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 .
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.
Claim Status
Claims 1-11 have been examined on the merits.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of the applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 09/21/2022. It is noted that applicant has filed a certified copy of the application, CN202211153918.0, as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Each information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on or before 11/10/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner and an initial copy is attached herewith.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 3, “another” should read “an other”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 4-6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 2, the recitation “are integrally injection molded” is indefinite because seemingly applicant is claiming a method step in an apparatus claim thus confusing the metes, bounds and scope of the claim as claim 2 depends from claim 1 which is directed to a battery. For examination, the examiner has interpreted the limitation as “wherein the first insulator and the first current collector are configured by integral injection molding”.
In claim 4, it is unclear if the recitation “a part” refers to the previously recited “a part” of claim 3 or to another part. Therefore, claim 4 is rendered indefinite. For examination, the former interpretation is used. Claims 5-6 are rejected based on dependence on claim 4.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the other" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 10, it is unclear if the recitation “a part” refers to the previously recited “a part” of claim 9 or to another part. Therefore, claim 10 is rendered indefinite. For examination, the former interpretation is used.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lai (US 20240097285 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lai discloses a battery (Fig. 1; [0035]), comprising:
a housing (Fig. 1; 2, 31);
a cell (Fig. 1; 1), which is disposed in (Fig. 1) the housing (2, 31), and comprises a main body (annotated Fig. 1; MB) and a first tab (Fig. 1; 11), wherein the first tab (11) is led out (Fig. 1) from one end (annotated Fig. 1; 1E) of the main body (MB);
a first insulator (Fig. 1; 43), which is disposed in the housing (2, 31);
a first current collector (Fig. 1; 41), which is integrally formed (“injection molded”; [0089]) in the first insulator (43; [0057]), and is connected to ([0073]) the first tab (11);
wherein a largest circumferential outer edge (annotated Fig. 1; 1OE) of an orthographic projection (Fig. 9; projection of 41 onto the same plane as 43) of the first current collector (41) facing an end surface (annotated Fig. 1; 1E) of the main body (MB) is located inside (Fig. 9) a largest circumferential outer edge (annotated Fig. 9; 2OE) of an orthographic projection (Fig. 9; projection of 43 onto same plane as 41) of the first insulator (43) facing the end surface (1E) of the main body (MB).
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Regarding claim 2, Lai discloses wherein the first insulator (43) and the first current collector (41) are integrally injection molded ([0089]).
Regarding claim 3, Lai discloses wherein a part (Fig. 1; 411) of the first current collector (41) is embedded ([0089]; Fig. 2) inside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43), and another part (Fig. 1; 412) of the first current collector (41) is located outside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43).
Regarding claim 4, Lai discloses wherein a thickness (Fig. 1; thickness of 411) of at least a part (Fig. 1; 411) of the first current collector (41) embedded (Fig. 2) inside the first insulator (43) is smaller (Fig. 1) than a thickness (Fig. 1; thickness of 412) of the first current collector (41) outside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43).
Regarding claim 5, Lai discloses wherein the battery (Fig. 1) further comprises a pole assembly (Fig. 1; 33), the pole assembly (33) is disposed on ([0090]; Fig. 1) the housing (2, 31), and the first current collector (41) comprises a tab connection portion (Fig. 1; 411, 413) and a pole connection portion (Fig. 1; 412), the pole connection portion (412) is disposed on the tab connection portion (411, 413), and the tab connection portion (412) is embedded (Fig. 2) in the first insulator (43), at least a part (Fig. 1; 412) of the pole connection portion (412) is located outside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43), and faces the pole assembly (33) so as to be connected ([0095]) with the pole assembly (33).
Regarding claim 6, Lai discloses wherein the battery (Fig. 1) further comprises a second insulator (Fig. 1; 32; [0088]), and the second insulator (32) is disposed in (Fig. 1) the housing (2, 31) and is located between (Fig. 1) the housing (31) and the first current collector (41), so that the housing (2, 31) and the first current collector (41) are insulated from each other (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Lai discloses wherein a first through hole (Fig. 1; 432) is formed inside the first insulator (43), and the first current collector (41) is located in (Fig. 2) the first through hole (432); wherein a first position-limiting portion (Fig. 9; 438) is provided on a side wall (Fig. 1; 433) of the first through hole (432), and a second position-limiting portion (Fig. 1; 414) is provided on a circumferential outer side (annotated Fig. 1; COS) of the first current collector (41), one (Fig. 9; 438) of the first position-limiting portion (438) and the second position-limiting portion (414) is a protrusion (Fig. 9; 438; “clamping part”; [0070]), and the other (Fig. 1; 414) is an accommodation space (Fig. 1; 414; “positioning holes”; [0070]), and the protrusion (438) is located in (Fig. 9) the accommodation space (414).
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Regarding claim 8, Lai discloses wherein the cell (1) further comprises a second tab (Fig. 1; 12), the first tab (11) and the second tab (12) are led out (Fig. 1) from a same end (annotated Fig. 1; 1E) of the main body (MB), the battery (Fig. 1) further comprises a second current collector (Fig. 1; 42), and the second current collector (42) connects ([0090]) the second tab (12) and the housing (2, 31); wherein the first current collector (41) and the second current collector (42) are insulated ([0090]) from each other.
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Regarding claim 9, Lai discloses wherein at least a part (Fig. 1; 421) of the second current collector (42) is located inside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43).
Regarding claim 10, Lai discloses wherein a second through hole (Fig. 1; 4332) is formed inside (Fig. 1) the first insulator (43), and a part (Fig. 1; 421) of the second current collector (42) is located in the second through hole (433).
Regarding claim 11, Lai discloses wherein the battery (Fig. 1) is a cylindrical battery (Fig. 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRACE A KENLAW whose telephone number is (571)272-1253. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM-6:00 PM.
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/G.A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723