CTNF 18/476,005 CTNF 100234 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 09/27/2023 have been considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 7, 13-14 i s/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1) a s being a nticipated b y G uen (US 20200091484 A1). R egarding claim 1, Guen teaches all of the following elements: A secondary battery comprising: (“In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by providing a secondary battery comprising:” Guen [0005]) an electrode assembly; (first and second electrode assemblies 120A and 120B, figure 1C) a case accommodating the electrode assembly and comprising an opening; (case 110, figure 1C) a plate coupled to the case at the opening, (Insulating plate 180 functions as the plate coupled to the case at opening, figure 1C) the plate comprising a vent hole and a safety vent in the vent hole; and a cover coupled to the plate, (In the case of Guen, insulating plate 180 and cap plate 130 are formed integrally, which not only allows for the limitations of claim 1 to be met, but also dependent claim 6. Cap plate 160 corresponds to the cover and also comprises safety vent 136 which is formed in a vent hole, and is paired with the plurality of gas discharge holes in the second region of the insulating plate 182. See below for comparison of Guen figure 1C and instant figure 6.) wherein the plate comprises a plurality of gas discharge holes outside of the vent hole. (“As described above, in the secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of gas discharge holes are located in a region of an insulating plate corresponding to a vent,” Guen [0015]) PNG media_image1.png 611 582 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 621 591 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding claim 3, Guen teaches all of the following elements: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate further comprises a rib between the plurality of gas discharge holes. (Second region 182 of the insulating place has a plurality of gas discharge holes separated by vertical and horizontal ribs extending in the longitudinal and latitudinal directions of the plate, see figure 1C) Regarding claim 4, Guen teaches all of the following elements: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rib comprises: a first rib extending in a longitudinal direction of the plate; and a plurality of second ribs perpendicular to the first rib and extending from the first rib toward a long side surface of the case. (Second region 182 of the insulating place has a plurality of gas discharge holes separated by vertical and horizontal ribs extending in the longitudinal and latitudinal directions of the plate, see figure 1C. There is a plurality of ribs extending in both directions, which would meet the above limitation.) Regarding claim 7, Guen teaches all of the following elements: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a center hole at a position corresponding to the vent hole. (Guen figure 1C clearly depicts vent/safety hole 136 being present on the cover and corresponding to the vent/gas discharge holes on the insulating plate.) Regarding claim 13, Guen teaches all of the following elements: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first terminal part electrically connected to a first electrode plate of the electrode assembly; (first electrode terminal 140 and second electrode terminal 150, Guen [0031] and Guen figure 1C. “Here, the first electrode first multi-tab 161 may be a current path between the first electrode plate 121 and the first electrode terminal 140,” Guen [0035]—in this case, the first electrode terminal is clearly electrically connected to the first electrode plate.) and a second terminal part electrically connected to a second electrode plate of the electrode assembly, (“Here, the second electrode first multi-tab 171 may be a current path between the second electrode plate 123 and the second electrode terminal 150” Guen [0036] in this case, the electrode terminal is clearly electrically connected to the electrode plate.) wherein the first terminal part and the second terminal part are coupled to the plate. (“In an embodiment of the present invention, an insulating plate 180 basically having a substantially rectangular shape may further be provided between the first and second multi-tabs 161/171 and 162/172 of the first and second electrode assemblies 120A and 120B, and the first and second electrode terminals 140 and 150” Guen [0056]. In this embodiment, both electrode terminals are coupled to the insulating plate 180.) Regarding claim 14, Guen teaches all of the following elements: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cover comprises: a first area inside the first terminal part and the second terminal part; and a second area outside the first terminal part and the second terminal part and separated from the first area. (See below for comparison of Guen figure 1B and instant figure 6, which both depict a cover having a first and second area that are separated by the two electrode terminals, thus meeting the limitations of the claim.) PNG media_image3.png 368 475 media_image3.png Greyscale Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guen (US 20200091484 A1) in view of Kimoto (US 20020187390 A1) Regarding claim 2, Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 1, as shown above. Guen is silent on the following elements of claim 2: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein sizes of the plurality of gas discharge holes gradually increase in a direction outward away from the vent hole. However, Kimoto teaches all of the elements of claim 2 that are not found in Guen. Specifically, Kimoto teaches gas discharge holes that increase in size as they extend radially from the middle of an end plate: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein sizes of the plurality of gas discharge holes gradually increase in a direction outward away from the vent hole. (“The vent holes 12c are arranged such that aperture areas thereof are sequentially increased along directions from the center of each end plate 12b to the right, left, top, and bottom.” Kimoto [0035]) PNG media_image4.png 446 427 media_image4.png Greyscale Kimoto and Guen are considered to be analogous because they are both within the same field of batteries including a plurality of vent holes classified in the H01M50/30s. