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 § 102
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 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) 1-3, 6, 7, 9-13, 16, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peng et al (CN216958453).
Regarding claim 1, Peng teaches a battery comprising a housing 20 with an annular cover 40, considered to be the claimed shell, wherein the annular cover 40 is laser welded to the side wall 22 of the housing 20 (0056). The annular cover 40 is considered to be part of the instantly claimed shell when connected to the housing 20 via the laser welding. The housing 20 is formed in an accommodating cavity 20b which accommodates a winding core 30. The housing 20 is shown to have a top end and a bottom end opposite each other, and the top end having an opening 40a, which is the opening of the annular cover 40 and it is shown to communicate with the accommodating cavity 20b (0056 and figure 2). A pole 60 is disposed at the top end of the shell of Peng and is insulatively connected with the annular cover 40 via the sealing insulating member 50. Figures 2 and 4 show the pole 60 comprising a portion 61 which protrudes towards the interior of the shell, wherein the portion 61 is electrically connected to a tab of the electrode core 30. Sealing pin 70 is considered to be the connection terminal, as claimed. The sealing pin 70 is disposed on one side of the pole 60 and protrudes towards the outside of the shell. The sealing pin 70 has a skirt 72, considered to be the first welding portion, and the boss 71, considered to be the second welding portion. The skirt 72 and the boss 71 form the sealing pin 70 as a single piece and are therefore considered connected. The boss 71 protrudes away from the shell as shown in figure 5. The skirt 72 of the sealing pin 70 is connected to the pole 60 (0067). The sealing pin 70 faces away from the pole 60 and is provided with a boss 71 so that the boss 71 is located outside of the battery 10 which facilitates accurate welding of the external conductive member and the boss 71 (0072 and figure 5).
Regarding claim 2, Peng teaches the skirt 72 is disposed around the edge of the boss 71.
Regarding claim 3, Peng teaches the sealing pin 70 covers part of the central hole 40a (figures 2 and 5).
Regarding claim 6, Peng teaches in figure 5 that the underside of pole 60 has a welding area onto which the tab of the core is welded. This overlaps with the boss 71.
Regarding claim 7, Peng teaches in figure 5 the top side of the pole 60 is provided with a groove 61. The skirt 72 is shown to face the pole 60 and small vertical walls are also shown defining the thickness of element 72.
Regarding claim 9, Peng teaches a recess 61 extending into the accommodating cavity 20b and the shell cover 60 extends out of the opening as it is on the outer annular portion. The electrical connection between the groove 61 and the tab of the core 30 is considered to be shown in figure 5. The shell cover 60, as the second connecting portion, is configured to be electrically connected to the first welding portion, groove 61, insofar as after welding of the skirt 72 onto a portion of the groove 61, there is electric connection between skirt 72 and shell cover 60 because shell cover 60 and the groove 61 are a single piece.
Regarding claim 10, Peng teaches the skirt 72 and the boss 71 to be a single piece and thus considered integrally formed, as claimed.
Regarding claim 11, Peng teaches the profile of the edge of the groove of the shell cover 60 is rounded (figure 2, 4, and 5) and is therefore considered at least partially to expand in a direction away from the accommodating cavity, as claimed.
Regarding claim 12, Peng teaches the shape of the groove of the shell cover 60 is opening towards the outside of the shell.
Regarding claim 13, Peng teaches that there is a gap between the small vertical walls defining the periphery of the skirt 72 and the groove in the shell cover 60.
Regarding claim 16, Peng teaches a recess 61 extending into the accommodating cavity 20b and the shell cover 60 extends out of the opening as it is on the outer annular portion. The electrical connection between the groove 61 and the tab of the core 30 is considered to be shown in figure 5. The shell cover 60, as the second connecting portion, is configured to be electrically connected to the first welding portion, groove 61, insofar as after welding of the skirt 72 onto a portion of the groove 61, there is electric connection between skirt 72 and shell cover 60 because shell cover 60 and the groove 61 are a single piece.
Regarding claim 17, Peng teaches the skirt 72 and the boss 71 to be a single piece and thus considered integrally formed, as claimed.
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) 4, 5, 8, 14, 15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng et al (CN216958453).
Regarding claim 4, Peng teaches in figure 8 that there is a height difference between the middle and side portions of the contact terminals.
Peng does not explicitly teach the height difference range as claimed.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to set the height difference at any reasonable range, such as the claimed range, depending upon design choice and without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 5, Peng teaches the skirt 72, as discussed above.
Peng does not explicitly teach the thickness of the skirt 72 to be as claimed.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to set the thickness at any reasonable range, such as the claimed range, depending upon design choice and without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 8, Peng teaches the pole 60 and the groove 61, as discussed above.
Peng does not explicitly teach the thickness of the pole 60 and/or the diameter of the groove 61, as claimed.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to set the thickness of the pole and/or the diameter of the groove 61 at any reasonable range, such as the claimed range, depending upon design choice and without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 14, Peng teaches the insulating member 50 (0052).
Peng does not explicitly teach the hardness.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to set the hardness of the insulating member 50 at any reasonable range, such as the claimed range, depending upon design choice and without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 15, Peng teaches a battery comprising a housing 20 with an annular cover 40, considered to be the claimed shell, wherein the annular cover 40 is laser welded to the side wall 22 of the housing 20 (0056). The annular cover 40 is considered to be part of the instantly claimed shell when connected to the housing 20 via the laser welding. The housing 20 is formed in an accommodating cavity 20b which accommodates a winding core 30. The housing 20 is shown to have a top end and a bottom end opposite each other, and the top end having an opening 40a, which is the opening of the annular cover 40 and it is shown to communicate with the accommodating cavity 20b (0056 and figure 2). A pole 60 is disposed at the top end of the shell of Peng and is insulatively connected with the annular cover 40 via the sealing insulating member 50. Figures 2 and 4 show the pole 60 comprising a portion 61 which protrudes towards the interior of the shell, wherein the portion 61 is electrically connected to a tab of the electrode core 30. Sealing pin 70 is considered to be the connection terminal, as claimed. The sealing pin 70 is disposed on one side of the pole 60 and protrudes towards the outside of the shell. The sealing pin 70 has a skirt 72, considered to be the first welding portion, and the boss 71, considered to be the second welding portion. The skirt 72 and the boss 71 form the sealing pin 70 as a single piece and are therefore considered connected. The boss 71 protrudes away from the shell as shown in figure 5. The skirt 72 of the sealing pin 70 is connected to the pole 60 (0067). The sealing pin 70 faces away from the pole 60 and is provided with a boss 71 so that the boss 71 is located outside of the battery 10 which facilitates accurate welding of the external conductive member and the boss 71 (0072 and figure 5).
Peng does not explicitly teach the battery to be a lithium ion battery.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize that the battery of Peng could be a lithium ion battery as such is an extremely well known battery and would have been recognized as obvious to try without undue experimentation and with an extremely reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 18, Peng teaches the profile of the edge of the groove of the shell cover 60 is rounded (figure 2, 4, and 5) and is therefore considered at least partially to expand in a direction away from the accommodating cavity, as claimed.
Regarding claim 19, Peng teaches the shape of the groove of the shell cover 60 is opening towards the outside of the shell.
Regarding claim 20, Peng teaches that there is a gap between the small vertical walls defining the periphery of the skirt 72 and the groove in the shell cover 60.
Conclusion
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/SARAH A. SLIFKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759 February 12, 2026