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 .
Response to Amendment
This is a final office action in response to Applicant’s remarks and amendments filed on 10/30/2025. Claim 1 is currently amended. Claims 1-6, 8, and 10-15 are presented for examination.
The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections in the previous office action are withdrawn. New grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant’s amendments are presented below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on Minamishima to teach the insulating structure adjacent to and arranged outside the bonding layer along a diameter direction of the button cell as required by amended claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-6, 8, 10, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamishima (WO 2022/085682 A1, English-language equivalent US 2023/0246313 A1 is cited below) in view of Akizuki (US 2024/0356126 A1, priority to X, filed 03/17/2022). Each document was cited in the Office Action mailed 08/04/2025.
Regarding claim 1, Minamishima discloses a button cell (10, FIG. 1, [0037]; button shape, [0156]) comprising:
an electrode assembly (11, FIG. 10, [0048]) comprising a first electrode (14, FIG. 10, [0048]), a second electrode (12, FIG. 10, [0048]), and a separator (13, FIG. 10, [0048]) between the first electrode (14) and the second electrode (12);
a case (cup-shaped member of exterior body 4, [0155]; case in annotated figure 1 below) connected to the first electrode (14) ([0170]) to accommodate the electrode assembly (11) (electrode assembly is disposed in the cup-shaped member, [0170]) and comprising an opening (opening in annotated figure 1 below) exposing the electrode assembly (11);
a cap plate (lid-shaped member of exterior body 4, [0155]; cap plate in annotated figure 1 below, [0155]) coupled to (welded to, [0170]) the case (cap plate) to cover an outer area of the opening (opening) and comprising a through-hole (through-hole in annotated figure 1 below) exposing a central area of the opening (opening);
a terminal plate (5, FIG. 1, [0121]) connected to the second electrode (12) ([0170]) to be insulated and bonded to the cap plate (cap plate) and covering the through-hole (through-hole); and
a bonding layer (3, FIG. 1, [0121]) between the cap plate (cap plate) and the terminal plate (5) and insulating and bonding between the cap plate (cap plate) and the terminal plate (5) ([0037]).
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Minamishima does further teaches that the bonding layer may comprise multiple layers, but does not disclose an insulating structure adjacent to and arranged outside the bonding layer along a diameter direction of the button cell and located between the cap plate and an edge of the terminal plate.
Akizuki teaches a cell (battery 100, FIG. 2, [0062]) comprising: an electrode assembly (10, FIG. 1, [0030]); a case (40, FIG. 2, [0069]) to accommodate the electrode assembly (10); a terminal plate (50, FIG. 2, [0050]) insulated and bonded to an outer surface (41, FIG. 2, [0053]) of the battery ([0051]); a bonding layer (insulator 70, FIG. 2, [0050]) between the outer surface (41) and the terminal plate (50) and insulating and bonding between the outer surface (41) and the terminal plate (50) ([0051]); and an insulating structure (additional member 80, FIG. 7, [0077]) adjacent to and arranged outside the bonding layer (70) along a diameter direction of the cell and located between the outer surface (41) and an edge of the terminal plate (50).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the button cell of Minamishima by substituting an insulating structure for the outer portion of the bonding layer, such that the insulating structure is adjacent to and arranged outside the bonding layer along a diameter direction of the button cell and located between the cap plate and an edge of the terminal plate, because Akizuki teaches that an insulating structure arranged in this manner prevents fluid intrusion into the bonding layer ([0087]). Further, Minamishima teaches that the button cell may be modified beyond the disclosed embodiments ([0254]).
Regarding claim 2, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the insulating structure comprises a different material from a material of the bonding layer (Akizuki: additional member has a lower fluid permeability than the insulator, [0118]).
Regarding claim 3, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the edge of the terminal plate (5) comprises: a rear surface (rear surface in annotated figure 2 below) facing the cap plate (cap plate in annotated figure 2 below); a front surface (front surface in annotated figure 2 below) opposite the rear surface (rear surface); and a side surface (side surface in annotated figure 2 below) connecting the rear surface (rear surface) and the front surface (front surface).
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Regarding claim 4, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the insulating structure comprises a first portion (first portion in annotated figure 2 above) in contact with the rear surface (rear surface) of the edge of the terminal plate (5).
Regarding claim 5, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the first portion (first portion) contacts the cap plate (cap plate) (see annotated figure 2 above).
Regarding claim 6, Minamishima in view of Akizuki does not disclose wherein the insulating structure further comprises a second portion extending from the first portion to contact the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate.
However, Minamishima teaches the insulating member (3) may further comprise a second portion (43b, FIG. 8, [0144]) extending from the first portion to contact the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate (45 in FIG. 8). Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the insulating structure of Minamishima in view of Akizuki by adding a second portion extending from the first portion to contact the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate because Minamishima teaches that doing so would further improve the sealing of the button cell ([0147]).