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the plurality of gas discharge holes as taught by Guen to gradually increase in size away from the center (where the safety vent is) in order to maintain a uniform flow rate through the outlet (“the vent hole 12c provided at the center of this end plate 12b also has the smallest aperture area among the plurality of the vent holes 12c provided in the end plate 12b and the vent holes 12c sequentially become larger along the directions from the smallest vent hole 12c to the right, left, top, and bottom. Therefore, in the outlet hood 40 where a cross-sectional area thereof is sequentially decreased along the air flow direction, the flow rate of the air in a single battery module 11 can be maintained so as to be substantially uniform, so that the flow rate of the air in the holder 12 is also substantially uniform.” Kimoto [0045]) This would be a desirable modification to the teachings of Guen as it would allow for a more uniform distribution of gas escaping through the safety vent, and therefore a lower risk of explosion/overpressure occurring in the battery . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guen (US 20200091484 A1) in view of Kim (US 20090061310 A1), hereinafter referred to as Kim ‘310 Regarding claim 5, Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 1, as shown above. Guen teaches an insulating plate and cap plate in close proximity, but not explicitly a cap/cover comprising an insulating material. The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an insulating material. However, Kim ‘310 teaches all of the elements of claim 5 that are not found in Guen. Specifically, Kim ‘310 teaches a cap assembly which comprises an insulating material: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an insulating material. (“The cap assembly 200 includes a cap-up or upper cap member 160, a vent plate 150, an insulator 140 and a cap-down or lower cap member 130.” Kim ‘310 [0047]. Guen teaches that its cap plate can also be referred to as a cap assembly “In some instances, the cap plate 130 is also referred to as a cap assembly.” [0050]) Guen and Kim ‘310 are considered to be analogous because they are both within the same field of secondary batteries containing casings with cap plates. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cover (cap assembly) of Guen to include an insulator, as taught by Kim ‘310, in order to provide an additional level of insulation and protection for the battery. Additionally, the cap assembly structure of Kim ‘310 has improved durability, which would be desirable for a casing for a secondary battery (“Thus, in the secondary battery of the present invention, the cap-down, the insulator and the vent plate are prevented from rotating and being unloaded due to possible vibration or shock, thereby improving coupling force and durability of the cap assembly.” Kim ‘310 [0021]) 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guen (US 20200091484 A1) in view of Matsumoto (US 20070059586 A1) Regarding claim 6, Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 1, as shown above. It could be argued that Guen already teaches the limitations of claim 6, as the insulation plate and cap plate are stated to be coupled to one another via the electrode terminals (“ Referring to FIG. 2, in the secondary battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an insulating plate 180 basically includes a pair of first regions 181 coupled to the first multi-tabs 161 and 171 and the second multi-tabs 162 and 172 of the electrode assemblies” Guen [0058] and “The first electrode terminal 140 may include a first electrode terminal plate 141 positioned on a top surface of the cap plate 130” Guen [0052]. It could be argued that the combination of the insulation plate, cap plate, and electrode terminals are all provided together as one integral unit.). However, to further strengthen the rejection, examiner further cites Matsumoto, which explicitly teaches a cap plate and an insulation plate coupled to each other: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is integral with the plate. (“The cap 3 is formed by press molding of a plate made of an aluminum alloy and the like, and a negative terminal 11 is mounted on the center of the cap 3 in a penetrating manner via an upper-side insulating packing 9 and a lower-side insulating plate 10.” Matsumoto [0031] and figure 3.) Matsumoto and Guen are considered to be analogous because they are both within the same field of batteries containing a casing which includes both an insulation plate and a cap/cover plate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cap plate and insulation plate structure of Guen to couple them together, as this would allow a direct path through the gas discharge holes through the safety vent without trapping gas in an in between layer. Additionally, Matsumoto teaches that this is a known method in the art of manufacturing a similar battery case, and therefore it would be within the ambit of one of ordinary skill to use this manufacturing method . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guen (US 20200091484 A1) in view of Crowe (US 20080241644 A1) Regarding claim 8, Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 1, as shown above. Guen is silent on the following elements of claim 8. Specifically, Guen does not explicitly teach protrusions/areas in the cover which can collect gas. The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a gas collection part in a bottom surface of the cover. However, Crowe teaches all of the elements of claim 8 that are not found in Guen: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a gas collection part in a bottom surface of the cover. (“In use, gas escapes from the cells of the battery through the valves and collects in the recess under the cover.” Crower [0024] and “In accordance with the invention a battery casing comprises a lid having a top surface and a recess inset into the said top surface, a vent at the base of the recess through which gas is expelled from the battery, a cover for sealingly covering the recess, a gas collection space being defined within the covered recess” Crowe [0004]. In this case, the gas collection space formed in the recess below the top cover functions as the gas collection part.) Crowe is considered to be analogous to Guen because they are both within the same field of batteries containing casings aimed at gas collection/redirection from gas exhausted by the battery. