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 .
Examiner Note
It is noted that all references hereinafter to Applicant’s specification (“spec”) are to the published application US 2024/0162538-A1, unless stated otherwise. Further, any italicized text utilized hereinafter is to be interpreted as emphasis placed thereupon.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed 08SEP2023 and 30SEP2024 are in compliance with 37 CFR 1.97 and have been considered.
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.
Claims 1-8, 10-11, 13, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2013/0216871 A1; “Lee”) in view of Lim (US-20250038373-A1; “Lim”).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee teaches a cap assembly disposed at an open upper end of a cylindrical container (a can) of a battery in which an electrode assembly is mounted [0001] and the cap plate is welded to the upper end of the electrode assembly [0046]). Please refer to the duplicated figure, Fig. 1, below:
[AltContent: textbox (Cylindrical Battery)]
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[AltContent: textbox (Top Cap (Cap Plate))]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Side Surface)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Case)]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Bottom Surface)][AltContent: textbox (Center Pin )]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Cathode)]
[AltContent: textbox (Anode)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Electrode Assembly )][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Separator)]
Fig. 1 – General Cylindrical Battery (Vertical Sectional Perspective View), duplicated from Fig. 1 of Lee on Sheet 1 of 4 of Drawings
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Top Plate)]
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[AltContent: textbox (Safety Vent )]
[AltContent: textbox (Center Pin )][AltContent: textbox (Second Notch)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Center)][AltContent: textbox (Cap Assembly)][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Container (Can))]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Insulative Plate or Step)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Concavely Recessed from Cap Plate Toward Inside of Can – Welded Portion)][AltContent: textbox (Lead)]
Fig. 2. Sectional View of Cylindrical Battery, duplicated from Fig. 5 of Lee on Sheet 3 of 4 of Drawings)
Lee teaches a cathode (a first electrode plate), an anode (a second electrode plate) and a separator between the cathode (the first electrode plate) and the anode (the second electrode plate) [0007].
Lee does not teach a cap plate having a welding portion directly welded to the uncoated portion of the first electrode plate of the electrode assembly. Lee also does not teach an electrode assembly wherein each of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate has a coated portion where an active material is coated and an uncoated portion where the active material is not coated.
Lim teaches a secondary battery [0006] with an electrode assembly including a first electrode, a first separator layer, and a second electrode [0014]. Lim teaches that the first electrode may include a first electrode uncoated region, in which the active material is not coated, and an area where the first active material is coated [0014]. Lim also teaches that the second electrode may also include a second electrode uncoated portion on which an active material is not coated [0014]. Lim also teaches the active material 42 is coated on the surface of the second electrode 4 [0157] (coated portion).
Lim teaches the second electrode uncoated portion 41 may connect directly to the cell can bottom surface 62, without the current collection plate 5, ensuring improvement in spatial availability and capacity [0176]. Please refer to Fig. 11 of Lim below:
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[AltContent: textbox (5 – Current Collection Plate
62 – Can Bottom Surface
41 – Cathode Uncoated Portion)]
Fig. 11 of Lim, duplicated from Sheet 3 of 20 of Lim
Lim teaches the second electrode uncoated portion 41 of the electrode assembly 1 directly welds to the bottom surface 62 of the cell can 6 [0183]. Please refer to Fig. 13 of Lim:
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[AltContent: textbox (62 – Can Bottom Surface
41 – Cathode Uncoated Portion)]
[AltContent: textbox (Second electrode uncoated portion 41 of the electrode assembly 1 directly welds to the bottom surface 62 of the cell can 6 [0183])]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: oval]
Fig. 13 of Lim, duplicated from Sheet 11 of 20 of Drawings of Lim
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 battery of Lee by substituting the lead 612 of Lee with the second electrode uncoated portion 41 of Lim and welding it to the can bottom surface 62 of Lim directly, without the current collection plate 5 as taught by Lim. Lee and Lim each constitute prior art which is directly analogous to claimed invention (MPEP 2141.01(a)(I)) by falling in the same field of batteries. Lim teaches that the modification circled in Fig. 13 of Lim above ensures improvement in spatial availability and capacity [0176], providing the motivation to modify the battery of Lee with the direct connection of the uncoated electrode to the cap plate through welding. Moreover, Lim teaches each of the uncoated portions allow the surface area of a current path to expand and resistance to decrease; furthermore, the uncoated portions can radially bend and form a flat surface to improve welding performance [0011].
Regarding Claim 2, Lee teaches that the welded portion above is concavely recessed from the cap plate toward the inside of the can, as illustrated in the annotated Fig. 2 above.
