DETAILED ACTION
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 (IDS) submitted on 07/31/23 and 12/11/24 was considered by the examiner.
The third party submission dated 12/16/24 has been considered.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 07/31/23.
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) 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by the publication CN 209880668 (heretofore CN’668) (for citation purposes, its English language counterpart Huang et al 2022/0123417 is being used).
As to claims 1, 5:
Huang et al (CN’668) discloses that it is known in the art to make a top cover assembly 1 comprising a top cover sheet (applicant’s end cover assembly) 11 for a battery cell wherein a top cover sheet 11 (taken to represent applicant’s structurally undefined pressure relief member) includes an explosion-proof hole 111, a protrusion 112, an explosion-proof sheet 12, a fixing member 13, first/second grooves 131, 132 (applicant’s indentation) and a protective sheet 14 (0070-0078; see Figures 2, 7 & 9-10). In Huang et al (CN’668) the top cover sheet (applicant’s end cover assembly) is capable of rupturing/breaking when gas pressure inside the battery cell exceeds a threshold value (0070-0078). Huang et al (CN’668) teaches the fixing member 13 is of a split structure (see Figure 7) so that when the internal temperature of the secondary battery reaches a certain value, the fixing member 13 can be melted, so that the explosion proof sheet 12 falls off; and when the internal pressure of the secondary battery reaches a certain value, the explosion proof sheet 12 can be broken (0086).
As to claims 2-5:
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360
432
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354
374
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298
478
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294
436
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As to claims 2-5:
Huang et al (CN’668) teaches the explosion proof sheet 12 may be made of aluminum (0086). Huang et al (CN’668) discloses the use of steel to make the top cover sheet (0070; 0066). Examiner’s note: since Huang et al (CN’668) teach the use of aluminum and steel to make the foregoing components/elements, respectively, it is deemed that the specific melting point and melting point relation between the explosion proof sheet 12 (i.e., applicant’s pressure relief member) and a top cover assembly 1 (applicant’s end cover) is satisfied as such the specific melting point are inherent properties of the materials disclosed by Huang et al (CN’668).
Thus, the present claims are anticipated.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: a detailed search for the prior art failed to reveal or fairly suggest what is instantly claimed, in particular: the cover assembly for battery comprising all of the claimed components/elements satisfying the specific structural and functional interrelationship as recited in dependent claim 6.
Claim 6 is 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. Note that clams 7-20 are also allowable by virtue of their dependency upon clam 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND ALEJANDRO whose telephone number is (571)272-1282. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (8:00 am-6:30 pm).
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/RAYMOND ALEJANDRO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1752