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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/31/2026 has been entered.
This office action is in response to Applicant's remarks and amendments filed on 03/31/2026. Claim 1 is currently amended. Claims 1-11 are pending review in this action. The previous 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections are withdrawn in light of Applicant's amendment to Claim 1. New grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant's amendments are presented below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 04/07/2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwangbo et al. (US 2022/0231345 A1) further in view of Chun (KR 20190093299 A) (disclosed by Applicant on IDS dated 12/01/2022).
In lieu of an English machine translation of Chun (KR 20190093299 A), all citations in this office action are made in reference to the equivalent U.S. Publication Chun (US 2021/0074978 A1) (also disclosed by Applicant on IDS dated 12/01/2022).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Hwangbo discloses a cylindrical secondary battery (1) comprising: an electrode assembly (10) comprising a positive electrode plate (first electrode), a separator, and a negative electrode plate (second electrode) (Figures 5-6, [0161-0162]). Hwangbo further discloses a cylindrical can (battery can, 20) accommodating the electrode assembly (10) and being electrically connected to the negative electrode plate (second uncoated region, 12), a lower end of the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) being open (Figure 6, [0166, 0179-0180]). Hwangbo further discloses a rivet terminal (40) passing through an upper surface of the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) and electrically connected to the positive electrode plate (first uncoated region, 11); and a cap plate (30) sealing the lower end of the cylindrical can (battery can, 20), the cap plate (30) having no electrical polarity (Figure 6, [0161, 0164, 0194-0195, 0273]).
Hwangbo is deficient in disclosing that the cap plate has a protrusion that protrudes in a downwardly direction and is spaced apart from a center of the cap plate and is between the center of the cap plate and a periphery of the cap plate.
Chun discloses a cylindrical secondary battery (cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery, 100) comprising an electrode assembly (120) and a cylindrical can (110) (Figure 1B, [0031]). Chun further discloses that the cylindrical can (110) accommodates the electrode assembly (120), and comprises an electrode terminal (cap-up, 141) at an upper end (Figure 1B, [0034, 0040]).Chun further discloses that a lower end of the cylindrical can (cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery, 100) is closed by a cap plate (circular floor portion, 111) (Figure 1B, [0032]). Chun further discloses that the cap plate (circular floor portion, 111) comprises a protrusion (curved portion, 1110) which protrudes in a downwardly direction and which is spaced apart from a center of the cap plate (circular floor portion, 111) and is between the center of the cap plate (circular floor portion, 111) and a periphery of the cap plate (circular floor portion, 111) (Figures 1B and 2B, [0032-0033]). Chun further discloses that the protrusion (curved portion, 1110) includes a safety vent (1120) which is ruptured when the internal pressure of the cylindrical can (110) is abnormal, thus allowing internal gas to be discharged and improving the overall safety of the cylindrical secondary battery (cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery, 100) (Figures 1B and 2B, [0033]).
The examiner notes that terms such as “downwardly” as utilized in the claims do not convey any particular structural requirements other than establishing the location of the components of the cylindrical secondary battery relative to one another within the cylindrical secondary battery. The particular orientation of the cylindrical secondary battery does not provide any structural limitations to the cylindrical secondary battery itself.
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to modify the cap plate of Hwangbo to include the protrusions having a safety vent spaced apart from the center of the cap plate and between the center of the cap plate and periphery of the cap plate as taught by Chun such that the cap plate is sealed with the cylindrical can, as such a configuration is known in the art as suitable for an end of a cylindrical can, as taught by Chun. By doing so, the skilled artisan would have a reasonable expectation of success in providing a cap plate which improves the overall safety of the cylindrical secondary battery, as taught by Chun. Furthermore, the selection of a known configuration based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination (MPEP 2144.07). Upon making the above modification, all of the limitations of Claim 1 are met.
In Regards to Claim 2 (Dependent Upon Claim 1):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 1 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) has: an upper surface portion (outer surface, 20a) having a flat plate shape and a terminal hole (hole through which terminal, 40, protrudes) extending through a center portion; and a side portion (side surface) extending downwardly from an edge of the upper surface portion (outer surface, 20a) (Figure 6, [0179]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 2 have been met.
