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 (1) information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/26/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 23 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 23: the phrase “the non-Mo cross component” should be read “the non-Mo component” as it is presumed to have antecedent basis in claim 1 line 2.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1-7, 11-12, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai (US 20110123856) in view of Namiki (US 4792656)
Regarding Claim 1, Dai discloses a method (fig. 8), comprising:
pressing a non-molybdenum (non-Mo) component (aluminum current collector 60) against a molybdenum (Mo) component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) at a contact point (interface 80; fig. 9) (para. 0050 and 0057; fig. 8);
applying a first electrical pulse (“a current and force are applied to the metals…for about one to ten milliseconds”, para. 0051) to the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) to liquefy the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) to form an interface liquid layer (fusion zone 74; fig. 9) at the contact point (para. 0056, 0058 and 0051), wherein the interface liquid layer (fusion zone 74) has at least a predetermined thickness (para. 0062; fig. 9); and
cooling the interface liquid layer (fusion zone 74) to form a brazed joint (“metallic bond solidifies”) between the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) and the Mo component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) (para. 0063 and abstract).
Dai does not disclose the first electrical pulse has a first constant voltage over a first pulse time.
However, Namiki discloses a DC resistance welding machine that is configured to weld two workpieces 34, 36 together (abstract; fig. 4), wherein constant DC weld voltage V (fig. 2B) is applied between the electrodes 30 and 32 (col. 4, lines 27-35 and 45-50).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Dai such that the first electrical pulse having the first constant voltage as taught by Namiki, in order to yield a high and reliable quality weld i.e. prevent splashing of the molten workpiece during welding (col. 1, 4, 5 lines 5-9, 45-69, 1-43 respectively).
Regarding Claim 2, Dai discloses the method (fig. 8), wherein a cross-sectional width of the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) increases in a direction away from the contact point (para. 0039).
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Regarding Claim 3, the modification discloses the method (fig. 8 of Dai), further comprising applying a second electrical pulse to the interface liquid layer (fusion zone 74 of Dai), wherein the second electrical pulse has a constant voltage over a second pulse time (col. 4, lines 4-17; fig. 2 of Namiki).
Regarding Claim 4, Namiki discloses the second electrical pulse has a second constant voltage over the second pulse time (col. 4, lines 4-17; fig. 2 of Namiki).
Regarding Claim 5, Namiki discloses the method, wherein an electrical current of the first electrical pulse (“weld current I is increased or decreased”, col. 4, lines 16-24) is uncontrolled over the first pulse time (col. 4, lines 45-51).
Regarding Claim 6, the modification discloses the method, wherein a contact area between the components (dissimilar metals 60, 52 of Dai) increases over the first pulse time (para. 0051 of Dai. It is noted the contact area increases as the force and current are being applied to the metals 60, 52) such that the electrical current increases over the first pulse time (col. 4, lines 16-23, 45-50 and “welding current… is increased as the welding operation proceeds” col. 5, lines 37-43 of Namiki).
Regarding Claim 7, Dai discloses the method (fig. 8), wherein the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) and the Mo component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) are pressed between a pair of electrodes (electrodes 70, 72; fig. 8) separated by a clamp distance (para. 0051), wherein the clamp distance reduces over the first pulse time (“application of the current combined with the force…within a few milliseconds”, para. 0051), and wherein the first pulse time (application of the current… within a few milliseconds) ends when the clamp distance reaches a predetermined displacement value (para. 0051. It is noted the current and force are simultaneously applied to the metals 60, 52. When the application of the current is stopped, the force is also stopped).
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Regarding Claim 11, Dai discloses the method (fig. 8), wherein the Mo component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) has a first melting temperature, wherein the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) has a second melting temperature lower than the first melting temperature (“a first metal, for example an aluminum current collector 60, is a metal having a lower melting temperature than that of a second metal”, para. 0050), and wherein applying the first electrical pulse (current) heats the components to a brazing temperature between the first and second melting temperatures (para. 0051 and 0056; fig. 9) (it is noted during resistance welding, the first metal 60 is melted and wets the surface of the second metal 52).
Regarding Claim 12, Dai discloses the method, wherein the Mo component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) is a Mo terminal pin of a battery case assembly (molybdenum terminal pin 52 of primary or secondary cells) (abstract, para. 0042), and wherein the non-Mo component 9 (aluminum current collector 60) is a non-Mo cross pin of the battery case assembly (para. 0041; fig. 5 of primary or secondary cells).
