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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 17 and 18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Groups II and III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/23/2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-16) in the reply filed on 12/23/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
(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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 and 8-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Satoh (US 2006/0204841).
As to claim 1, Satoh discloses a battery cell (figure 2, [0011], discussed throughout), comprising: a housing with an opening (figures 2-9 #1, [0080], discussed throughout); an electrode assembly (figures 2-9 #3, [0080], discussed throughout) with a tab (figures 2-9 #38, [0082], discussed throughout), wherein the electrode assembly is accommodated in the housing (figures 2-9 #1 and #3, [0080], discussed throughout); an end cover (figures 2-9 #5, [0080], discussed throughout), configured to cover the opening (figures 2-9 #5 and can include #6, [0080], discussed throughout); and a current collecting member (figures 2-9 #4, [0080], discussed throughout), configured to connect the end cover to the tab to implement electrical connection between the end cover and the tab (figures 2-8 #4, #5 and #38, [0080]-[0082], discussed throughout); wherein the current collecting member is welded to the tab to form a first welded portion and a second welded portion (figures 2-9, this is best seen in figure 7, wherein the laser beam is used to weld the #38 to #4, each #38 is a weld, thus the weld on the inside will be the first and the weld on the outside will be the second, also discussed throughout), the current collecting member is welded to the end cover to form a third welded portion (figures 2-9, best seen in figure 9 wherein #45 is welded to #53 and #46 is welded to #54, discussed throughout), the first welded portion is on an inner peripheral side of the third welded portion, and the second welded portion is on an outer peripheral side of the third welded portion (figures 2-9 and the welds as discussed above).
As to claim 2, Satoh discloses wherein, the current collecting member comprises: a body portion (figures 2-9 #41, [0083], discussed throughout), configured to abut against and be welded to the tab to form the first welded portion and the second welded portion (figures 2-9, as discussed above, discussed throughout); and a convex portion, protruding from an outer surface of the body portion in a direction toward the end cover (figures 2-9 #45 and #46 have a curve thus are convex, discussed throughout), wherein the convex portion is configured to abut against and be welded to the end cover to form the third welded portion (figures 2-9, discussed throughout).
As to claim 3, Satoh discloses wherein, the body portion comprises: a first connecting portion, connected to the convex portion and being on an inner peripheral side of the convex portion, wherein the first connecting portion is configured to abut against and be welded to the tab to form the first welded portion; and a second connecting portion, connected to the convex portion and being on an outer peripheral side of the convex portion, wherein the second connecting portion is configured to abut against and be welded to the tab to form the second welded portion (figures 2-9, best seen in figure 6, the bend in #45 and #46, the tabs are on the left and right of the bend thus the first and second welds, therefore reading on the instant claimed invention).
As to claim 4, Satoh discloses wherein, an outer surface of the first connecting portion and an inner peripheral face of the convex portion jointly form a first escape portion, and the first escape portion is configured to avoid the first welded portion; and an outer surface of the second connecting portion and an outer peripheral face of the convex portion jointly form a second escape portion, and the second escape portion is configured to avoid the second welded portion (figures 2-9, best seen in figure 6 the escape portions being the portions in between the tabs and they escape portions face convex portions).
As to claim 8, Satoh discloses wherein, the end cover has an abutting face, and the current collecting member abuts against the abutting face and is welded to the end cover to form the third welded portion; and the end cover is provided with a first escape portion and a second escape portion that are recessed from the abutting face in a direction away from the current collecting member, the first escape portion is configured to avoid the first welded portion, and the second escape portion is configured to avoid the second welded portion (figures 2-9, best seen in figure 6 the abutting surfaces are #53 and #54, and the first and second escape portions are #51, #51a and/or #52, discussed throughout).
As to claim 9, Satoh discloses wherein, the current collecting member is a flat plate structure (figures 2-9, best seen in figure 4, discussed throughout).
As to claim 10, Satoh discloses wherein, the end cover comprises: a cover body, configured to cover the opening (figures 2-9 #5, [0080], discussed throughout); and a terminal portion, protruding from an outer surface of the cover body in a direction away from the electrode assembly (figures 2-9 #6, [0080], discussed throughout); and the third welded portion is on an outer peripheral side of the terminal portion, and projection of the terminal portion in a thickness direction of the end cover partially or completely covers the first welded portion (figures 2-9, discussed throughout).
As to claim 11, Satoh discloses wherein, a welding groove is provided in the end cover, the end cover forms a connecting portion at a bottom of the welding groove, and the connecting portion is configured to be welded to the current collecting member to form the third welded portion (figures 2-9, the area between #53, #54 to #51 can be considered a grove, and the weld is at the bottom thus reading on the instant claimed structure).
As to claim 12, Satoh discloses wherein, the first welded portion is an annular structure; or the first welded portion comprises a plurality of welded segments spaced apart in a circumferential direction, and the welded segments are configured to connect the current collecting member to the tab (figures 2-9, structure is seen within the figures, discussed throughout).
As to claim 13, Satoh discloses wherein, the second welded portion is an annular structure; or the second welded portion comprises a plurality of welded segments spaced apart in a circumferential direction, and the welded segments are configured to connect the current collecting member to the tab (figures 2-9, structure is seen within the figures, discussed throughout).
As to claim 14, Satoh discloses wherein, the third welded portion is an annular structure; or the third welded portion comprises a plurality of welded segments spaced apart in a circumferential direction, and the welded segments are configured to connect the current collecting member to the end cover (figures 2-9, structure is seen within the figures, discussed throughout).
As to claim 15, Satoh discloses a battery comprising the battery cell of claim 1; and a box configured to accommodate the battery cell ([0132], the battery are in systems thus in box and accommodate the battery cells, discussed throughout).
As to claim 16, Satoh discloses an electrical apparatus, comprising the battery according to claim 15 ([0132], the battery are in systems are also the electrical apparatuses).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 are 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: Okabe (US 2008/0038629) does disclose the structure of claims 5-7 except for the fact that Okabe has a current collector plate (figure 30 #2) therefore does not have the welds to the tabs because the welds would be to the plate that is connected to the tabs. It would not have been obvious to remove the plate to read on the instant claimed structure. However, the examiner wants the prior art to be made of record and thus has mentioned Okabe within the office action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN R OHARA whose telephone number is (571)272-0728. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM-3:30 PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN R OHARA/Examiner, Art Unit 1724