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. Status of Claims Claims 1-2 are currently pending and under examination. 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. 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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morikawa et al., CN 105870394 (Cited in IDS, English translation attached for citations) in view of Sugafuji et al., JPH 1131487 (Cited in IDS, English Translation attached for citations). Regarding claim s 1 and 2 , Morik awa teaches a cylindrical non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery (Fig.5) comprising: A bottomed cylindrical exterior can (5) having an opening that is provided with a grooved portion (see annotated figure below) ; An electrode assembly (4) and a non- aqueous electrolyte (page 5, [002] of English Translation) that are housed in the exterior can; A sealing assembly (9; Fig.5) fixed by crimping between the grooved portion and an open edge at the opening ; and An upper insulating plate (1 &2; Fig.5) inserted between the electrode assembly (4) and the sealing assembly (9); wherein The upper insulating plate has a first insulating plate (1) of a disk shape and a second insulating plate (2) of a ring shape placed under the first insulating plate, and the first insulating plate (1) is more heat resistant than the second insulating plate . Morikawa teaches that the second insulating plate (2) has a melting point lower than the first insulating plate (1) (page 5, [005]). Therefore, the first insulating plate (1) is more heat resistant than the second insulating plate. Morikawa does not specifically teach that the first insulating plate (1) being smaller than an inner diameter of the grooved portion . However, Sugafuji teaches an insulating ring plate (7a,b,c; Fig.2a-c) for a cylindrical battery (1; Fig.1), which shows effective battery performance by improving the structure of the insulating ring inserted into the battery case (abstract) . The insulating ring has a rising portion 12, corresponding t to the first insulating plate section of Morikawa, wherein the rising portion of the insulating ring 7 has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the grooved portion (see Fig.1 of Sugafuji) and a flat part 11, corresponding to the second insulating plate section of Morikawa, having a ring width greater than a protruding length of the grooved portion in an inward direction of the exterior can (see Fig.1 of Sugafuji) , as required by instant claim 2. Although the entirety of the insulating ring plate 7 of Sugafuji is made of the same material, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the shape of the ring plate of Sugafuji for the first and second insulating plates of Morikawa, because Sugafuji teaches that such insulating structure improves permeability of the electrolyte and restraining malfunction due to stagnant liquid (abstract). Moreover, t he change in configuration of shape of the insulating plate is obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration is significant. In re Dailey , 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT NIKI BAKHTIARI whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-3433 . 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /NIKI BAKHTIARI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1722