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 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 6 and 11 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 6 recites the relative term “near” without providing sufficient context to determine the difference between an arrangement considered to be near compared to other arrangement such as those that are not close enough to be near, those that are so far as to be considered distant, etc.,
Claim 11 recites the relative term “weak” without sufficient context to determine whether a part is weak, is not weak, is strong, etc.,
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5, 7-10, and 12-17 are allowed. The prior art discloses secondary batteries comprising an electrode assembly and electrolyte held inside a battery case, where the battery is configured to have replenishing electrolyte injected into the case under certain conditions. See e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0006635. The prior art, however, is silent regarding providing a rupture member configured to be deformed by a temperature change to form a hole in a packaging member holding the additional electrolyte so that the electrolyte can be injected.
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/WYATT P MCCONNELL/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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