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cover/cap plate of Guen to include the gas collection part of Crowe in order to include additional safety measures aimed at reducing the expulsion of gas from the battery that can cause damage to the casing or to a user (“During the operation of a lead acid battery, gases including hydrogen are expelled from the cell or cells. There is thus the danger of an explosive mixture of expelled hydrogen and oxygen in the air being formed near the battery.” Crowe [0002] and “It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery casing which prevents or reduces the effects of the above disadvantages.” Crowe [0003].) Examiner notes that Crowe is drawn to specifically a lead acid battery, but believes that one skilled in the art would understand that these benefits extend to other types of batteries and it would still be within the ambit of one of ordinary skill to modify Guen with the teachings of Crowe. By modifying Guen to include a gas collection part in the cover, as taught by Crowe, the additional limitations of claims 9-11 would all be met, or would be met given the obviousness of the combination (see claim 11). Thus, no further modification or motivation would be required to meet the limitations of the claims. Regarding claim 9, modified Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 8, as shown above. Crowe teaches all of the additional elements of claim 9: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the gas collection part comprises: a base portion; and a protrusion protruding from the base portion. (See Crowe figure 8, which depicts recess 47 having a base and protruding downwards in space to form a recess which collects gas.) PNG media_image5.png 521 806 media_image5.png Greyscale Regarding claim 10, modified Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 9, as shown above. Crowe teaches all of the additional elements of claim 10: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 9, wherein the base portion has a thickness less than the cover. (See combination of Crowe figures 7 and 8, which clearly shows that the base [and the entirety of the gas collection part/recess] has a smaller thickness than lid/cover portion 3, thus meeting this limitation.) PNG media_image6.png 522 552 media_image6.png Greyscale Regarding claim 11, modified Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 9, as shown above. Crowe teaches all of the additional elements of claim 11: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 9, wherein the protrusion is coupled to the plurality of gas discharge holes. (“In use, gas escapes from the cells of the battery through the valves and collects in the recess under the cover.” Crowe [0024]. In this case, the gas collection part in the cover is coupled to valves where gas is released from the battery cells. If Guen were to be modified with this gas collection part, it is obvious that it would be paired with the gas discharge holes in order to effectively collect gas and avoid potentially dangerous gas exhaustion.) Examiner would like to note that if applicant were to amend claims to further specify that the gas collection part corresponds exactly to the plurality of gas discharge holes in terms of the shape and particularly the increasing size of holes as described in claim 2, the prior art would likely be overcome and would require further search and consideration. I.e. an amendment to incorporate both claims 2 and 11 into claim 1, and further specify that the gas collection parts correspond in shape and size to those in the insulation plate, would likely move prosecution forward . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guen (US 20200091484 A1) in view of Park (US 20180212215 A1) Regarding claim 12, Guen teaches all of the elements of claim 1, as shown above. Guen teaches the following elements of claim 12: The secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first terminal part electrically connected to a first electrode plate of the electrode assembly; and a second terminal part electrically connected to a second electrode plate of the electrode assembly, Guen is silent on the following elements of claim 12: wherein the first terminal part is coupled to a first short side surface of the electrode assembly and the second terminal part is coupled to a second short side surface of the electrode assembly. However, Park teaches all of the elements of claim 12 that are not found in Guen: wherein the first terminal part is coupled to a first short side surface of the electrode assembly and the second terminal part is coupled to a second short side surface of the electrode assembly. (Park figure 2 depicts terminals 154 being coupled to the first and second short side surfaces of the electrode assembly, in the same manner as instant application. “As the other end portions of the positive electrode terminal connecting bus bar 153 a and the negative electrode terminal connecting bus bar 153 b are closely adhered to the first side plate 120 and the second side plate 130, respectively, and the first and second terminal connecting members 154, 155 are coupled to the first and second side plates 120, 130 as described above,” Park [0070]) PNG media_image7.png 507 599 media_image7.png Greyscale PNG media_image8.png 572 622 media_image8.png Greyscale Park is considered to be analogous to Guen because they are both within the same field of secondary batteries containing electrode terminals coupled to a casing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guen to include the electrode terminals on the side surface of the battery casing in order to provide easy assembly and coupling in the case of combining multiple batteries together, for example, in a battery module (“and the first and second terminal connecting members 154, 155 are coupled to the first and second side plates 120, 130 as described above, it is possible that the integrated cartridge 100, the relay assembly 200 and the BMS assembly 300 are easily assembled and coupled.” Park [0070]). Additionally, Park teaches that this method of assembly is known in the art and that it would be within the ambit of one or ordinary skill to couple the electrode terminals to either the top surface or side surface within a battery casing. Conclusion The following references were considered to be relevant to the instant application but were not used in the rejection: Lee (US 20190351268 A1)—teaches a plurality of holes which gradually increase in size (see figure 5) Koh (US 20090081539 A1)—teaches electrode terminals being used on a short side surface of a secondary battery containing an insulating plate and a cover/cap plate. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN ELI KASS-MULLET whose telephone number is (571)272-0156. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-6pm except for the first Friday of bi-week. 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, NICHOLAS SMITH can be reached at (571) 272-8760. 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. /BENJAMIN ELI KASS-MULLET/Examiner, Art Unit 1752 /NICHOLAS A SMITH/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 2 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 3 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 4 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 5 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 6 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 8 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 9 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 10 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 11 Art Unit: 1752 Application/Control Number: 18/476,005 Page 12 Art Unit: 1752
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