Regarding Claim 21, Dai discloses the method, wherein the Mo component (molybdenum terminal pin 52) includes a Mo terminal pin of a battery case assembly (terminal pin 52 of primary or secondary cells) (para. 0042 and abstract), and wherein the non-Mo component (aluminum current collector 60) includes a non-Mo cross pin of the battery case assembly (para. 0041; fig. 5 of primary or secondary cells).
Claims 8-9 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the modification of Dai (US 20110123856) and Namiki (US 4792656) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Ushikoshi (US 6617514)
Regarding Claim 8, the modification does not disclose the method comprising removing a Mo oxide layer from an outer surface of the Mo component.
However, Ushikoshi discloses the method comprising removing a Mo oxide layer from an outer surface of the Mo component (col. 10, 2 lines 57-60, 49-62)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Dai to remove Mo oxide layer from the outer surface of the Mo component (i.e. terminal pin 52 of Dai) as taught by Ushikoshi to prevent corrosion and breakage of the joint portion (col. 2, lines 49-62 of Ushikoshi).
Regarding Claim 9, Ushikoshi discloses removing the Mo oxide layer is by a mechanical removal process (“main body 5 made of the sintered body of molybdenum powders was ground to remove oxides”, col. 10, lines 57-60 and also col. 2, lines 49-62).
Regarding Claim 22, the modification does not disclose the method, wherein the Mo component does not include a Mo oxide layer.
However, Ushikoshi discloses the method comprising removing a Mo oxide layer from an outer surface of the Mo component (col. 10, 2 lines 57-60, 49-62)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Dai to remove Mo oxide layer from the outer surface of the Mo component (i.e. terminal pin 52 of Dai ) as taught by Ushikoshi to prevent corrosion and breakage of the joint portion (col. 2, lines 49-62 of Ushikoshi).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the modification of Dai (US 20110123856), Namiki (US 4792656), and Ushikoshi (US 6617514) as applied to claim 9, further in view of Gunkel (US 6474397)
Regarding Claim 10, the modification does not disclose the method, wherein the mechanical removal process includes one or more of a soda blast process, a glass bit blast process, a dry ice blast process, a silicon carbide blast process, or a manual polishing process using an abrasive substrate.
However, Gunkel discloses a mechanical removal process (glass bead blasting) includes a glass bit blast process (col. 2, lines 59-64).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the mechanical removal process of Ushikoshi to include the glass bit blast process as taught by Gunkel, in order to incorporate the conventional method i.e. glass bit blast process to clean the outer surface of the Mo component, such that the Mo component (i.e. terminal pin 52 of Dai) can be effectively joined to the non Mo component (i.e. current collector 60 of Dai) by resistance welding.
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the modification of Dai (US 20110123856) and Namiki (US 4792656) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Wutz (US 20030022062)
Regarding Claim 23, the modification does not disclose the non-Mo cross component includes a plated region over a core region, and wherein the plated region includes a higher purity of a non-Mo material than the core region.
However, Wutz discloses a method of joining a current collector 70 to a terminal pin 88 using a rod-shaped coupler 72 (abstract). Wutz discloses the non-Mo cross component (current collector 70, coupler 72) includes a plated region (coupler 72 comprising nickel-containing alloys. It is noted the coupler 72 is secured to the current collector 70, therefore the coupler 72 is plated) over a core region (current collector 70 comprising titanium) (para. 0021-0022; figs. 4-5), and wherein the plated region (coupler 72 comprising nickel-containing alloys) includes a higher purity of a non-Mo material (higher composition of nickel than the current collector 70) than the core region (current collector 70 comprising titanium).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the non-Mo component of Dai (i.e. current collector 60 of Dai) to include the plate region (i.e. coupler 72 of Wutz) as taught by Wutz such that the plate region extends over the core region (i.e. current collector 60 of Dai), and wherein the plated region includes a higher purity of the non-Mo material than the core region as taught by Wutz. Having the coupler configured to connect the current collector the terminal pin provides a robust connection between the terminal pin and the current collector, which provides for increased surface area for electron flow from the current collector to the terminal pin (para. 0003 and 0010 of Wutz).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BONITA KHLOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7313. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9:00am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, IBRAHIME ABRAHAM can be reached on (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BONITA KHLOK/ Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/IBRAHIME A ABRAHAM/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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