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 .
Claim Status
Claims 3, 4, 7 and 8 have been canceled.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 9 and 10 have been amended; support for the amendment can be found in original claims 3, 4, 7 and 8.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9-11 have been examined on the merits.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/13/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the clamping part 438 of Lai is not located on the vertical inner side wall of the avoidance hole 432 and, therefore, Lai fails to disclose the “first position-limiting portion” at the required location as recited in claim 1 (pg. 7-8).
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., vertical inner side wall) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Element 433 of Lai may be considered a side wall of the through hole 432 because it surrounds and is to the side of the through hole 432.
Applicant argues that “COS” labeled in Fig. 1 of Lai is not a circumferential outer side but an internal planar area (pg. 8) and therefore 414 is an internal axial hole and not a circumferential outer side feature (pg. 8). Thus, applicant argues, that Lai fails to disclose a “second position-limiting portion” (pg. 8).
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These arguments are not found persuasive because “COS” is on an outer side of a circumference (annotated Fig. 1; C) of the first current collector (Fig. 1; 41) . The examiner notes that applicant appears to intend to claim a side that extends along a circumference in a vertical direction (where the vertical direction is the direction in which the longest dimension of the battery extends). However, that is not presently claimed.
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 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9-11 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the other one" in line 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2, 5, 6 and 9-11 are rejected for dependence on claim 1.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9-11 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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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),
wherein a thickness (Fig. 1; thickness of 411 in the vertical direction) of at least the 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 in the vertical direction) of the first current collector (41) outside (Fig. 2) the first insulator (43)
wherein a first through hole (Fig. 1; 432, 433) 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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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 2, Lai discloses wherein the first insulator (43) and the first current collector (41) are configured by integral injection molding ([0089]).
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 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tiffany Legette-Thompson can be reached at (571) 270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/G.A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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