In Regards to Claim 3 (Dependent Upon Claim 2):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 2 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that the rivet terminal (40) is coupled to the upper surface portion (outer surface, 20a) at the terminal hole (hole through which terminal, 40, protrudes) with a first gasket (5) interposed therebetween, and wherein an upper end (terminal exposing portion, 41) of the rivet terminal (40) is exposed to outside (Figure 6, [0217, 0230]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 3 are met.
In Regards to Claim 4 (Dependent Upon Claim 3):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 3 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses a plate-shaped positive electrode current collector plate (first current collector, 60) accommodated in the cylindrical can (battery can, 20), wherein a lower surface of the positive electrode current collector plate (first current collector, 60) is fixed by welding and electrically connected to the positive electrode plate (first electrode) exposed at an upper end of the electrode assembly (10) (Figure 6, [0231, 0233]). Hwangbo further discloses an upper surface of the positive electrode current collector plate (first current collector, 60) being welded to a lower surface of the rivet terminal (40) (Figure 6, [0260]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 4 are met.
In Regards to Claim 5 (Dependent Upon Claim 1):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 1 as set forth above. Hwangbo further the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) has: a beading part (21) recessed inwardly at an upper portion with the cap plate (30); and a crimping part (22) bent at the lower end of the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) to fix the cap plate (30) and being at a lower portion with the cap plate (30) (Figure 13, [0181]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 5 are met.
In Regards to Claim 6 (Dependent Upon Claim 5):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 5 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that the beading part (21) has: an upper flat portion and a lower flat portion having outer surfaces facing each other; and a connection part extending between the upper flat portion and the lower flat portion (see annotated Figure 13 below). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 6 are met.
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Annotated Figure 13 (Hwangbo US 2022/0231345 A1)
In Regards to Claim 7 (Dependent Upon Claim 6):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 6 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses a negative electrode current collector plate (second current collector, 80) accommodated in the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) and having a flat portion being in a plate shape, and wherein the negative electrode current collector plate (second current collector, 80) is welded to a lower surface of the electrode assembly (10) (i.e., second uncoated region, 12) (Figure 13, [0161, 0255]). Hwangbo further discloses that the negative electrode current collector plate (second current collector, 80) has an extension portion (contact portion, 83a) extending downwardly from an edge of the flat portion that is welded to the beading part (21) of the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) (Figure 13, [0261-0263]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 7 are met.
In Regards to Claim 8 (Dependent Upon Claim 7):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 7 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that the extension portion (contact portion, 83a) of the negative electrode current collector plate (second current collector, 80) has an end portion below the lower flat portion of the beading part (21) and welded to an inner surface of the lower flat portion (see annotated Figure 13 above) [0261-0263]. Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 8 are met.
In Regards to Claim 9 (Dependent Upon Claim 5):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 5 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that the cap plate (30) has: a protrusion (see annotated Figure 13 below) that protrudes in a downwardly direction (i.e., down page in Figure 13); and a concave portion (see annotated Figure 13 below) that is concavely formed inwardly toward the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) with respect to the protrusion (see annotated Figure 13 below), and wherein a notch (see annotated Figure 13 below) is formed in the concave portion (see annotated Figure 13 below).
Although Hwangbo does not explicitly disclose that the notch is configured to open at a reference pressure, the skilled artisan would appreciate that there is necessarily a pressure at which the notch experiences mechanical failure and ruptures, thus opening the notch. As such, all of the limitations of Claim 9 are met.
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Annotated Figure 13 (Hwangbo US 2022/0231345 A1)
In Regards to Claim 10 (Dependent Upon Claim 9):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 9 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses that a lower surface (see annotated Figure 13 below) of the beading part (21) protrudes farther downwardly than the protrusion of the cap plate (30) (see annotated Figure 13 below). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 10 are met.
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Annotated Figure 13 (Hwangbo US 2022/0231345 A1)
In Regards to Claim 11 (Dependent Upon Claim 1):
Hwangbo as modified by Chun discloses the cylindrical secondary battery of Claim 1 as set forth above. Hwangbo further discloses a second gasket (90) between the cylindrical can (battery can, 20) and the cap plate (30) (Figure 13, [0183]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 11 are met.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 03/09/2026, with respect to the rejection of Claims 1-11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Hwangbo et al. (US 2022/0231345 A1) and Chun (KR 20190093299 A).
Conclusion
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/E.E.F./Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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