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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 20-21 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II and Group III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/20/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: there is no word “whereub” in the English language. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Heng-wei et al (CN 209298182)
Claim 1: Heng-wei teaches a power battery cover and power battery wherein the battery has a power battery main body (applicant’s housing with electrode assembly) and a top cover (applicant’s first wall) [Abstract]. The first wall comprises a first body and mounting body with a pressure relief mechanism [Modified Fig 2]. At least a portion of the mounting body protrudes from the surface of the first body facing the electrode assembly (14) [Fig 3].
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Claim 2: Heng-wei teaches a thickness of the mounting body to be greater than the first body [Fig 3].
Claim 3: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the mounting body to comprise a mounting portion and connecting portion [Fig 3].
Claim 4: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the a mounting body with pressure relief hole and mechanism covering the hole [Modified Fig 2].
Claim 5: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the mounting body to have a depression and fitting of a pressure relief mechanism attached thereto [Modified Fig 2, Fig 3].
Claim 6: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the bottom face of the depression to be closer to the electrode assembly [Fig 3].
Claim 7: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the hole being located at the bottom of the depression [Fig 3].
Claim 8: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the protective piece [Modified Fig 2].
Claim 9: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the topside of the element having a protrusion shape that protrudes out of the depressed surface [Fig 3].
Claim 10: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the second depression recessed from the surface and a hole therethrough [Fig 3].
Claim 11: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the protrusion to have a depth less than the second depression [Fig 3].
Claim 12: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the elements integrally formed [Modified Fig 2, Fig 3].
Claim 13: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the mounting portion and connecting portion subsections of the mounting body with a gradual change of thickness [Fig 3].
Claim 14: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the second body and first body with a recessed area for accommodating the pressure relief mechanism [Modified Fig 2].
Claim 15: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the electrode terminals (3) [Fig 1] which would be connected to current collector tabs from a battery inside the cell [Description].
Claim 16: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the second body being under the first body such that the distance is lower to the electrode assembly of the second body [Modified Fig 2].
Claim 17: Heng-Wei teaches a housing body that has an opening covered by the power battery cap [Abstract, Description, Modified Fig 2].
Claim 18: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the cells within the power battery [Abstract, description]. Instant claim only refers to ‘configured to’ and does not positively recite the number of cells to be present.
Claim 19: Heng-wei teaches the capabilities of the instant claim through the positive recitation of the power battery [Abstract]. Instant claim recites “configured to” which is not necessarily a positively recited feature, the prior art meets all positively recited structural claims.
Claim(s) 1-12, 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al (PGPUB 2014/0315050) as evidenced by Song et al (PGPUB 2014/0227564)
Claim 1: Li teaches a vent can a cap assembly for a power battery [Abstract]. The specific invention is to a cap assembly for a power battery having a first electrode post (3) and second electrode post (4) [0062] which inherently have an electrode assembly and housing configured to accommodate the electrode assembly when forming a power battery. Song teaches a battery module with cap and provides evidence that it is well established to have an electrode assembly (10) inside a housing (20) [Fig 1]. The prior art teaches claimed first wall, the cap assembly as shown in Figure 1, and comprises a first body (2: cap plate) and mounting body (21: vent body protective sheath) [Fig 1]. The mounting body is in direct communication with a pressure relief mechanism [Fig 2; 0048]. The mounting body portion (12) has a thickness 1211 and 1212 that extend toward the electrode assembly such that there is a smaller minimum distance compared to the first body [Fig 1].
Claim 2: Li teaches the cap assembly to have a cap plate (2) which is dimensioned to fit with element 1211 of the mounting body whereby the mounting body having additional thickness in region 1212 shows a greater thickness of the mounting body than the cap plate (applicant’s first body).
Claim 3: Li teaches the mounting body to comprise a connecting portion (124) and a mounting portion and a mounting portion (1212) [Fig 3]. The claim includes functional language which is capable of being performed by the prior art such as a mounting portion capable of mounting the pressure relief mechanism and the thickness of the mounting portion being greater than that connecting portion and the connecting portion configured to connect the mounting portion and the first body [Fig 3-4; 0051-0056].
Claim 4: Li teaches the mounting body to comprise a pressure relief hole (122) and pressure relief mechanism cover (11) whereby the capability of the structure can actuate when an internal pressure of the battery reaches a threshold and relieve the pressure [0010, 0048-0055].
Claim 5: Li teaches the mounting body to comprise a first depression (123) that is recessed from the surface of the mounting body facing the electrode assembly (1214), the pressure relief mechanism is accommodated by the depression through a butt weld [0052].
Claim 6: Li teaches the bottom face of the first depression to be closer to the electrode assembly than the surface of the first body (2) wall that faces the electrode assembly [Fig 3-4].
Claim 7: Li teaches the bottom face of the first depression to have a pressure relief hole [Fig 3].
Claim 8: Li teaches a protective piece (13) disposed on a side of the pressure relief hole facing away from the electrode assembly and have a capability to protect the pressure relief mechanism [Fig 3; 0049-0053].
Claim 9: Li teaches a projection (1211) from the mounting body (121) that has the protective piece (13) thereon [Fig 3].
Claim 10: Li teaches a second depression recessed from the surface of the mounting body facing away from the electrode assembly (124). The pressure relief hole (122) runs through the bottom face of the first depression and through a region formed between the second depression [Fig 3].
Claim 12: Li teaches the assembly to welded whereby they are integral [0049-0052].
Claim 14: Li teaches non-electrochemistry elements on the underside of the plate (23) that is interpreted to read on the second body whereby the features are connected and the first body protrudes from the second body away from the electrode assembly, and a recessed area is formed on the same side of the electrode assembly where the pressure relief mechanism is [Fig 4].
Claim 15: Li teaches the first wall to comprise electrode terminals (3, 4), the electrical connection to batteries therein is inherent.
Claim 16: Li teaches a second body that is closer to the electrode assembly than the first body [Fig 4].
Claim 17: Li teaches a cap for a battery. The cap being a top to a housing that holds a battery is very well established in the art.
Claim 18: Li teaches a cap for a battery. It is well established and evidence can be utilized to show the housing can be a box – the instant claim does not positively recite a number of battery cells are within a box, only that a box would be capable of holding them at some point in assembly or utilization or rejuvenation or play.
Claim 19: Li teaches a cap for a battery – a batter inherently is utilized to provide electricity to a device whereby the device is an electric device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN J YANCHUK whose telephone number is (571)270-7343. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10a-8p.
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/STEPHEN J YANCHUK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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