclusion
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BRITTANY L. RAYMOND
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1722
/BRITTANY L RAYMOND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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