Regarding Claim 3, Lee teaches a top cap 10 that protrudes to form a cathode terminal, which is part of the electrode assembly ([0011]). Please see Fig. 3 below:
[AltContent: textbox (Top Cap)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Safety Vent)][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: textbox (Electrode Assembly)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Lead)][AltContent: arrow]
Fig. 3. Vertical Sectional View of Cylindrical Battery, duplicated from Fig. 2 of Lee on Sheet 2 of 4 of Drawings)
Regarding Claim 4, Lee teaches the welding portion extends radially from a center of the cap, as seen in the circled part of Fig. 2.
Regarding Claim 5, Lee teaches in Fig. 2 that the diameter of the welding portion between the lead and the safety vent is less than the length of the welding portion extending from the center of the cap plate towards the electrode assembly, where it is concavely recessed toward an inside of the can. The welding portion extends away from the cap assembly and towards the electrodes.
Regarding Claim 6, Lee teaches the cap assembly (please see Fig. 3) has a safety vent with notches (Abstract).
[AltContent: textbox (First Notch)]
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[AltContent: textbox (Safety Vent )][AltContent: textbox (Second Notch)]
[AltContent: textbox (Center Pin)]
Fig 4. Safety Vent of Cylindrical Battery, duplicated from Fig. 6 of Lee on Sheet 4 of 4 of Drawings
Regarding Claim 7, please refer to Fig. 4 which shows how the first and second notches extend along a circumference of the cap plate – these may be located outside the welding portion.
Regarding Claim 8, please refer to Fig. 4, which shows the second notch is in an inner surface of the cap plate.
Regarding Claim 10, Lee teaches that an insulative plate is mounted to prevent contact between the jelly roll and the safety element of the cap assembly, or cap plate. The plate is placed at an upper end of the can, and the cap plate or assembly is placed on that surface, or step, as seen in Fig. 3 above.
Regarding Claim 11, Lee teaches that the cap plate forms an outermost surface of the secondary battery (please refer to Fig. 1 of Lee above).
Regarding Claim 13, Lee teaches that the can has a side surface and a bottom surface, wherein the cap plate is coupled to the side surface of the can (please refer to Fig. 1 above).
Regarding Claim 15, Lee teaches that a distal end of the side surface of can faces perpendicular to the bottom surface of the can (please refer to Fig. 1 above and [0002] – cylindrical cell)
Claims 9, 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2013/0216871 A1; “Lee”) in view of Lim (US-20250038373-A1; “Lim”) and Myerberg (US-2007/0117011 A1; “Myerberg”).
Regarding Claims 9, 12 and 14, Lee in view of Lim teach the limitations of Claim 1, 11, 13 and 15 as discussed above.
Regarding Claim 9, Lee teaches a cap assembly disposed at an open upper end of a cylindrical container (a can) of a battery in which an electrode assembly is mounted [0001] and the cap plate is welded to the upper end of the electrode assembly [0046]. Please refer to the duplicated figure, Fig. 1, below:
[AltContent: textbox (Cylindrical Battery)]
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[AltContent: textbox (Top Cap (Cap Plate))]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Side Surface)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Case)]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Bottom Surface)][AltContent: textbox (Center Pin )]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Cathode)]
[AltContent: textbox (Anode)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Separator)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Electrode Assembly )][AltContent: arrow]
Fig. 1 – General Cylindrical Battery (Vertical Sectional Perspective View), duplicated from Fig. 1 of Lee on Sheet 1 of 4 of Drawings
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Top Plate)]
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[AltContent: textbox (Safety Vent )]
[AltContent: textbox (Cap Assembly)][AltContent: textbox (Center Pin )][AltContent: textbox (Second Notch)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: textbox (Center)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: oval]
[AltContent: textbox (Container (Can))][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Insulative Plate or Step)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Concavely Recessed from Cap Plate Toward Inside of Can – Welded Portion)][AltContent: textbox (Lead)]
Fig. 2. Sectional View of Cylindrical Battery, duplicated from Fig. 5 of Lee on Sheet 3 of 4 of Drawings)
Lee teaches a cathode (a first electrode plate), an anode (a second electrode plate) and a separator between the cathode (the first electrode plate) and the anode (the second electrode plate) [0007].
Lee further teaches that electrode assembly is wound ([0004]) and has a hollow cylindrical structure ([0007]). Moreover, Lee teaches the injection of the electrolyte into the cylindrical case ([0006]).
