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.
Specification
The specification and drawings have been reviewed and no clear informalities or objections have been noted.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of species A2, B2, C1, D1 and E2 in the reply filed on 4/8/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that it would not be a burden. This is not found persuasive because such a search would be a burden for the reasons stated in the restriction requirement mailed 2/20/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 16-24 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 16 recites the limitations "the periphery" and “the first portion” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitations "the central axis” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 19, Applicant claims “and an outer radius of the first tab is R”. It is unclear what radius Applicant is referring to here as the first tab is a singular element. As best understood, it appears as though Applicant intends to claim “an outer radius of the cross section of first tab R” and will be examined as such.
In claim 22, Applicant claims “a diameter of the first tab is D4”. Like above, it is unclear what is intended by stating “a diameter of the first tab” as the first tab is claimed as a feature that is welded to the current collector). Clarification is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 13-18 and 26-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (KR 20200134534A with references made to English Language Equivalent US 2022/0200108).
Regarding claims 1, 32 and 33, Kim discloses a battery cell, comprising:
an electrode assembly (120, which includes electrodes 121 and 122 and separator 123), comprising a first tab (124);
a housing (cylindrical can 110), configured to accommodate the electrode assembly (see Fig. 1B where the electrode assembly is inside the housing);
an electrode terminal (cap assembly 150), disposed on the housing (as depicted in Fig. 1B, see Annotated Kim Fig. 1B below), the electrode terminal comprising a first concave portion (see annotated Kim Fig. 1B below) and a connecting portion (160) at the bottom of the first concave portion (as depicted in Fig. 1B); and a current collector (130), connected to the first tab (via welding, see paragraph 35 which discloses welding the current collector 130 and the non-coating part/tab 124) and welded to the connecting portion (see paragraph 49 which discloses that connecting part/electrode tab 160 is welded to the current collector 130).
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Annotated Kim Fig. 1B
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Kim further discloses at least part of the first tab (24) is located on a side of the current collector facing away from the electrode terminal as well as a side of the connecting portion facing away from the first concave portion (see Fig. 1b where the side of the current collector 130 and connecting portion 160 facing away from the electrode terminal 150 and concave portion) and supports the current collector (the tab will provide at least some support to the current collector as they are in contact with each other).
Regarding claim 15, Kim further discloses the first portion is welded to the current collector to form a second welding portion (see paragraph 49 which discloses that connecting part/electrode tab/first portion 160 is welded to the current collector 130).
Regarding claims 16 and 17, Kim further discloses a second portion of the first tab that is welded to the current collector encloses the periphery of the first portion, and is configured to support a region of the current collector that is not opposite the connecting portion (see annotated Kim Fig. 1B(2) below which illustrates two portions of the first tab, where one is not opposite the connecting member and one is and see paragraph 49 which discloses that the electrode tabs/uncoated portions 124 are welded to the current collector 130).
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Annotated Kim Fig. 1B(2)
Regarding claim 18, Kim further discloses the current collector has a convex portion (ribs 131) on a side facing the first tab, and the convex portion is welded to the second portion to form the third welding portion (see Fig. 2A which illustrates ribs 131 being the portion of the current collector in contact with the uncoated portion/electrode tab 124 and is therefore welded).
Regarding claim 26, Kim further discloses the housing comprises a cylinder (112) and a cover (151b, 151, 152a, 152) connected to the cylinder (as depicted in Fig. 1B), the cylinder is provided around the periphery of the electrode assembly (as depicted in Fig. 1B), the cover is provided with an electrode lead-out hole (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below), and the electrode terminal is mounted in the electrode lead-out hole (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below); and
the electrode terminal comprises a terminal body, the terminal body comprises a columnar portion (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below), a first restraint structure, and a second restraint structure (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below), at least part of the columnar portion is located in the electrode lead-out hole (the inside surface of the columnar portion is within the electrode lead out hole), the first concave portion is disposed in the columnar portion (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below), the first restraint structure and the second restraint structure are both connected to and protrude from the outer lateral wall of the columnar portion (as depicted in annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3) below), and the first restraint structure and the second restraint structure are disposed on the outside and inside of the cover respectively and together are configured to clamp part of the cover (first and second restraints, as defined in the figure below show the restraints are on the outside of the cover and the inside of the cover and are configured to clamp part the cover).
