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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 7/17/2023, and 4/18/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Status
This Office action is responsive to amendments and remarks filed on 6/16/2026.
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 8 have been amended.
Claims 2, 4, 6 and 7 have been cancelled.
Claim 14 has been newly added.
Claims 1, 3, 5, and 8-14 are currently pending.
Response to Amendment
In light of the amendment the objection to claim 1 is withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. While the current rejection still utilizes the refences of LEE and LI, a new mapping of the claims was necessitated due to the amendments to the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-7, and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20170149030 A1, LEE et al. disclosed in the IDS provided on 4/18/2025.
Regarding claim 1. LEE discloses an end cap called a cap assembly (30) in the annotated figure depicted below, comprising:
a cap body (31 cap plate) having a pressure relief region (34 vent opening) and an outer surface shown in the annotated figure depicted below;
the outer surface being a flat surface;
a pressure relief boss, surrounding the vent member 39 in figure 2 surrounding the pressure relief region, wherein
the pressure relief boss is a protruding structure protruding from the outer surface in a thickness direction of the cap body;
an insulating member (800) attached to the outer surface,
the insulating member (800) having a covering portion called a second insulation member (84) covering the outer surface (31),
the covering portion having a first surface (outermost part of 81) and a second surface (the inner surface that makes contact with 31) arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction,
the first surface facing the outer surface,
the covering portion being provided with a through hole running through the first surface and the second surface,
the pressure relief boss being accommodated in the through hole; and a protective member arranged on the pressure relief boss and covering the pressure relief region,
the protective member being at least partially located in the through hole; wherein
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The zoomed region of the annotated figure depicted shows that in the thickness direction, the pressure relief boss does not extend beyond, in a direction facing away from the outer surface, an end of the insulating member that faces away from the outer surface, and
an outer side surface of the protective member is spaced from a wall of the through hole. The annotated figure shows that the boss does not extend past the threshold of the insulation (800) when viewed from the thickness direction.
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Regarding claim 3. LEE discloses in the annotated figure depicted below the end cap according to claim 1, wherein in the thickness direction, a surface of the pressure relief boss that faces away from the outer surface is closer to the outer surface than the second surface.
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Regarding claim 5. LEE discloses in the annotated figure depicted below the end cap according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the protective member that faces away from the pressure relief boss is flush with the second surface.
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Regarding claim 10. LEE discloses in the annotated figure depicted below a battery cell, comprising:
[0037] an electrode assembly (10);
a housing called a case (27) having an accommodation space with one end open, the accommodation space being configured to accommodate the electrode assembly; and
the end cap (30) according to claim 1, wherein
the end cap (30) is connected to the housing (27) and closes the opening.
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Regarding claim 11. LEE discloses in the annotated figure depicted below a battery, comprising:
a case (27); and
the battery cell (10) according to claim 10, wherein
the battery cell is accommodated inside the case.
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Regarding claim 12. LEE discloses the battery according to claim 11, wherein the end cap is arranged on a side of the battery cell close to a bottom wall of the case. This battery has no true direction when being used so that whichever way it is installed up or down is an arbitrary direction that is anticipated by LEE.
Regarding claim 13. LEE [0005] discloses a power consuming device, comprising a battery according to claim 11, wherein the battery is configured to provide electric energy.
Regarding claim 14. LEE discloses an end cap called a cap assembly (30) in the annotated figure depicted below, comprising:
a cap body (31 cap plate) having a pressure relief region (34 vent opening) and an outer surface shown in the annotated figure depicted below;
a pressure relief boss surrounding the vent member 39 in figure 2 the pressure relief region, wherein
the pressure relief boss is a protruding structure protruding from the outer surface in a thickness direction of the cap body;
an insulating member (800) attached to the outer surface,
the insulating member (800) having a covering portion covering called a second insulation member (84) the outer surface,
the covering portion having a first surface (outermost part of 81) and a second surface (the inner surface that makes contact with 31) arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction,
the first surface facing the outer surface,
the covering portion being provided with a through hole running through the first surface and the second surface,
the pressure relief boss being accommodated in the through hole; and
LEE discloses in the annotated figure depicted below a protective member arranged on the pressure relief boss and covering the pressure relief region; wherein:
in the thickness direction, the pressure relief boss does not extend beyond, in a direction facing away from the outer surface, an end of the insulating member that faces away from the outer surface; and
a surface of the protective member that faces away from the pressure relief boss is flush with the second surface.
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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 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20170149030 A1, LEE et al. disclosed in the IDS provided on 4/18/2025 in view of US 20140315050 A1, LI et al.
Regarding claims 8 and 9. LEE discloses the end cap according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is arranged on the pressure relief boss
LEE does not disclose that in the thickness direction, a surface of the protective member that faces away from the outer surface is flush with the end of the insulating member that faces away from the outer surface.
LI [title] discloses A Vent and Cap Assembly of Power Battery
LI [0050] discloses in figures 4 and 5 depicted below the a surface of the protective member called a vent protective sheet (13) that faces away from the outer surface is flush (facing the exterior of the case) with the end of the insulating member that faces away from the outer surface. This placement of the protective sheet covers the entirety of the pressure relief region disclosed by LEE in the rejections of claims 1 and 7 above.
LI [0049] also discloses that “an upper end surface 1213 of the wall portion 121 is flush with an upper surface 23 of the cap plate 2, the upper end surface 1213 is in butt welding with the upper surface 23, so as to allow the upper portion 1211 of the wall portion 121 to be fixedly connected to the cap plate 2 for sealing the vent hole 21. Of course, the upper end surface 1213 may also be designed that the upper end surface 1213 is slightly lower than the upper surface 23 of the cap plate 2 according to requirements.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have made the cap flush as disclosed by LI on the end cap assembly disclosed by LEE in order to modify the outer shap of the battery as required with the outside environments such as avoiding unwanted contact.
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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 LAWRENCE LA RAIA III whose telephone number is (703)756-5441. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 6:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Barbara Gilliam can be reached at (571) 272-1330. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LAWRENCE LA RAIA III
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/L.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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