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
Acknowledgment is made to applicant’s amendment of claims 1 filed on 08/14/2026. Claim 17-20 remains withdrawn from consideration. Claims 2 and 9-16 have been canceled. Accordingly, claims 1 and 3-8 remain pending and are claims addressed and examined below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 1-4, filed 08/14/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under Nemoto have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Nemoto et al. (US-20190189995-A1) in view of Enomoto et al. (US-20200161603-A1).
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nemoto et al. (US-20190189995-A1) in view of Enomoto et al. (US-20200161603-A1).
With regards to claim 1, Nemoto teaches cell terminal assembly comprising: an outer terminal configured to be disposed at an external location of a cell (¶ 0007, Fig. 2: item 16), the outer terminal including a feedthrough passage (Fig. 2: item 16a), the feedthrough passage (insertion hole, 16a) including a recess having a seating surface (16b) and a side surface(15d) (¶0042, Fig. 2); and an inner terminal including an electrically conductive body (electrode assembly) configured to be disposed within a housing (case) of the cell (¶ 0034 - ¶ 0035), the inner terminal including a feedthrough member (15c) electrically connecting the conductive body to the outer terminal (¶ 0034 - ¶ 0035, Fig. 2). This also reads on the feedthrough member being configured to electrically connect the conductive body the outer terminal. Nemoto also teaches the feedthrough member including a head portion (15c1) having a shape that conforms to a shape of the recess and the seating portion and secures the feedthrough member thereto (¶ 0056, Fig. 2). This reads on the head portion being configured to be shaped to conform to a shape of the seating portion and secure the feedthrough member thereto. As shown in Fig. 2 below, the head portion (15c1) contacts both the seating surface and the side surface. Nemoto discloses that the side surface (15d) is a portion of the internal terminal formed by welding a part of the feedthrough member (15c) to the external terminal and serves as a conductive path between the internal terminal and the outer terminal (¶ 0056). This reads on the head portion contacting or being configured to contact both the seating surface and side surface, providing an electrical connection between the inner terminal and the outer terminal. Nemoto teaches that that the deformation (pressing) of the head portion ensures that the shaft portion is fastened and gas tight (¶ 0005). As mentioned earlier, Nemoto teaches that the side surface (15d) is formed by welding which reads on providing a fluid tight seal between the head
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portion and the seating surface. See Fig. 2 below.
Although Nemoto teaches that the head portion contact the seating surface via deformation, Nemoto teaches that the head portion contacts the side surface via welding rather than deformation.
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However, In ¶ 0075 of the instant specification, applicant discloses deformation along with welding as suitable connection mechanisms to attach the feedthrough pins. Additionally, In a similar field of endeavor, Enomoto teaches an energy storage device comprising two external terminals (¶ 0003). As shown in Fig. 6, Enomoto teaches that the terminals comprise of feedthrough members including a head portion. In Fig. 7, the head portion is deformed (pressed) to conform to the shape of a seating surface (¶ 0040). As shown in Fig. 7, through this deformation, the deformed head portion is in contact with a side surface and the seating surface. In ¶ 0024, similar to Nemoto, Enomoto discloses that gas tightness of the battery case can be ensured by this deformation (pressing). See Fig. 6 and 7 below.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was effectively filed to deform the head portion taught by Nemoto in the manner taught by Enomoto to contact both the seating surface and the side surface with the head portion as there are no unpredictable results. The known technique of contacting the head portion with both the seating surface and the side surface via deformation would predictably form the cell terminal (see MPEP § 2143, D).
With regards to claim 3, Nemoto teaches that the feedthrough member (shaft potion) is a rivet portion (¶ 0005). This reads on the feedthrough member including a rivet.
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With regards to claim 4, in Fig. 2, the feedthrough passage (insertion hole) includes a lower portion having a first diameter, the recess forming an upper portion of the feedthrough passage and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. Fig. 2 is shown below.
With regards to claim 5, as shown in Fig. 2 above, the recess of the second diameter and bevel is a counter bore as it is an additional conical recess to accommodate the head of the terminal. This reads on the recess including a counterbore.
With regards to claim 6, as shown in Fig. 2 below, the seating surface (16b) faces an axial direction that is at least partially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the feedthrough member (shaft), and the recess includes a side surface facing a radial direction that is at least partially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. As discussed earlier, Nemoto teaches that the side surface (15d) is formed by welding a part of the feedthrough member (15c) to the external terminal which includes the head portion (¶ 0056). This reads on the head portion having or being configured to be shaped having a sealing engagement with both the seating surface and the side surface.
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With regard to claim 7, in ¶ 0035, Nemoto teaches that the feedthrough member (shaft portion) is a part of the internal terminal which reads on the feedthrough member being integral with the conductive body (electrode assembly).
With regards to claim 8, Nemoto teaches fastening the feedthrough member (shaft portion) of the internal terminal to the external terminal (¶ 0041 and Figs. 4-5). This reads on the feedthrough member being a separate component that is attached to the conductive body. Figs. 4-5 are shown 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 HUNSUYADOR YUSIF whose telephone number is (571)272-4531. The examiner can normally be reached 7 am - 5 pm (M-R).
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/HUNSUYADOR MUGEESATU YUSIF/Examiner, Art Unit 1743
/GALEN H HAUTH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1743