Lee does not teach a cap plate having a welding portion directly welded to the uncoated portion of the first electrode plate of the electrode assembly. Lee also does not teach an electrode assembly wherein each of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate has a coated portion where an active material is coated and an uncoated portion where the active material is not coated. Lee does not teach a plug installed in the injection opening extending into the
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hollow center of the electrode assembly.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fill Hole Plug)]
[AltContent: textbox (Fill Hole Plug Seal)][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (Injection Opening Extending to Inside of Center of Electrode Assembly (Hollow))][AltContent: arrow]
Fig. 5. Vertical Sectional View of Cylindrical Battery, duplicated from Fig. 5 of Myerberg on Sheet 3 of 4 of Drawings)
Lim teaches a secondary battery [0006] with an electrode assembly including a first electrode, a first separator layer, and a second electrode [0014]. Lim teaches that the first electrode may include a first electrode uncoated region, in which the active material is not coated, and an area where the first active material is coated [0014]. Lim also teaches that the second electrode may also include a second electrode uncoated portion on which an active material is not coated [0014]. Lim also teaches the active material 42 is coated on the surface of the second electrode 4 [0157] (coated portion).
Lim teaches the second electrode uncoated portion 41 may connect directly to the cell can bottom surface 62, without the current collection plate 5, ensuring improvement in spatial availability and capacity [0176]. Please refer to Fig. 11 of Lim below:
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[AltContent: textbox (5 – Current Collection Plate
62 – Can Bottom Surface
41 – Cathode Uncoated Portion)]
Fig. 11 of Lim, duplicated from Sheet 3 of 20 of Lim
Lim teaches the second electrode uncoated portion 41 of the electrode assembly 1 directly welds to the bottom surface 62 of the cell can 6 [0183]. Please refer to Fig. 13 of Lim:
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[AltContent: textbox (62 – Can Bottom Surface
41 – Cathode Uncoated Portion)]
[AltContent: textbox (Second electrode uncoated portion 41 of the electrode assembly 1 directly welds to the bottom surface 62 of the cell can 6 [0183])]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: oval]
Fig. 13 of Lim, duplicated from Sheet 11 of 20 of Drawings of Lim
Lim teaches a hollow hole part of the winding center [0076] (the electrode assembly is wound and has a hollow center).
Lim does not teach an injection opening on the cap plate at a center thereof with a plug installed in the opening and extending to be inside the hollow center of the electrode assembly.
Myerberg teaches an electrochemical device with a spirally wound electrochemical assembly ([0047]) with a central fill hole for electrolyte injection ([0029]). This fill hole is sealed by means of a fill hole plug, a deformable insert ([0088]). Myerberg also teaches a hermetic and volumetrically efficient weld joint between the end cap and the can ([0100]). Myerberg further teaches an aluminum container, or can, housing the electrode assembly with upper and lower open ends and an upper cap plate that is welded in contact with the can ([0027]). Moreover, Myerberg teaches that the flat head of rivet extends over a portion of the external face of the end cap and the hollow stem (see above Fig. 6) extends into the interior of the cell, resulting in a part of the electrode assembly that must be hollow to accommodate it ([0084]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the battery of Lee in view of Lim with a plug installed in the injection opening extending into the hollow center of the electrode assembly as taught by Myerberg. Myerberg constitutes prior art which is directly analogous to claimed invention (MPEP 2141.01(a)(I)) by falling in the same field of batteries. Myerberg cites a plug that accomplishes establishes an effective seal – volumetrically efficient ([0006]). According to Myerberg, having a hollow center with a plug enables effective venting of gases ([0014]) and electrolyte injection ([0099]), providing adequate motivation for incorporating these features readily known in the art. Another rationale to support a conclusion that the claim would have been obvious is that all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2143.A.).
Regarding Claim 12, Myerberg teaches a first aluminum end cap laser welded to the upper open end of the aluminum container (directly welded) [0027], [0039]. Myerberg teaches the welded cell packaging can provide significantly greater cell volume than crimped cells [0005], [0076].
Regarding Claim 14, Myerberg does not have a beading part on the side surface of the can (please see Fig. 5 above and [0015]), teaching that welding is more volumetrically efficient compared to crimp joining [0099-0100] and non-welding techniques [0005] such as beading.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US-9755196-B2 to Min-Hyung G – Teaches welding between the battery case and terminal, specifying angle and orientation of surfaces
US-10411242-B2 to Jae Gyun D – Teaches inner and outer tab connected to the cap assembly and extending from the center in the radial direction
US-20220231345-A1 to Hwangbo K – Teaches welding between battery case, can and electrode assembly (current collectors) and an injection opening through a hollow, wound assembly
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 07/29/26 are considered moot in light of the new grounds of rejection, which were necessitated by Applicant’s amendments.
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 WILLIAM FADDOUL SAVAGE whose telephone number is (571)270-0315. The examiner can normally be reached 8a.m.-5p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached on 571-272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM FADDOUL SAVAGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1782
/ANTHONY J FROST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
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