DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 3, 2026 has been entered.
Claim 1 is currently amended. Claims 1-8 are pending review in this action.
New grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant’s amendments are presented below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by, or in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2020/0235369, hereinafter Jeong.
Regarding claim 1, Jeong teaches a secondary battery (100, “power storage device”). The secondary battery (100) comprises a first electrode plate (121) and a second electrode plate (122) (paragraphs [0032, 0036] and figures 1A-1C).
The first electrode plate (121) has a strip first current collector and a first active material carried on the strip first current collector (paragraph [0036]).
The second electrode plate (122) has a strip second current collector and a second active material carried on the strip second current collector (paragraphs [0036]).
A separator (123) is interposed between the first electrode plate (121) and the second electrode plate (122) (paragraph [0036] and figure 1B).
The first electrode plate (121), second electrode plate (122) and the separator (123) form a columnar wound body (120) (paragraph [0036] and figure 1C).
The secondary battery (100, “power storage device”) further comprises a cylindrical can (110) covering an outer periphery of the columnar wound body (120) (paragraph [0034] and figures 1B and 1C).
The cylindrical can (110) is electrically connected to the second electrode plate (122) (paragraph [0040] and figure 1B).
The cylindrical can (110) has a first opening and a cap assembly (150, “sealing body”) that seals the first opening (abstract, paragraph [0032] and figures 1A and 1B).
A gasket (160) is provided between the cap assembly (150, “sealing body”) and the first opening (paragraphs [0033, 0062] and figures 1B and 1C).
Multiple first tabs (124) serve to electrically connect the first electrode plate (121) to the cover assembly (150, “sealing body”) (paragraphs [0037, 0040] and figure 1B).
One end of each first tab (124) is electrically connected to the first electrode plate (121) and the other end of each first tab (124) is electrically connected to the cap assembly (150, “sealing body”) (paragraphs [0037, 0040] and figure 1B).
The cap assembly (150, “sealing body”) is welded to current collecting structure (130), which comprises conductive base member (131, “first member”) and conductive cover (136, “second member”) (paragraphs [0042, 0051] and figure 1B). Thus, it may be said that the cap assembly (150, “sealing body”) has conductive base member (131, “first member”) and conductive cover (136, “second member”).
The conductive base member (131, “first member”) includes a first face (133) facing away from the columnar wound body (120) (paragraph [0043] and figures 1B, 2A-2E). The conductive cover (136, “second member”) has a second face facing the columnar wound body (120) (figures 1B, 2A-2E).
The other end of each first tab (124) is welded to the first face (133) of the conductive base member (131, “first member”) to form a welding portion (paragraphs [0043, 0046]). The welding portion is located between the first face (133) and the second face (facing columnar body 120).
A beading part (113, “groove”) with an annular shape having an inner surface protruding radially inward is formed in a circumferential side surface of the cylindrical can (110) (paragraph [0035] and figure 1B).
The conductive base member (131, “first member”) is provided at the inner surface of the beading part (113, “groove”).
Absent a reference point, the term “above” does not have an absolute meaning. In the present case, Jeong’s secondary battery (100) may be oriented such that the conductive base member (131, “first member”) is “above” the beading part (113, “groove”).
The gasket (160) is positioned at a location that is between the inner surface of the beading part (113, “groove”) and the conductive base member (131, “first member”) (figure 1B). Within Jeong’s assembly contact between the gasket (160) and the assembly of conductive base member (131, “first member”) and conductive cover (136, “second member”) is possible, such that it would immediately envisage a configuration in which the conductive base member (131, “first member”) is “on” the inner surface of the beading part (113, “groove”) with the gasket (160) therebetween.
Alternatively, in an effort to promote compact prosecution, given that Jeong is explicit that contact between the oppositely charged conductive base member (131, “first member”) and the cylindrical can (110) must be avoided (paragraph [0044]), it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to extend the gasket (160) further such that it contacts the assembly of conductive base member (131, “first member”) and conductive cover (136, “second member”) for the purpose of preventing a short circuit between the oppositely charged conductive base member (131, “first member”) and the cylindrical can (110). In such a configuration, the conductive base member (131, “first member”) would be “on” the inner surface of the beading part (113, “groove”) with the gasket (160) therebetween.
Regarding claim 2, Jeong teaches that the conductive base member (131, “first member”) is an annular member. The conductive base member (131, “first member”) includes a recess and a hole through which the plurality of first tabs (124) pass (paragraphs [0043] and figures 1B, 2A-2E, 4B).
The conductive cover (136, “second member”) is inserted into the recess of the conductive base member (131, “first member”) and partially fills the hole. Therefore, the conductive cover (136, “second member”) may be said to partially plug the hole.
Regarding claim 3, Jeong teaches that the welding portion further joins the conductive base member (131, “first member”) to the conductive cover (136, “second member”) (paragraphs [0046, 0098] and figure 1B and 5C).
The welding portion has an area and extends in the radial direction. Thus, the welding portion may be arbitrarily divided into a first welding portion and a second welding portion such that the second welding portion is “radially outside” the first welding portion.
Regarding claim 4, Jeong teaches that the conductive base member (131, “first member”) includes a recess formed into an annular shape and having the first face (133) as a bottom face of the recess (paragraphs [0043] and figures 1B, 2A-2E, 4B).
The conductive cover (136, “second member”) has a central portion partially plugging the hole and an outer peripheral portion surrounding the central portion.
The peripheral portion includes recess (436a/536a) where the welding portion (including the “second welding portion”) is located (paragraphs [0078, 0079] and figures 2D and 2E).
The welding portion (including the “second welding portion”) joins the conductive cover (136, “second member”) to the conductive base member (131, “first member”) – as such, it joins “an entire periphery of the outer peripheral portion” to the conductive base member (131, “first member”).
Regarding claim 5, Jeong teaches that each first tab (124) is welded to the first face and the second face (paragraph [0046]).
Regarding claim 6, Jeong teaches a plurality of first tabs (124) (paragraph [0037] and figures 1B and 1C). Multiple of the other ends of the first tabs (124) are overlapped with each other and welded to the first face of the conductive base member (131, “first member”) (paragraphs [0045, 0096] and figure 4B).
Regarding claim 7, Jeong teaches that the cylindrical can (110) is a metal case (paragraph [0035]).
Regarding claim 8, Jeong’s cylindrical can (110) is in the shape of a wound metal sheet (figure 1C).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s newly added limitations have been considered. However, after further search and consideration, the previously presented Jeong reference was found to address the amended claims.
Conclusion
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LILIA V. NEDIALKOVA
Examiner
Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724