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
Claim 1 has been amended; support for the amendment can be found in Fig. 14.
Claims 2, 3, 5 and 6 are canceled.
Claims 1 and 4 have been examined on the merits.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Hattori does not teach wherein in a thickness direction of the sealing plate, a dimension between a first end of the bottom surface and a second end of the bottom surface is smaller than a dimension between a distal end of the side surface and the first end of the bottom surface, wherein in the thickness direction of the sealing plate, the first end of the bottom surface is located nearest to the sealing plate among portions of the bottom surface, and wherein in the thickness direction of the sealing plate, the second end of the bottom surface is located farthest from the sealing plate among the portions of the bottom surface (pg. 5, para. 3).
This argument is not found persuasive because a new grounds of rejection has been made in view of Hattori. Hattori teaches wherein in the thickness direction (TD) of the sealing plate (16), the first end (1E) of the bottom surface (18g) is located nearest to the sealing plate (16) among portions (Fig. 8C; 1E, 2E) of the bottom surface (18g), and
wherein in the thickness direction (TD) of the sealing plate (16), the second end (2e) of the bottom surface (18g) is located farthest from the sealing plate (16) among the portions (1E, 2E) of the bottom surface (18g).
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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.
(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hattori (US 20140242439 A1, previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Hattori discloses a secondary battery ([0018]; Fig. 1) comprising:
an electrode body (“electrode assembly”; [0030]; “EB”) that includes a positive electrode plate ([0030]) and a negative electrode plate ([0030]);
an exterior body (Fig. 1; 22) that has an opening (Fig. 1; opening of 22 covered by 16; “O”) and accommodates the electrode body (EB);
a sealing plate (Fig. 1; 16) that has a terminal mounting hole (annotated Fig. 2B; TMH) and seals the opening (O);
a current collector (Fig. 8C; 18) that is electrically connected ([0032]) to the positive electrode plate ([0030]); and
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a terminal (Fig. 8C; 12) that is connected to the current collector (18) and inserted (Fig. 2B) in the terminal mounting hole (TMH),
wherein the current collector (18) has a current-collector through hole (Fig. 8C; 18c),
wherein a spot-faced hole (Fig. 8C; 18e, 18g) is formed around the current-collector through hole,
wherein the spot-faced hole (18g) has a bottom surface (Fig. 8C; 18g) and a side surface annotated Fig. 8c; SS), the side surface (SS) connects to an outer periphery (Fig. 8C; edge of 18g directly contacting 18e) of the bottom surface (18g) and to an outer edge (annotated Fig. 8C; OE) of the spot-faced hole (18e, 18g) adjacent to a major surface (annotated Fig. 8C; MS) of the current collector (18),
wherein the terminal (12) is inserted in the current-collector through hole (18c) and has a riveted portion (Fig. 8C; 12e) which is bent outward (Fig. 8C) from the current-collector through hole (18c) in a radial direction (annotated Fig. 8C; RD) of the current-collector through hole (18c),
wherein an end (annotated Fig. 8C; E) of the riveted portion (12e) of the terminal (12) is in contact (Fig. 8C) with the side surface (SS), wherein the riveted portion (12e) includes a first surface (annotated Fig. 8C; 1S),
wherein the first surface (1S) is nearer to the bottom surface (18g) with decreasing distance to the side surface (SS) in the radial direction (RD),
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wherein a groove (Fig. 8C; 18a) is formed around the spot-faced hole (18e, 18g),
wherein the outer edge (OE) of the spot-faced hole has a first corner (annotated Fig. 8C; 1C) and a second corner (annotated Fig. 8C; 2C),
wherein the first corner (1C) is in contact (Fig. 8C) with the side surface (SS),
wherein the second corner (Fig. 8C; 2C) is in contact with the groove (18a),
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wherein in a thickness direction (annotated Fig. 8C; TD) of the sealing plate (16), a dimension (annotated Fig. 8C; D1) between a first end (annotated Fig. 8C; 1E) of the bottom surface (18g) and a second end (annotated Fig. 8C; 2E) of the bottom surface (18g) is smaller (Fig. 8C) than a dimension (annotated Fig. 8C; D2) between a distal end (annotated Fig. 8C; DE) of the side surface (SS) and the first end (1E) of the bottom surface (18g)
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wherein in the thickness direction (TD) of the sealing plate (16), the first end (1E) of the bottom surface (18g) is located nearest to the sealing plate (16) among portions (Fig. 8C; 1E, 2E) of the bottom surface (18g), and
wherein in the thickness direction (TD) of the sealing plate (16), the second end (2e) of the bottom surface (18g) is located farthest from the sealing plate (16) among the portions (1E, 2E) of the bottom surface (18g).
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hattori (US 20140242439 A1, previously cited) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Yoshida (US 20160372722 A1, previously cited).
Regarding claim 4, Hattori fails to disclose wherein a corner at an edge of the current-collector through hole has a radius of curvature of 0.05 mm or smaller.
Yoshida discloses wherein a corner ([0041) at an edge ([0041]) of a current-collector through hole (“countersunk hole”; [0041]) has a radius of curvature ([0041]) that is prevented from being large ([0041]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Hattori by making a corner at an edge of the current-collector through hole have a low radius of curvature in order to avoid a large and undesirable gap between the current collector and terminal as taught by Yoshida ([0010]). Further, it has been held that where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device (see MPEP 2144.04). Therefore, the limitation “a radius of curvature of 0.05 mm or smaller” is rendered obvious as such a dimension would not result in a different performance from Hattori in view of Yoshida.
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.
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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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