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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-10 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dietze (US 2022/0029141 A1).
Regarding claims 1-2, Dietze teaches a battery cell (102) (fig. 3; [0032]) comprising: a housing (104) (fig. 3; [0032]); and a tab terminal (106/108) that protrudes outwardly from the housing, wherein the tab terminal includes a tab end section having a shape including a crimp portion that provides a local thickness increase adapted for reducing weld spatter when welding the tab terminal to a busbar (fig. 3; [0037] & [0039]).
Regarding claim 3, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 1, wherein the shape extends along a curved path that provides a barrier for protecting sensitive components from the weld spatter (see annotated fig. 3 below).
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Regarding claim 4, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 3, wherein the curved path establishes a convex shape of the tab end section (see annotated fig. 3 above).
Regarding claims 5-7, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 1, wherein a first bend connects the tab end section to a tab proximal section of the tab terminal and a second bend connects a distal tip portion of the tab end section to a proximal tip portion of the tab end section, wherein the distal tip portion is folded toward the proximal tip portion about the second bend (see annotated fig. 3 below).
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Regarding claim 8, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 7, wherein the second bend establishes at least a portion of a crimped portion of the tab end section (see annotated fig. 3 above).
Regarding claim 9, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 5, wherein a second bend positions a distal tip portion of the tab end section at an angle relative to a proximal tip portion of the tab end section (see annotated fig. 3 below).
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Regarding claim 10, Dietze teaches the battery cell of claim 9, wherein the distal tip portion extends toward the tab proximal section and is spaced therefrom (see annotated fig. 3 under the rejection of claims 5-7).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL T ZEMUI whose telephone number is (571)272-4894. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm (EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/NATHANAEL T ZEMUI/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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