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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Nakayama (US-20150118546-A1), Sugimune (US-20050136323-A1), and Ogawa (US-20190299332-A1) are considered the best art. Nakayama discloses a battery wherein the lid is welded to the battery casing, wherein the weld along the length of the battery has a greater weld depth than the weld along the width of the battery. Sugimune discloses a battery having a lid welded to the battery casing, wherein welds near the end of the length of the battery have a weld that is fragile. Ogawa discloses a battery having a lid welded to the battery casing wherein the weld comprises of a first welded part and a second welded part arranged in a row in a lengthwise direction, wherein the second welded part has a width larger than the first welded part, the second welded part formed with a relatively large melting amount of metal.
However, Nakayama, Sumgimune, and Ogawa do not teach and cannot be further combined to teach claim 5: The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing plate has a groove portion arranged closer to an inner periphery than the welded part in a radial direction of the sealing plate, and a ratio (H1/H2) of a groove depth H1 in a vicinity of the high-strength region to a groove depth H2 of the groove portion in a vicinity of the short side portions of the welded part is 1.05 to 1.2. That is, the prior art does not provide a groove portion arranged closer to an inner periphery than the welded part in a radial direction of the sealing plate, and a ratio (H1/H2) of a groove depth H1 in a vicinity of the high-strength region to a groove depth H2 of the groove portion in a vicinity of the short side portions of the welded part is 1.05 to 1.2.
Therefore, claim 5 is allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim 1.
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)(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 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakayama (US-20150118546-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakayama discloses
a power storage device comprising: a case body having an opening part (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 1, [0033], regarding case body 111 having opening 111d); a sealing plate having a terminal fit hole and sealing the opening part (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 1, [0034]-[0035], regarding lid 113 having through holes 113h and 113k corresponding to the terminal fit holes and which seals the opening 111d); an electrode body accommodated inside the case body (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 1, [0038], regarding electrode body 150); a collector terminal having one end electrically connected to the electrode body inside the case body and the other end exposed on an outer surface side of the sealing plate (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 1-2, regarding terminal-attached lid member 115); and an insulating member arranged between the sealing plate and the collector terminal (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 2, [0047]-[0048], regarding first insulating member 170), wherein the insulating member is arranged at a periphery of the terminal fit hole of the sealing plate while being molded integrally with a peripheral portion of the terminal fit hole and the collector terminal (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 2, [0047]-[0048], regarding first insulating member 170), the sealing plate is a substantially rectangular plate member having long side portions in a pair facing each other and short side portions in a pair facing each other (see e.g., Nakayama; fig. 8, which shows rectangular lid 113 which consists of long and short side portions), the opening part of the case body has a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to that of the sealing plate (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 1, 8, [0034], wherein the rectangular lid seals the rectangular opening 111d), a substantially rectangular welded part is arranged along a boundary between the case body and the sealing plate (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 8-11, [0062], regarding weld mark 160 which is rectangular around the lid), and the welded part has a high-strength region formed in a part of the long side portions and in a vicinity of a part where the sealing plate, the collector terminal and the insulating member are molded integrally, and having a penetration depth relatively greater than that in the other welded region (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 8-11, [0062], wherein fig. 10 shows the weld along the short side and fig. 11 shows the weld along the long side, which are in the vicinity as claimed, [0064]-[0065] wherein the weld along the long side comprises larger welding energy and has a larger weld spreading depth than the short side, which therefore corresponds with the high-strength region having a greater penetration depth; because the weld spreading depth is greater and the weld length is longer, the weld along the long sides correspond with the claimed high-strength region).
Regarding claim 3, Nakayama discloses the power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the high-strength region is arranged in the long side portions of the welded part (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 8, 11) and in a vicinity of an end portion of a sealing plate inner surface side of the collector terminal in a long side direction (see e.g., Nakayama; figs. 8, 11, wherein the weld extends to the end of the sealing plate and therefore corresponds with the claimed vicinity).
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakayama (US-20150118546-A1), and in further view of Sugimune (US-20050136323-A1).
Regarding claim 2, Nakayama discloses the power storage device according to claim 1. Nakayama does not explicitly disclose wherein a ratio (D1/D2) of a penetration depth D1 in the high-strength region of the welded part to a penetration depth D2 in the welded region other than the high-strength region of the welded part is 1.1 to 1.5. However, Sugimune discloses a battery wherein the lid is welded to the battery casing and the weld includes fragile parts having low weld strength, and a depth of the weld of the fragile parts are 40 to 80% compared to a depth of the other portions (see e.g., Sugimune; [0010]-[0013]), which overlaps with the claimed range of (D1/D2) of a penetration depth D1 in the high-strength region of the welded part to a penetration depth D2 in the welded region other than the high-strength region of the welded part is 1.1 to 1.5. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Nakayama such that the weak-strength region weld is 40 to 80% the depth of the high-strength region as disclosed by Sugimune. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to prevent the battery from exploding by sufficiently providing the battery against an impact caused by fall or the like (see e.g., Sugimune; [0009]).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakayama (US-20150118546-A1), and in further view of Ogawa (US-20190299332-A1).
Regarding claim 4, Nakayama discloses the power storage device according to claim 1. Nakayama does not explicitly disclose wherein a length of the high-strength region along the long side direction is equal to or greater than 5% and equal to or less than 15% when a length of the long side portions of the welded part defined as 100%. However, Ogawa discloses a lid that is welded to a rectangular battery case wherein a strong welding portion is along the length of the outer periphery of the lid (see e.g., Ogawa; figs. 1, 3, [0052]-[0053], regarding second welded part 142 which has larger width of welding and higher melting amount of metal to thereby increase a joint strength), and wherein the strong welding portion may be 0.2-0.5 times the length of the other non-strength welded portion along the length of the battery (see e.g., Ogawa; [0057], fig. 3, regarding L2 equal to 0.2L1 to 0.5 L2). Ogawa discloses that such a configuration is desirable to increase joint strength between the container body and the lid body, prevent lowering of efficiency of an entire welding operation, and enhance reliability of the container (see e.g., Ogawa; [0058]), which similarly corresponds with the instant specifications objective of reducing occurrence of weld failure or reducing production costs. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the length of the high-strength weld region of Nakayama to be a smaller portion that a length of the long side weld portion as disclosed by Ogawa in order to increase joint strength between the container body and the lid body, prevent lowering of efficiency of an entire welding operation, and enhance reliability of the container (see e.g., Ogawa; [0058]).
While the lower end of the range disclosed by Ogawa of 20% and the claimed range of 5-15% do not overlap, the amounts are close. MPEP 2144.05 I. submits ‘Similarly, a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed ranges or amounts do not overlap with the prior art but are merely close.’
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN SONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 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, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571) 270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KEVIN SONG/Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
Prosecution Insights