Regarding claim 8, Minamishima in view of Akizuki does not disclose wherein the insulating structure comprises a fourth portion contacting the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate and the cap plate.
However, Minamishima teaches the insulating member (3) may further comprise a fourth portion (43b, FIG. 8, [0144]) contacting the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate (45 in FIG. 8) and the cap plate (lid-shaped member of exterior body 44 in FIG. 8). Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the insulating structure of Minamishima in view of Akizuki by adding a fourth portion contacting the side surface of the edge of the terminal plate and the cap plate because Minamishima teaches that doing so would further improve the sealing of the button cell ([0147]).
Regarding claim 10, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches (see Minamishima) wherein the terminal plate (5) comprises: a flange (2, FIG. 1, [0119]) covering the through-hole (through-hole) and contacting the bonding layer (3) and the insulating structure (replaces the outer portion of the bonding layer 3 of Minamishima in view of Akizuki, see rejection of claim 1); and a protrusion (non-depicted lead body, [0118]) protruding from the flange (2) to pass through the through-hole, wherein the edge is an edge of the flange (2).
Regarding claim 13, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the case (cup-shaped member of 4) and the cap plate (lid-shaped member of 4) have a same polarity as that of the first electrode (14), and the terminal plate (5) has a same polarity as that of the second electrode (12) (Minamishima: [0174]).
Regarding claim 14, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein the button cell comprises a coin cell (Minamishima: [0156]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamishima (US 2023/0246313 A1) in view of Akizuki (US 2024/0356126 A1), as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Lee (US 2017/0149030 A1; cited 08/04/2025).
Regarding claim 11, Minamishima in view of Akizuki does not disclose wherein the insulating structure extends from the edge of the flange to an edge of the cap plate.
Lee teaches a cell (1000, FIG. 2, [0037]) comprising a case (27, FIG. 2, [0044]); a cap plate (31, FIG. 2, [0045]) coupled to the case (27); a terminal (22/26, FIG. 2, [0053]); and an insulating structure (84, FIG. 2, [0060]); wherein the terminal (22/26) comprises a flange portion (22); and wherein the insulating structure (84) extends from the edge of the flange (22) to an edge of the cap plate (31) (FIG. 2). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the cell of Minamishima in view of Akizuki by extending the insulating structure from the edge of the flange to an edge of the cap plate because Lee teaches that doing so improves the seal between the cap plate and the case ([0072]) and prevents permeation of moisture into the case ([0073]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamishima (US 2023/0246313 A1) in view of Akizuki (US 2024/0356126 A1), as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Eguchi (US 2022/0311108 A1; cited 08/04/2025).
Regarding claim 12, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches (see Minamishima) wherein the electrode assembly (11) further comprises: a first electrode tab (non-depicted lead body, [0153]-[0154]) extending from the first electrode (14) to be welded to the case (cup-shaped member of 4) and a second electrode tab (non-depicted lead body, [0118]) extending from the second electrode (12) to be welded to the terminal plate (5) ([0112]).
The second electrode tab (non-depicted lead) of Minamishima serves as the “protrusion” of Minamishima in view of Akizuki as interpreted in the rejection of claim 10 and therefore Minamishima does not disclose a second electrode tab extending from the second electrode to be welded to the protrusion of the terminal plate.
Eguchi teaches a cell (100, FIG. 5, [0071]) comprising a case (50, FIG. 10, [0039]) accommodating an electrode assembly (10, FIG. 1, [0039]) and a terminal (60, FIG. 10, [0086]) coupled to the case (50) via an insulating, bonding member (64, FIG. 10, [0071]); wherein the terminal (60) includes a flange (62, FIG. 10, [0086]) and a protrusion (67, FIG. 10, [0086]) protruding from the flange (62) to pass through a through-hole in the case (50); and wherein the electrode assembly (10) comprises an electrode tab (70, FIG. 10, [0091]) extending from an electrode (1, FIG. 1, [0039]) to be welded ([0123]) to the protrusion (67) of the terminal (60). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the cell of Minamishima in view of Akizuki by adding to include a protrusion other than the second electrode tab, such as the metal member taught by Eguchi so that the second electrode tab may be welded to the protrusion because Eguchi teaches that doing so enables a stronger connection between the tab and the terminal plate (Eguchi: [0086], [0123]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamishima (US 2023/0246313 A1), as applied to claim 14 above, and as evidenced by Cleveland (Button Cell, 2014; cited 08/04/2025).
Regarding claim 15, Minamishima in view of Akizuki teaches wherein a ratio of a height to a diameter of the button cell is 1 or less (Cleveland, see line 1, evidences that a button cell is a battery in which the overall height is less than the diameter).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE C. DISNEY whose telephone number is (703)756-1076. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30 MT.
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/C.C.D./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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