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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR 10-2021-0030315, filed on 3/8/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 4/4/2025 and 7/7/2025 fail to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.98(a)(4) because it lacks the appropriate size fee assertion. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Applicant Admitted Prior Art (AARP; refer to Instant Specification – pp. 10-11; Figs. 1-2) in view of York So (US20150279574A1).
Regarding Claim 1, AARP discloses a cylindrical secondary battery 1 [Instant Specification – pp. 10-11; Figs. 1-2] comprising:
an electrode assembly having a first electrode tab 11 at a first end of the electrode assembly;
a battery can having an opening portion at one end of the battery can, the battery can being configured to accommodate the electrode assembly therein;
a current collecting plate 30, the current collecting plate including:
at least three tab coupling portions 32 electrically connected to the first electrode tab; and
a can coupling portion 33 extending from ends of the tab coupling portions toward the opening portion of the battery can, the can coupling portion having a surface electrically connected to an inner surface of the battery can; and
a top cap 40 configured to cover the opening of the battery can.
AARP fails to disclose wherein the can coupling portion has a continuous outer peripheral surface electrically connected to an inner surface of the battery can. However, York So, from the same field of endeavor, discloses a cylindrical secondary battery 100 comprising a battery can 102 accommodating an electrode assembly 104 therein and a current collecting plate 128, the current collecting plate including a tab coupling portion 170 electrically connected to the first electrode and a can coupling portion 172 extending from peripheral end of the tab coupling portion toward an end of the battery can, the can coupling portion having a continuous outer peripheral surface electrically connected to an inner surface of the battery can in order to enhance electrical contact between the current collecting plate and the battery can over a larger area for greater performance of the secondary cell [York So – pars. 0029,0034-38; Figs. 1,3]. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled artisan to have employed the teachings of York So to have modified the current collecting plate of AARP wherein the can coupling portion has a continuous outer peripheral surface electrically connected to an inner surface of the battery can in order to enhance electrical contact between the current collecting plate and the battery can over a larger area for greater performance of the secondary cell.
Regarding Claim 2, AARP discloses wherein the tab coupling portions extend from a central portion 31 of the current collecting plate to the can coupling portion, and wherein the tab coupling portions directly contact the first electrode tab [Instant Specification – pp. 10-11; Figs. 1-2].
Regarding Claim 3, AARP discloses wherein an angle between adjacent tab coupling portions of the tab coupling portions is 90° which falls within the claimed range of 40° or more and 140° or less [AARP – Fig. 1(b)].
Regarding Claim 4, AARP discloses wherein the battery can includes a beading portion 21 extending inward from a side of the battery can, the beading portion being adjacent to the opening portion of the battery can [AARP – Fig. 2].
Regarding Claim 9, modified AARP teaches wherein a perimeter of the can coupling portion has a circular shape [AARP – Fig. 1; York So – par. 0025,0038].
Regarding Claims 11-12, AARP teaches the cylindrical secondary batter cells for vehicles which require a batter pack with high output and high capacity [AARP – pars. 0003-056]. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled artisan to have employed the cylindrical secondary battery of modified AARP to be comprised in a battery pack and a vehicle comprising the same.
Claim(s) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AARP and York So, as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Lee (US 20170372849A1).
Regarding Claim 5, modified AARP teaches that the battery can may include a beading portion 122 in order to compress the can coupling portion 172 which may deform to enhance the electrical connection between the current collecting plate and the battery can [York So - par. 0038; Fig. 3], but fails to explicitly teach wherein the can coupling portion of the current collecting plate includes a curved portion that extends inward toward a center of the current collecting plate, the curved portion contacting the beading portion. However, Lee, from the same field of endeavor, teaches a cylindrical battery cell comprising a battery can 210 accommodating an electrode assembly 200 therein and a current collecting plate 240 including a tab coupling portion 241 electrically connected to a first electrode tab of the electrode assembly and a can coupling portion 242 extending from the peripheral end of the tab coupling portion toward the bottom end of the battery can, the can coupling portion having a continuous outer peripheral surface electrically connected to an inner surface of the battery can, wherein the can coupling portion of the current collecting plate includes a curved portion that extends inward toward a center of the current collecting plate, the curved portion contacting the beading portion in order to closely adhere and tightly fix the can coupling portion to the battery can by deforming the can coupling portion [Lee – pars. 0086-99; Figs. 11-15]. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled artisan to have employed the teachings of Lee to have further modified the secondary battery of AARP, wherein the can coupling portion of the current collecting plate includes a curved portion that extends inward toward a center of the current collecting plate, the curved portion contacting the beading portion in order to closely adhere and tightly fix the can coupling portion to the battery can by deforming the can coupling portion as a well-known configuration in the art for establishing a physical and electrical connection of a current collecting plate with the battery can of a cylindrical secondary battery.
Regarding Claim 6, AARP discloses wherein the battery can includes a crimping portion 22 located at the opening portion adjacent the beading portion, the crimping portion being bent to extend toward a central axis of the battery can [AARP – pp. 10-11; Fig. 2].
Regarding Claim 7, modified AARP discloses wherein the can coupling portion is compressed and fixed by the beading portion [York So – par. 0038; Lee – par. 0099].
Regarding Claim 8, AARP discloses wherein an outer peripheral surface of the can coupling portion extends from a lower end of the beading portion to a lower end of the crimping portion [AARP – Fig. 2].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chai (US20230012207A1) and Fang (US20230122619A1) – published before the US filing date of instant application. Both Chai and Fang disclose the cylindrical secondary battery according to claim 1 except for the feature of the can coupling portion extending from at least three tab coupling portions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAROON S SHEIKH whose telephone number is (571)270-0302. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JONATHAN LEONG can be reached at (571) 270-1292. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HAROON S. SHEIKH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1751
/Haroon S. Sheikh/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751