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 .
BATTERY CELL, POWER CONSUMING DEVICE, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BATTERY CELL
Examiner: Adam Arciero S.N. 18/098,130 Art Unit: 1727 March 4, 2026
DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s response filed on November 12, 2025 has been received. Claims 1-, 3-8 and 10-22 are currently pending. Claims 1, 3, 6 and 20 have been amended. Claims 2 and 9 have been canceled. Claims 21-22 are newly added. The previously indicated allowable subject matter of original claim 9 is withdrawn.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The claim rejections under 35 USC 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim on claims 1-7, 10-11, 13, 17-18 and 20 are withdrawn because Applicant has amended the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The claim rejections under 35 USC 103(a) as being unpatentable over Kim on claim 12 is withdrawn because Applicant has amended the claims.
The claim rejections under 35 USC 103(a) as being unpatentable over Kim and Byun on claim 19 is withdrawn because Applicant has amended the claims.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13, 17-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2010/0247989 A1; as found in IDS dated 08/30/2023 and herein referred to as Kim ‘2010) in view of Kim et al. (US 2012/0070705 A1; herein after referred to as Kim ‘2012).
As to Claims 1, 10-11, 17-18 and 20, Kim ‘2010 discloses a battery (and method of manufacturing a batter cell), having a battery cell 100, comprising: a housing 20 with an opening an end cap assembly comprising a cover plate 30 covering the opening and an electrode terminal 40 provided on the cover plate; an electrode assembly 10 in said housing and having a main body and a tab 111 extending form an end of the main body in a first direction, the end cap is located on a side of the main body in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; and a current collecting structure comprising a terminal connecting portion 50 and a tab connecting portion 60 that are separately provided and connected to each other, at least part of the tab connecting portion 60 being provided between the main body and the housing in the first direction (Fig. 2), at least part of the terminal connecting portion 50 being provided between the main body and the cover plate in the second direction (Fig. 2), the tab connecting portion being used to connect the tab and the terminal connecting portion, and the tab connecting portion being configured such that: the tab connecting portion has a rigidity less than a rigidity of the terminal connecting portion (the plate 260 comprises elasticity which also reads on the hardness of claim 11, and also has a thickness less than the thickness of the terminal connection portion 50]) to allow a relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the tab connecting portion (Fig. 1-5 and paragraphs [0051, 0059-0061]). Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the tab connecting portion 60 extends in the second direction and is provided between the main body 10 and the housing 20 in the first direction, and the terminal connecting portion 50 comprises a first portion that is provided between the cover plate 30 and the main body 10 and used for connection to the electrode terminal 40, and a second portion that extends in the second direction and is provided between the main body 10 and the housing 20 and used for connection to the tab connecting portion 60 (Fig. 2-4).
Kim ‘2010 does not specifically disclose wherein the terminal connecting portion comprises a terminal via hole for the electrode terminal to pass through and a positioning hole for positioning the first portion relative to an insulating structure
However, Kim ‘2012 teaches of a battery comprising: a connection tab (terminal connecting portion) 42 having terminal via holes 422,424 and positioning holes 421,423 that position the connection tab relative to an insulator 41 that comprises projections 411,413 which fit into the positioning holes (Fig. 3 and paragraphs [0055-0056]). At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery of Kim ‘2010 to comprise the claimed terminal connecting portion because Kim ‘2012 teaches that the connection tab is stably fixed to the insulator (paragraph [0059])
As to Claim 3, Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the second portion is overlapped with and connected to the tab connecting portion 60 in a third direction, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and a thickness direction of the tab and a thickness direction of the tab connecting portion are both parallel to the third direction (Fig. 2-4).
As to Claim 4, Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the second portion is located on a side of the tab connecting portion 60 away from the tab 111 (Fig. 2).
As to Claim 5, Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the tab 111 comprises two tab edge portions and a tab main body provided between the two tab edge portions, the two tab edge portions protruding from the tab main body in the third direction, the two tab edge portions and the tab main body jointly defining an accommodating space, and the tab connecting portion being at least partially located in the accommodating space and connected to the tab main body (reproduced Fig. 3 below).
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As to Claim 6, Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the tab connecting portion 60 comprises a first segment 261, a second segment 262 and a third segment 263 that are provided in the second direction, the first segment 261 being used for connection to the terminal connecting portion 50, the third segment 263 being used for connection to the tab, the second segment 262 being connected to the first segment and the third segment, and the tab connecting portion allowing the relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the second segment (Fig. 5).
As to Claim 7, Kim ‘2010 discloses wherein the thickness directions of the second portion, the tab connecting portion 60 and the tab 211 extend in the third direction and the second portion overlaps with the first segment 261 in the third direction (Fig. 5).
As to Claim 12, Kim ‘2010 does not specifically disclose the claimed cross-sectional area relationship. However, the courts have held that where the only difference between the prior at and the claimed invention was a recitation of relative dominions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device, see MPEP 2144.04, IV, A. At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery of Kim ‘2010 to comprise the claimed relationship because Kim ‘2010 teaches that the bonding strength of the welding point between the tab connecting portion and the tab is improved (paragraph [0055]).
As to Claim 13, Kim ‘2010 discloses an insulating structure 44 for insulating the cover plate 30 from the current collecting structure 50,60 (Fig. 2).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2010/0247989 A1; as found in IDS dated 08/30/2023 and herein referred to as Kim ‘2010) in view of Kim et al. (US 2012/0070705 A1; herein after referred to as Kim ‘2012) as applied to claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13, 17-18 and 20 above and in further view of Byun et al. (US 2011/0200849 A1; as found in IDS dated 08/30/2023).
As to Claim 19, modified Kim ‘2010 does not specifically disclose wherein the battery is used in a power consumption device.
However, Byun teaches of a battery used to power an electronic device (Title). At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery of modified Kim ‘2010 to be used to power an electronic device because Byun teaches that devices such as a phone, computer, or car can be powered by such (paragraph [0005]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-22 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: newly added independent claim 21 comprises the previously indicated allowable subject matter of claim 14 and the reasons for allowance previously set forth stand. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 8 and 14-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the reasons for allowance previously set forth in the Non-Final rejection mailed on August 20, 2025 stand.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM ARCIERO whose telephone number is (571)270-5116. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5 ET.
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/ADAM A ARCIERO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727