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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 06/29/2023, 03/29/2024 and 04/18/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 2019/0189998 to Muroya et al.
With respect to claim 1, Muroya et al. teach an end cover assembly, comprising: a cover plate 2, provided with an electrode lead-out hole 2a; an electrode terminal 107, located on one side of the cover plate 2 in a thickness direction and covering the electrode lead-out hole 2a; and a sealing element 210, disposed between the electrode terminal 107 and the cover plate 2 so as to seal the electrode lead-out hole 2a along a circumference of the electrode lead-out hole 2a, wherein the sealing element 210 comprises a body 210 and a first insulating element 82; the first insulating element 82 is connected to the body 210 and has a higher melting point than the body 210; and the first insulating element 82 is configured to insulate the electrode terminal 107 from the end cover 2 after the body 210 is melted (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 2, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the first insulating element 82 is at least partially embedded into the body 210 (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 4, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the body 210 and the first insulating element 82 are both annular and are both disposed around the electrode lead-out hole 2a (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 5, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the body 210 abuts against the electrode terminal 107 and the cover plate 2 (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 6, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the first insulating element is made of ceramic, and the body is made of resin (rubber) (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092] and [0117]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 7, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the cover plate 2 further comprises a flange; the flange surrounds the electrode lead-out hole 2a and protrudes toward the electrode terminal 107 in the thickness direction of the cover plate 2; and a portion of the first insulating element 82 is located on a side of the flange farther away from the electrode lead-out hole 2a (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 8, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein a size of the first insulating element 82 in the thickness direction of the cover plate 2 is greater than a protrusion height of the flange (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 9, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the body 210 comprises a first portion, a second portion and a third portion; the first portion is located on a side of the flange closer to the electrode lead-out hole 2a; the second portion is located on a side of the flange farther away from the electrode lead-out hole 2a; the third portion is located on a side of the flange closer to the electrode terminal 107; the third portion is connected to the first portion and the second portion; and the first insulating element 82 is at least partially embedded into the second portion (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
With respect to claim 10, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein an insulating layer 84 is formed on a circumferential surface of the electrode terminal 307, and the insulating layer 84 has a higher melting point than the body 10 (Muroya et al.: Sections [0102]-[0105]; Fig. 11).
With respect to claim 11, Muroya et al. teach the same insulating layer, therefor, lacking of any clear distinction between the claimed insulating layer and those disclosed by Muroya et al., it would be inherent for the insulating layer of Muroya et al. to be named or identified as a rigid anodization layer.
With respect to claim 12, Muroya et al. teach the end cover assembly, wherein the end cover assembly further comprises: a second insulating element 84, surrounding at least part of the circumferential surface of the electrode terminal 307 and connected to the electrode terminal 307; and a fixing element 10 or 111, fixed to the cover plate 2 and connected to the second insulating element 84; wherein the electrode terminal 307 is fixed to the cover plate 2 via the second insulating element 84 and the fixing element 10 or 111; and the electrode terminal 84 is insulated from the fixing element 10 or 111 by the second insulating element 84 (Muroya et al.: Sections [0102]-[0105]; Fig. 11).
With respect to claim 13, Muroya et al. teach a battery cell, comprising: a housing 1 with an opening; an electrode assembly 3, disposed inside the housing 1; and the end cover assembly 2, wherein the end cover assembly 2 covers the opening, so as to seal the electrode assembly 3 inside the housing 1 (Muroya et al.: Section [0039]; Fig. 2A).
With respect to claim 14, Muroya et al. teach a battery, comprising the battery cell (Muroya et al.: Section [0039]; Fig. 2A).
With respect to claim 15, Muroya et al. teach a electric vehicle (an electric apparatus), comprising the battery (Muroya et al.: Section [0003]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 3 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 2019/0189998 to Muroya et al.
With respect to claim 3, Muroya et al. further teach the end cover assembly, wherein the body is in an annular shape 210 (Muroya et al.: Sections [0088]-[0092]; Fig. 8).
Muroya et al. do not specifically teach the first insulating element is provided in plurality, and the plurality of first insulating elements are spaced apart along a circumference of the body. However, changes in shape of a known element have been held to be obvious. See Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984) and In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have the first insulating element is provided in plurality, and the plurality of first insulating elements are spaced apart along a circumference of the body.
With respect to claim 11, Muroya et al. teach the same insulating layer, therefor, lacking of any clear distinction between the claimed insulating layer and those disclosed by Muroya et al., it would be expected for the insulating layer of Muroya et al. to be named or identified as a rigid anodization layer as claimed lacking unexpected result showing otherwise.
Conclusion
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/LINGWEN R ZENG/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 3/17/2026