CTNF 18/486,982 CTNF 95664 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. 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. Claim Status Claims 1-2 have been examined on the merits. Priority Acknowledgment is made of the applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 10/17/2022. It is noted that applicant has filed a certified copy of the application, JP2022-166260, as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement Each information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on or before 01/31/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner and an initial copy is attached herewith. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 is indefinite because it is unclear if the limitation “charged positively or negatively in the electrode assembly” means that the lid main body is in the electrode assembly and has a positive or negative charge or if it means that the lid main body has a positive or negative charge and that charge originates in the electrode assembly. For examination, the latter interpretation is used. Claim 2 is rejected based on dependence on claim 1. Claim 1 is indefinite because seemingly applicant is claiming a method step with the limitation “the elastic portion is separated from the terminal plate when an internal pressure of the cell case is less than a predetermined pressure, and is elastically deformed to come into contact with the terminal plate when the internal pressure of the cell case is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure” in a claim directed to an apparatus, thus confusing the metes, bounds and scope of the claim. For examination, this limitation is interpreted as “the elastic portion is configured to be separated from the terminal plate when an internal pressure of the cell case is less than a predetermined pressure, and is configured to be elastically deformed to come into contact with the terminal plate when the internal pressure of the cell case is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure”. Claim 2 is rejected based on dependence on claim 1. 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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Byun (US20110305929A1) in view of Kinoshita (US 20090023059 A1) . Regarding claim 1 , Byun discloses a power storage cell (Fig. 1; 100) comprising: an electrode assembly (Fig. 2; 110); a cell case (Fig. 1; 140, 151) that accommodates the electrode assembly (110); and an external terminal (Fig. 1; 160) fixed to an upper surface (Fig. 1; 151) of the cell case (140, 151), wherein the cell case (140, 151) has a case main body (Fig. 1; 140) that accommodates (Fig. 2) the electrode assembly (110), the case main body (140) being provided with an opening (Fig. 2; opening in 140) that opens upward (Fig. 2), and a lid (Fig. 1; 151) connected to the case main body (140) so as to close (Fig. 1, 2) the opening (Fig. 2) of the case main body (140), the lid (151) has a lid main body (Fig. 1; 151) connected to the opening (Fig. 2) of the case main body (140) and charged positively or negatively (“case 140 may function as an electrode having a polarity”; [0055]; 140 is electrically connected to 151 per Fig. 2) in the electrode assembly (110), and a short-circuit member (Fig. 2; 161) connected to the lid main body (151), the short-circuit member (161) being able to short-circuit ([0070]) the lid main body (151) and the external terminal (160), the external terminal (160) includes a terminal plate (Fig. 2; 162) disposed above (Fig. 2) the short-circuit member (161), the short-circuit member (161) includes an elastic (“The inverting portion 161 a may have a predetermined extent of elasticity”; [0070]) portion (annotated Fig. 3B; 161a, 161b, 161d, 161e; “EP”), and PNG media_image1.png 338 296 media_image1.png Greyscale the elastic portion (EP) is separated ([0070]; Fig. 2; 161) from the terminal plate (162) when an internal pressure ([0070]) of the cell case (140, 151) is less than a predetermined pressure (“reference pressure”; [0070]), and is deformed (“inverted”; [0070]) to come into contact ([0070]) with the terminal plate (162) when the internal pressure ([0070]) of the cell case (140, 151) is equal to or more (“exceeds”; [0070]) than the predetermined pressure ([0070]). Byun fails to disclose made of a conductive resin and elastically deformed. Kinoshita discloses a conductive resin ([0079]) that is capable of elastic deformation (“elastic member”; [0079]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Byun by substituting the material of the elastic portion for the conductive and elastic resin taught by Kinoshita because Kinoshita’s resin is a material known in the art to be electrically conductive ([0079]) and have a predetermined elasticity (“elastic”; [0079]), both of which are features desired by Byun for the elastic portion (see [0067] and [0070]). Regarding claim 2 , Byun in view of Kinoshita discloses wherein the short-circuit member (161) further has a base portion (annotated Fig. 3B; BP) joined to a periphery (annotated Fig. 3B; P) of the elastic portion (EP) and connected (Fig. 3B) to the lid main body (151), and a rigidity (Fig. 3B; a thickness of 161e) of the elastic portion (EP) is smaller than (Fig. 3B) a rigidity (annotated Fig. 3B; thickness of BP) of the base portion (BP). The examiner notes that portion 161e of the elastic portion has a rigidity less than a rigidity of the base portion because both portions are formed of the same elastic material and portion 161e has a thickness less than the thickness of the base portion. PNG media_image2.png 338 296 media_image2.png Greyscale Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRACE A KENLAW whose telephone number is (571)272-1253. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 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, Tiffany Legette-Thompson can be reached at (571) 270-7078. 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. /G.A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 2 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 3 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 4 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 5 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 6 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/486,982 Page 7 Art Unit: 1723
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