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Annotated Kim Fig. 1B(3)
Regarding claim 27, Kim further discloses the terminal body has a second outer surface (top surface of the terminal body), and the first concave portion is recessed from the second outer surface in the direction facing the electrode assembly to the first outer surface of the connecting portion (see Fig. 1B where the concave portion extends from the top of the Fig. 1B downward in a direct toward the electrode assembly and stops at the outer surface of the connecting portion 160).
Regarding claim 28, Kim further discloses the electrode terminal further comprises a sealing plate, and the sealing plate is connected to the terminal body and seals an opening of the first concave portion (sealing plate is the plate at the bottom of the cavity which seals the opening of the electrode assembly).
Regarding claim 29, Kim further discloses the electrode assembly further comprises a second tab (125) with a polarity opposite to that of the first tab (it’s a negative electrode tab on the bottom), and the second tab is disposed around the central axis of the electrode assembly (see Fig. 1B where tab 125 is disposed around the central axis of the electrode assembly); and the first tab is disposed at an end of the electrode assembly facing the electrode terminal, the second tab is disposed at an end of the electrode assembly facing away from the electrode terminal (the first tab 124 and second tab 125 are located on opposite ends of the battery), and the second tab is electrically connected to the housing (via collector 140).
Regarding claim 30, Kim further discloses the second tab is a negative electrode tab (paragraph 35), and a substrate material of the housing is steel (paragraph 31).
Regarding claim 31, Kim further discloses the housing has an opening (opening to the electrode assembly and covered by plate 151) at an end facing away from the electrode terminal (the opening is at the end of the cavity which faces away from the electrode terminal), and the battery cell further comprises a cover plate for sealing the opening (plate 151).
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.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (KR 20200134534A with references made to English Language Equivalent US 2022/0200108) in view of Nakamura (US 2012/0052380).
Regarding claims 2-3, Kim further discloses the current collector is welded to the connecting portion to form a first welding portion (the welding portion is the portion that is welded between the current collector 130 and the connecting portion 160). Kim, however, is silent regarding the structure of the weld. More specifically, Kim does not teach:
in a thickness direction of the connecting portion, the first welding portion extends from a side of the connecting portion facing away from the current collector at least to the inside of the current collector; and
in the thickness direction of the connecting portion, the first welding portion does not protrude beyond a surface of the current collector facing away from the connecting portion.
Nakamura also discloses a battery comprising a welded current collector (see abstract).
Nakamura goes on to teach an embodiment where a thin, conductive film (similar to that of the connecting portion/electrode tab of Kim) 161 is welded to a current collector (135, see paragraph 44). Nakamura discloses that the weld portion starts at the surface facing away from the current collector and fills the entire depth of the thin film/connecting portion (161) and proceeds to fill a portion of the depth of the current collector but does not extend entirely through the current collector (see Fig. 8B which illustrates such a configuration). Nakamura teaches such a structure in order to mechanically and electrically connect the thin film to the current collector (see paragraph 44).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to add the welding configuration of Nakamura to the connecting plate and current collector of Kim in order to mechanically and electrically connect the connecting part to the current collector.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6-12 and 25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 19-24 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior art, Kim, teaches a battery module in which the collector plate, connecting portion and electrode tab are welded to each other. However, regarding claim 4, Kim teaches a diameter of the cover as well as a diameter of the first welding portion. However, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests the claimed diameter ratio and the prior art neither teaches nor suggests a motivation to modify the configuration of Kim to arrive at such a ratio. Regarding claim 10, similarly, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests a motivation to modify Kim to arrive at the claimed ratio of the thickness of the welding region and the thickness of the connecting portion. Regarding claims 19 and 22, the prior art neither teaches nor suggest a motivation to modify the configuration of Kim to arrive at the claimed ratios. Regarding claim 5, Kim specifically identifies connecting portion 160 as a flat plate and does not teach or suggest the claimed grooves in the connecting portion that are welded to the inside of the current collector, nor does the prior art teach or suggest a motivation to arrive at such a configuration.
Relevant Prior Art
US 2004/0023107 – Discloses a battery module with a concave portion (below 79) as well as tabs (45) and a connecting portion (63) and also teaches a clamping portion (76,72) which is similar to the clamping portion disclosed in the instant disclosure, particularly in instantly disclosed Fig. 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J MERKLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9813. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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/MATTHEW J MERKLING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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