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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 06-29-2023, 04-24-2024, and 12-01-2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2017/0331090 hereinafter Li.
Regarding Claims 1 and 17-20, Li teaches a secondary battery, a method, and system for forming the secondary battery for a power consuming device (see figures 1-4), the battery comprising: an electrode assembly (bare cell) [30]; a battery housing [10, 40, and 50] that encloses the electrode assembly [30], wherein the battery housing comprises a first side plate (cell pallet) [50] on a side in a first direction; a pressure relief mechanism [52] arranged on the first side plate; and a cap assembly (top cover) [20] assembled to a top portion of the battery housing (paragraphs 39-57, see annotated figure 2 below).
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Li further teaches that the inner surface of the first side plate (cell pallet) [50] of the battery housing is configured to have grooves (first passageway) [56] extending along the inner surface, and the grooves are used to direct a gas in the accommodating space to the pressure relief mechanism [14 and 52], such that the pressure relief mechanism is actuated and relieves a pressure when the pressure reaches a threshold (paragraphs 44-45, see annotated figure 5 below).
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Regarding Claims 2-6, Li teaches that the first side plate (cell pallet) [50] is provided with a plurality of first grooves, through-holes, and notches on an inner surface thereof and configured to communicate with the pressure relief mechanism. Li further teaches that the grooves are provided in varying directions (i.e., first, second, and third directions) along the inner surface of the battery housing (paragraphs 44-45)
Regarding Claims 7-8, Li teaches that the battery housing comprises a pair of side plates arranged opposite one another in a second direction and gaps are provided between the varying grooves (paragraphs 44-45).
Regarding Claim 9, Li teaches that the grooves are formed as arcs or broken lines which protrude away from the pressure relief mechanism (paragraphs 44-45).
Regarding Claim 10, Li teaches that the battery comprises an insulating layer provided on a top surface of each of the grooves (paragraph 43).
Regarding Claims 11-15, Li teaches that battery housing comprises side plates opposite one another in a second direction and gaps are provided between the varying grooves (paragraphs 44-45). Li further teaches a supporting member (i.e., multi-layered cell pallet) arranged between the side plate and the electrode assembly to support the electrode assembly, wherein the supporting member is provided with passageways that communicate with the accommodating space (see figures 5-16).
Regarding Claim 16, Li teaches that the battery housing further comprises an insulating film [40] configured to enclose the electrode assembly and the insulating film is provided with through holes that do not overlap with passageways of the support member (see figure 2 above).
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 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0184337 hereinafter Nagayama in view of CN 109686874 A hereinafter Lu.
Regarding Claims 1 and 17-20, Nagayama teaches a lithium-ion battery [2], the battery comprising: an electrode assembly; a battery case [3] that encloses the electrode assembly; a pressure relief mechanism (gas vent) [7] formed at a lower wall [3b] of the battery case; and a cap assembly that covers a top portion of the battery case (paragraphs 26-31, see figures 1A-1B).
Nagayama does not specifically disclose that the battery case comprises a first passageway extending along an inner surface of the battery case to direct gas to the pressure relief mechanism.
However, Lu teaches a battery that comprises a battery casing that encloses the electrode assembly, and the battery casing is provided with venting groove such that the gas inside the casing to flow out of the power battery quickly through the pressure relief valve (paragraph 21) Lu further teaches that the venting groove can be provided in the inner surface of the battery casing and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include such venting groove in the battery of the Nagayama before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because such configuration can prevent the battery from exploding due to excessive pressure at the bottom of the casing, thereby improving the safety of the battery (paragraph 21).
The combination teaches a battery, a method, and system for forming the power battery for a power consuming device (see the combination of Nagayama and Lu).
The use of a known technique (i.e., the battery casing provided with venting groove on an inner surface to direct the gas) to improve similar products (methods) in the same way is likely to be obvious. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, C.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752