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 .
Claims 1-28 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-16, 18-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cai et al., US 2022/0320642.
Regarding claim 1, Cai et al., teaches a battery cell (abstract; 0006-0008), comprising: a case comprising a cylinder (0075; 0094) and a cover body (abstract; 0006-008) that are integrally formed (0037; 0122), the cylinder having an opening at an end facing away from the cover body (0046; 0049; 0090); an electrode assembly (0007-0009); accommodated in the case and comprising a first tab (0007-0008; 0017-0019); a first electrode terminal arranged on the cover body (0023; 0044; 0104) and configured for electrical connection with the first tab (0129); and a cover plate (0007) connected to the cylinder (cylinder shell) (0094) and covering the opening (0046; 0049-0050).
Regarding claim 2, Cai et al., teaches wherein the cover plate is welded to the cylinder (0130; 0133; 0169).
Regarding claim 3, Cai et al., teaches wherein the cover plate is in sealing connection with the cylinder (cylinder shell; 0094) through a sealing member (0089).
Regarding claim 4, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first electrode terminal (0044; 0092; 0104) is configured for connection with a first convergence component of a battery (“converging component”; 0092).
Regarding claim 5, Cai et al., teaches the electrode assembly (0044; 0092; 0104) further comprises a second tab (0017), a polarity of the second tab being opposite to that of the first tab (positive electrode tab 221a; negative electrode tab 221b) (0098); and the battery cell further comprises a second electrode terminal electrically connected to the second tab (0023), the second electrode terminal being configured for connection with a second convergence component of the battery (converging part 40) (0068).
Regarding claim 6, Cai et al., teaches wherein the second electrode terminal is arranged on the cover body (0023; 0044; 0104).
Regarding claim 7, Cai et al., teaches wherein both the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal protrude from an outer surface of the cover body (0128).
Regarding claim 8, Cai et al., teaches wherein both the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are insulated from the cover body (0023; 0049; 0132).
Regarding claim 9, Cai et al., teaches wherein a base material of the case is aluminum (0096).
Regarding claim 10, Cai et al., teaches wherein the electrode assembly (0044; 0092; 0104) further comprises a main body portion (box body 10) (0087-0089), and both the first tab and the second tab extend from an end portion of the main body portion facing the cover body (0017; 0077).
Regarding claim 11, Cai et al., teaches wherein the electrode assembly (0007-0010) further comprises a second tab (0017; 0077), a polarity of the second tab being opposite to that of the first tab (0077); and the cover body is electrically connected to the second tab (0023-0024), and the cover body is configured for connection with a second convergence component of the battery (0092).
Regarding claim 12, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first tab (0017; 0077), is arranged at an end of the electrode assembly facing the cover body (0007; 0037; 0046), and the second tab (0017; 0077), is arranged at an end of the electrode assembly facing the cover plate (0008; 0046; 0049); and the cover body is electrically connected to the second tab through the cylinder (0049).
Regarding claim 13, Cai et al., teaches wherein the second tab is a negative tab (0129), and a base material of the case is steel (0130).
Regarding claim 14, Cai et al., teaches wherein the cover body comprises a body portion (“box body”) (0088) and a bending portion (“separating part” 236) (0007-0008), the bending portion being integrally connected to the cylinder (0088; 0090) and the body portion (box body 10).
Regarding claim 15, Cai et al., teaches wherein a thickness of the body portion is greater than a wall thickness of the cylinder (0087-0090).
Regarding claim 16, Cai et al., teaches wherein the cover body comprises an accommodating concave portion recessed from an outer surface of the body portion in a direction facing the electrode assembly; and a bottom wall of the accommodating concave portion is provided with a first electrode lead-out hole, and the first electrode terminal is mounted in the first electrode lead-out hole.
Regarding claim 18, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first electrode terminal (0068; 0106) comprises a first concave portion and a first connecting portion (0023-0024) located at the bottom of the first concave portion (0023-0024); and the first connecting portion (0023-0024) is configured to realize electrical connection (0129) with the first tab through a first welding portion (0130; 0133; 0169).
Regarding claim 19, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first connecting portion is welded to the first tab to form the first welding portion (0130; 0133; 0169).
Regarding claim 20, Cai et al., teaches further comprising a current collecting member connected to the first tab (0133); wherein the first connecting portion is welded to the current collecting member to form the first welding portion (0130; 0133; 0169).
Regarding claim 21, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first electrode terminal (0023; 0044; 0068) comprises a terminal main body (0104) and a sealing plate (0089), the terminal main body comprises the first concave portion (0089) and the first connecting portion (“first portion” 11), and the first connecting portion (“first portion” 11) (0089) is located on a side of the first concave portion facing the electrode assembly (0089); and the sealing plate (0089) is connected to the terminal main body and seals an opening of the first concave portion (0088-0090).
Regarding claim 22, Cai et al., teaches wherein at least part of the sealing plate (0089) is accommodated in the first concave portion (“seal ring”) (0089).
Regarding claim 23, Cai et al., teaches wherein the sealing plate (0089) protrudes from a surface of the terminal main body facing away from the electrode assembly (0089).
Regarding claim 24, Cai et al., teaches wherein a gap is provided between the sealing plate (0089) and the first connecting portion (first portion and second portion) (0089).
Regarding claim 25, Cai et al., teaches wherein the first connecting portion is provided with a through hole (“injection hole”) (0079) for injecting an electrolyte solution (0008; 0077).
Regarding claim 26, Cai et al., teaches wherein the electrode assembly further comprises a second tab (0046), a polarity of the second tab being opposite to that of the first tab (0077); the battery cell further comprises a second electrode terminal (0017; 0077) arranged on the cover body (0077; 0080), the second electrode terminal (0017; 0077) comprising a second concave portion (“seal ring”) (0089) and a second connecting portion located at a bottom of the second concave portion (“seal ring”) (0089); and the second connecting portion is configured to realize electrical connection with the second tab through a second welding portion (0130; 0133; 0169).
Regarding claim 27, Cai et al., teaches battery (abstract), comprising a plurality of battery cells according to claim 1 (0076; 0091-0092).
Regarding claim 28, Cai et al., teaches electrical apparatus (0050; 0184-0185), comprising the battery according to claim 27, the battery being configured to provide electric energy (0129).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
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.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al., US 2022/0320642.
Regarding claim 17, Cai et al., does not teach wherein the thickness D1 of the body portion and the wall thickness D2 of the cylinder satisfy: 0.1 mm≤D1-D2≤2 mm.
However, “[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” See In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). The discovery of an optimum value of a known result effective variable, without producing any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980) (see MPEP § 2144.05, II.).
Conclusion
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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