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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 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. 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. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (JPWO 2017/159760) , cited by Applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement received June 2, 2025, in view of Kajita et al. (US 2017/0222194). The English machine translation of Ito is attached and is referenced below. Regarding Claim 1, Ito teaches a method for manufacturing an energy storage element (Para. [0016]) (i.e. a method for producing a power storage device) including a cover (Fig. 6a, #110) (i.e. case member) with an opening (Fig. 6a, #110a) (i.e. insertion hole) wherein the current collector (Fig. 6a, #230) (i.e. terminal member) is inserted (Para. [0063]) (i.e. a terminal member is inserted in the insertion hole of the case member), an intermediate member (Fig. 6d, #500) that is a resin injected between molds (i.e. insert-molded, see Para. [0066]) (i.e. insert-molded resin member) joined to the case member and terminal member (see Fig. 6d) while insulating the cover/lid from the terminal member (Para. [0037]) (i.e. while insulating between the case member and the terminal member) and fix the terminals to the lid/cover (Para. [0072]) (i.e. to fix the terminal member to the case member) , the current collector (i.e. terminal) having a first plane (Fig. 6d, #211a) positioned along the outer surface of the lid/cover located outside the container (Para. [0043]) (i.e. the terminal member including a terminal outer portion located on an outer side of the case member, the terminal outer portion including a terminal top surface having an entirely expose d flat shape), the intermediate member having (i.e. the resin member including) a first intermediate section (Fig. 6d, #510) (i.e. resin outer frame portion, frame top portion) located on the outer side of the cover/lid (i.e. case member), having a frame shape that surrounds the current collector (i.e. terminal) outer portion of the current collector (i.e. terminal member), including a frame top surface flush with the terminal top surface of the current collector (i.e. terminal) outer portion (see Fig. 3, Fig. 6d & Para. [0043]) , wherein the intermediate member is formed by injecting resin when the current collector is inserted in the opening of the cover/lid (Para. [0066]) (i.e. the method comprising insert-molding the resin member in a state where the terminal member is inserted in the insertion hole of the case member) wherein a first mold and second mold is used (Fig. 6c, #710, 720) (i.e. wherein insert-molding is performed using a molding mold) wherein the first mold (Fig. 6c, #710) includes a flat top-surface contact portion which is to face and tightly contact with the current collector (i.e. terminal) top surface of the current collector (i.e. terminal) member (see Fig. 6c). Ito does not teach the resin member comprising an annular groove along an entire circumference of the resin outer frame portion on the frame top surface of the resin outer frame portion, nor an inner annular flat portion and an outer annular flat portion, which are formed in a double ring shape surrounding the top-surface contact portion, to form the frame top surface of the resin member; and an annular protruding portion provided between the inner annular flat portion and the outer annular flat portion, to form the annular groove of the resin member. However, Kajita et al. teaches a rechargeable battery (i.e. power storage device) comprising a gasket which is resin injected using a mold (i.e. an insert-molded resin member) wherein the second mold comprises an annular projection (i.e. annular protruding portion) . 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 base of first mold facing the intermediate member (i.e. resin member) of the method of Ito to incorporate the teaching of an annular projection on the base of the mold facing the gasket (i.e. resin member) , as such a structure facilitates formation of the molds used for injection molding (Para. [0077]). The natural result of the proposed combination (i.e. an annular projection on the first mold) would provide a method comprising an annular groove along an entire circumference of the resin outer frame portion on the frame top of surface of the resin outer frame portion and an inner annular flat portion and an outer annular flat portion, which are formed in a double ring shape surrounding the top-surface contact portion, to form the frame top surface of the resin member; and the annular protruding portion provided between the inner annular flat portion and the outer annular flat portion, to form the annular groove of the resin member. Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (JPWO 2017/159760) in view of Wakimoto et al. (US 2019/0363329). Regarding Claim 2 , Ito teaches an energy storage element (Para. [0016]) (i.e. a power storage device) including a cover (Fig. 6a, #110) (i.e. case member) with an opening (Fig. 6a, #110a) (i.e. insertion hole) wherein the current collector (Fig. 6a, #230) (i.e. terminal member) is inserted (Para. [0063]) (i.e. a terminal member is inserted in the insertion hole of the case member), an intermediate member (Fig. 6d, #500) that is a resin injected between molds (i.e. insert-molded, see Para. [0066]) (i.e. insert-molded resin member) joined to the case member and terminal member (see Fig. 6d) while insulating the cover/lid from the terminal member (Para. [0037]) (i.e. while insulating between the case member and the terminal member) and fix the terminals to the lid/cover (Para. [0072]) (i.e. to fix the terminal member to the case member), the current collector (i.e. terminal) having a first plane (Fig. 6d, #211a) positioned along the outer surface of the lid/cover located outside the container (Para. [0043]) (i.e. the terminal member including a terminal outer portion located on an outer side of the case member, the terminal outer portion including a terminal top surface having an entirely expose d flat shape), the intermediate member having (i.e. the resin member including) a first intermediate section (Fig. 6d, #510) (i.e. resin outer frame portion, frame top portion) located on the outer side of the cover/lid (i.e. case member), having a frame shape that surrounds the current collector (i.e. terminal) outer portion of the current collector (i.e. terminal member), including a frame top surface flush with the terminal top surface of the current collector (i.e. terminal) outer portion (see Fig. 3, Fig. 6d & Para. [0043]) . Ito does not teach an annular groove along an entire circumference of the resin outer frame portion on the frame top surface of the resin outer frame portion. However, Wakimoto et al. teaches an annular first groove (Fig. 6, #10x) on an insulating member (Fig. 6, #10) made of resin (Para. [0059]) (i.e. a resin member) along an entire circumference of the insulating member (i.e. resin) outer frame portion on the top surface of the insulating member (i.e. resin) outer frame portion (see Fig. 6). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed inven tion to have modified the resin member of Ito to incorporate the teaching of the annular first groove as taught by Wakamoto et al., as such a groove can reduce risk of deformation of the insulating member (i.e. resin member) (Para. [0107]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT ARMINDO CARVALHO JR. whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-5292 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Thursday 7:30a.m.-5p.m. . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Ula Ruddock can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT 571 272-1481 . 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. /ARMINDO CARVALHO JR./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729