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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 05/26/2023 and 01/07/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itoh et al. (US 2010/0304214 A1) in view of Makino (JP 2014175143 A).
Regarding claim 1, Itoh discloses a battery cell (sealed battery 10) comprising:
a case having an opening (can 11 and sealing plate 12; Figure 1A);
an end cover assembly for closing the opening (Figure 1B;sealing plate 12 reading as a portion of the end cover assembly that closes the opening), wherein the end cover assembly is provided with a liquid injection hole, and the liquid injection hole includes a first hole segment (Figure 1A-1B; electrolyte pour hole 15; [0034]);
a rivet, comprising a nail cap and a nail body, wherein the nail body passes through the first hole segment (Figure 1B; rivet 16 having a rivet cap and rivet body portion wherein the body passes through the first hole segment, Figures 1A-1B), and the nail cap is located on the side of the first hole segment away from the interior of the case (Figure 1B; nail cap having the flange part 16b with an annular convex part 16d); and
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a sealer, arranged between the nail cap and the end cover assembly, for sealing the first hole segment (Figure 1B; gasket 18 read as the sealer; Abstract- gasket is interposed between the electrolyte pour hole and the rivet);
wherein a position-limit boss is formed on the side of the nail cap close to the first hole segment (Figure 1B; 16d); or, a position-limit boss is formed on the end cover assembly (Figure 1B; 17b).
Itoh discloses wherein the position limiting boss can be formed on the nail cap or the end cover assembly, however, is silent with respect to wherein the position limiting boss abuts against the end cover/nail cap to close the first hole segment and to limit compression amount of the sealer.
Makino discloses a sealing structure and sealing method for liquid intake port of a sealed secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Makino discloses a sealing structure having a battery lid 81 that is sealed with an o-ring 28 and has the flange 14 be provided on the outer side of the o-ring to be in contract with the battery lid to effectively seal the liquid injection portion 83 and to provide a more reliable seal (Figure 6; [0041-0042]).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to rearrange the convex parts 16d/17b such that the convex parts 16d are provided on an outer side region of the gasket 18 and to be in contact with the sealing plate 12 as taught by Makino to create a more reliable seal that would prevent the electrolyte pour hole from leaking. The resulting modification would render obvious that structure wherein the position limit boss is formed on the nail cap and abuts against the end cover assembly to limit the compression amount of the sealer. The mere rearrangement of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding claim 2, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Itoh further discloses wherein a height of the position limit boss is less than an original thickness of the sealer (Figure 3B and 4B; 16d and 17b are less than the gasket regions 18B’ and 18F).
Regarding claim 3, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Modified Itoh further wherein the position limit boss is disposed around the sealer, see modification of claim 1 as the convex part 16d is rearranged to be provided on the outer region of the gasket and in contact with the sealing plate (Makino Figure 6).
Regarding claim 4, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Itoh further discloses wherein the position limit boss is an annular boss disposed around a central axis of the rivet (Abstract- an annular third convex part 16d formed around the rivet).
Regarding claim 5, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Modified Itoh further wherein the position limit boss is formed at the edge of the nail cap, see modification of claim 1 as the convex part 16d is rearranged to be provided on the outer region of the gasket and in contact with the sealing plate (Makino Figure 6).
Regarding claim 6, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Itoh further discloses wherein the end cover assembly comprises an end cover and an electrode terminal, the end cover covers the opening, the electrode terminal is disposed on the end cover, and the liquid injection hole is disposed on the end cover (Figure 1A-1B; sealing plate 12 and terminals 13a/13b; sealing plate seals the opening and the electrolyte pour hole 15 is provided on the end cover).
Regarding claims 10 and 11, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Itoh further discloses an electrical apparatus comprising a battery comprising a battery cell, wherein the battery is configured to provide electric energy ([0002-0003] power supplies for electric equipment uses a battery).
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itoh et al. (US 2010/0304214 A1) and Makino (JP 2014175143 A) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Zuo (CN 208256801 U).
Regarding claim 7, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 6. Itoh further discloses wherein the liquid injection hole further comprises a second hole segment in communication with the first hole segment, the second hole segment is located on the side of the first hole segment away from the interior of the case (Figure 3A the second hole segment can be a segment located away from the interior of the case while the first hole segment is a region closer to the interior of the case).
Itoh is silent with respect to wherein the battery cell further comprises a sealing nail, and the sealing nail is in sealing fit with the second hole segment.
Zuo discloses a square lithium battery and sealing structure and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Zuo discloses a battery substate 1 having a liquid injection hole that contains a sealing nail 3 and a sealing aluminum piece 2 that covers the sealing nail and is fixed to the substate to seal the liquid injection hole within the injection hole ([0029] and Figure 1-2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the sealing structure of Itoh such that the rivet is provided within the electrolyte pour hole and to incorporate the sealing aluminum piece around rivet and within the electrolyte pour hole of Itoh to provide a further sealing sheet that increases the seal of the electrolyte pour hole as taught by Zuo. The resulting modification would have a sealing structure in which the rivet is provided in the electrolyte pour hole and an aluminum sealing sheet is provided in the second hole segment to seal the battery and the electrolyte pour hole as taught by Zuo. Thus all the claim limitations of claim 7 are rendered obvious through the modification.
Regarding claim 8, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 7. Modified Itoh further discloses wherein the liquid injection hole is disposed on the end cover, and the side of the sealing nail away from the interior of the case does not exceed the side of the end cover away rom the interior of the case (see modification of claim 7 and Zuo discloses wherein the rivet can be provided within the liquid injection hole of the end cover and the sealing aluminum piece does not exceed the side of the end cover away from the interior of the case; Zuo Figure 1).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itoh et al. (US 2010/0304214 A1) and Makino (JP 2014175143 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2009/0075169 A1).
Regarding claim 9, modified Itoh discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Itoh further discloses wherein the liquid injection hole further comprises a third hole segment in communication with the first hole segment, the third hole segment is located on the side of the first hole segment close to the interior of the case (Figure 3A the third hole segment can be a segment located on the side of the first hole segment to the interior of the case).
Itoh is silent with respect to wherein the end of the nail body away from the nail cap is located in the third hole segment and does not exceed the third hole segment.
Kim discloses a secondary battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Kim discloses wherein a cap plate comprises an electrolytic solution injection hole 137 that is sealed with a ball type stopper as seen in Figures 1-3 and 6-7. Kim shows in figures 6-7 that the ball stopper is pressed into the injection hole, however, the ball stopper does not extend past the inner most part of the injection hole closest to the electrode assembly and thus does not extend past the electrolyte injection hole inner region to seal to the electrolytic solution injection hole (Figures 6-7; [0060-0065]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the rivet of Itoh such that the inner region of the rivet 16 is entirely provided within the electrolyte pour hole 15 and does not exceed past the electrolyte pour hole of the sealing plate as taught by Kim. The resulting modification would have been obvious as the structure taught by Kim is an alternative structure that creates a seal for the electrolyte pour hole and thus the structure claimed within claim 9 is rendered obvious in view of Kim as the structure claimed is taught by Kim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamauchi (US 2011/0072648 A1)-discloses a method for manufacturing sealed battery having a sealing plug 16 that fights tightly into the electrolyte pour hole 15.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Adam J Francis whose telephone number is (571)272-1021. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7 am-4 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571)270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM J FRANCIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728