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 .
Summary
This is a non-final office action for application 18/167,885 filed on 02/13/2023. Claims 1-15 are pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2022-020547 filed on 02/14/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 02/13/2023, 07/18/2023 and 03/19/2024 are being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species I, claims 1-5 and 9-13, in the reply filed on 11/28/2025 is acknowledged. Group I, Species 2, claims 6-8 and Group II, claims 14-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/28/2025.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakayama et al. (US-20200127247-A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Nakayama discloses a battery (see e.g. "battery" in paragraph [0019] and FIG. 1) comprising a terminal (see e.g. "external terminals" in paragraph [0019] and part number 14 in FIG. 1), wherein
the terminal includes
a first conductive member having a plate shape (see e.g. "external terminal" in paragraph [0020] and part number 14 in FIG. 2; part number 14 is a plate shaped conductive member),
a second conductive member (see e.g. "internal terminal" in paragraph [0026] and part number 15 in FIG. 2) including a flange electrically connected to the first conductive member (see e.g. "welded portions 50" in paragraph [0036] and part number 50 in FIG. 2; the flange is electrically connected to the first conductive member via direct contact),
a fastener mechanically securing the first conductive member and the flange of the second conductive member to each other (see e.g. part numbers 15c and 14b in FIG. 2 and "The tip end of the shaft portion 15 c is crushed and fastened to a circumferential periphery of the member-engaging hole 14 b that is on the outside of the external terminal 14. The tip end of the shaft portion 15 c is deformed so as to spread into an umbrella-like shape to form the fastening portion 15 c 1. As a result, the internal terminal 15 is secured so as to clamp the first insulating member 12, the lid 11 b, the second insulating member 13, and the external terminal 14 between the base portion 15 a and the fastening portion 15 c 1." in paragraph [0038]), and
a metal joint metal-joining the first conductive member and the flange of the second conductive member to each other at a location away from the fastener (see e.g. "fastening portion 15 c 1" and "the fastening portion 15 c 1 and the external terminal 14 are welded to each other" and part number 15c1 in FIG. 2), and
the metal joint includes a first connection region and a second connection region, the second connection region being located closer to a center of the flange than the first connection region in a plan view (see annotated figure below).
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622
750
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(Nakayama, figure 2, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 2, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the first conductive member is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy (see e.g. "the external terminal 14... made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy" in paragraph [0028]), and
the second conductive member is made of copper or a copper alloy (see e.g. "the internal terminal 15... made of copper or a copper alloy" in paragraph [0028]).
Regarding Claim 3, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses the metal joint includes a fused and solidified portion in which the first conductive member and the second conductive member are fused together (see e.g. " More specifically, the metal in the fastening portion 15 c 1 that is fused by laser welding flows along the outer surface of the fastening portion 15 c 1, which is in an umbrella-like shape, to the external terminal 14, and is mixed with the fused metal on the external terminal 14 side, to effect welding." in paragraph [0037]; the metal joint is a part of the second conductive member thus through the disclosed process fuses the first conductive member and second conductive member together), and
when viewed in cross section, a fusion depth of the fused and solidified portion in the first connection region is smaller than a fusion depth of the fused and solidified portion in the second connection region (see annotated figure below).
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685
831
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(Nakayama, figure 4, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 4, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the metal joint includes a fused and solidified portion in which the first conductive member and the second conductive member are fused together (see e.g. " More specifically, the metal in the fastening portion 15 c 1 that is fused by laser welding flows along the outer surface of the fastening portion 15 c 1, which is in an umbrella-like shape, to the external terminal 14, and is mixed with the fused metal on the external terminal 14 side, to effect welding." in paragraph [0037]; the metal joint is a part of the second conductive member thus through the disclosed process fuses the first conductive member and second conductive member together), and
when viewed in cross section, a fusion depth of the fused and solidified portion in the first connection region is smaller than a thickness of a portion of the first conductive member adjacent to the first connection region (see annotated figure below).
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684
894
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(Nakayama, figure 4, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 5, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the metal joint has a spiral shape in the plan view (see e.g. part number 15c1 in FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 9, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the first conductive member includes a recess in which at least a portion of the flange of the second conductive member is housed (see e.g. annotated figure below), and
the fastener is formed by securing an inner wall of the recess of the first conductive member with the portion of the second conductive member housed in the recess (see e.g. annotated figure below).
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532
807
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(Nakayama, figure 2, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 10, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the flange of the second conductive member includes a constricted portion fitted to the first conductive member (see e.g. annotated figure below), and
the fastener is a fitted portion in which the constricted portion of the second conductive member and the first conductive member are fitted to each other (see e.g. annotated figure below).
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683
672
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(Nakayama, figure 4, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 11, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the metal joint is disposed closer to the center of the flange than the fastener in the plan view (see e.g. annotated figure below).
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686
625
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(Nakayama, figure 4, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 12, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that a portion of the first conductive member located radially inward of the metal joint in the plan view is provided with a through hole (see e.g. "The through hole 13 d has an internal diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the shaft portion 15 c so that a later-described shaft portion 15 c of the internal terminal 15 can be inserted therethrough." in paragraph [0031] and part number 13d in FIG. 4 and annotated figure below).
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585
654
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(Nakayama, figure 4, annotated for illustration)
Regarding Claim 13, Nakayama discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see e.g. claim 1 rejection above).
Nakayama further discloses that the first conductive member has a substantially rectangular shape (see e.g. annotated figure below), and
the center of the flange of the second conductive member and a center of the first conductive member are located at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the first conductive member (see e.g. annotated figure below).
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583
848
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(Nakayama, figure 2, annotated for illustration)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Matsumoto et al. (US-20170229700-A1)
Tsutsumi et al. (US-20150318519-A1)
Kim (US-20110244310-A1)
Muroya et al. (US-20200212415-A1)
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TONG GUO can be reached at (571) 272-3066. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.J.E./Examiner, Art Unit 1723
/TONG GUO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723