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 § 112
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.
Claims 6 and 7 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.
Regarding claim 6, the limitation “wherein the bottom plate comprises a second stepped portion recessed to correspond to the sidewall, the bottom plate being received in the second stepped portion” is unclear. Based on FIG. 5 of the disclosure, the bottom plate 300 comprises a second stepped portion 310 recessed to correspond to the sidewall 201, and the sidewall 201 is received in the second stepped portion 310.
Claim 7 is further rejected as being dependent from claim 6.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ochi (US 2023/0037438 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ochi discloses a button cell (i.e., a secondary battery 30 according to FIG. 3; preferably having a button shape, see FIG. 9(a) and paragraph [0146]), comprising:
an electrode assembly 10 (FIG. 1(A)-(B), paragraph [0034]) comprising a first electrode 1, a second electrode 2, a separator 3 between the first electrode and the second electrode, a first electrode tab (i.e., a tab 37 on an exterior body side; paragraphs [0089],[0168]) extending from the first electrode, and a second electrode tab (i.e., a tab 36 on an electrode terminal side; paragraphs [0089],[0167]) extending from the second electrode;
a case (i.e., a cup-shaped member 33a; paragraph [0090]) accommodating the electrode assembly 10, the case comprising a through hole (i.e., a cavity 35; paragraph [0096]) exposing an upper central region of the electrode assembly 10 and an opening (i.e., at its bottom end) exposing a lower portion of the electrode assembly 10;
a bottom plate (i.e., a lid-shaped member 33b; paragraph [0090]) coupled to the case 33a to cover the opening, and connected to the first electrode tab 37;
a terminal plate (i.e., a plate 32 of an electrode terminal 31; paragraph [0090]) insulated from and bonded to the case 33a (i.e., by a layer of insulating material 34) to cover the through hole 35, and connected to the second electrode tab 36; and
a bonding layer (i.e., the layer of insulating material 34) between the case 33a and the terminal plate 32, the bonding layer 34 being configured to insulate and bond the case 33a and the terminal plate 32 (paragraphs [0089],[0123],[0127]).
Regarding claim 2, Ochi discloses a welded portion welding the case 33a to the bottom plate 33b (i.e., the cup-shaped member 33a and the lid-shaped member 33b can be joined together by a welding process; paragraph [0082]).
Regarding claim 3, Ochi discloses that the case 33a comprises a sidewall (i.e., cylindrical wall; FIG. 3); and the welded portion is located between the sidewall and the bottom plate 33b.
Regarding claim 8, Ochi discloses that the bonding layer 34 protrudes from the terminal plate 32 in a direction toward the sidewall (see FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 15, Ochi (FIG. 3) discloses that the case 33a and the bottom plate 33b have a same polarity as the first electrode 37 (i.e., the tab 37 is connected to the lid-shaped member 33b, which is further connected by welding to the cup-shaped member 33a; thus, the elements 33a, 33b and 37 have the same polarity) and the terminal plate 32 has a same polarity as the second electrode 36 (i.e., the tab 36 is connected to the metal plate 32 of the electrode terminal 31; thus, the elements 31 and 32 have the same polarity).
Regarding claim 16, Ochi discloses that a ratio of a height to a diameter of the button cell 30 is 1 or less (i.e., its height is less than its diameter; FIG. 3).
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.
Claims 1-3 and 8-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (CN 113826250 A) in view of Ochi (US 2023/0037438 A1) and Chen et al. (CN 115101861 A).
Regarding claim 1, Yan et al. discloses a button cell (i.e., a button battery 100; see, e.g., FIG. 1-3 and 21; translation, in particular, at the underlined portions), comprising:
an electrode assembly 30 comprising a first electrode (i.e., a second pole piece 32), a second electrode (i.e., a first pole piece 31), a separator (i.e., a third layer 35) between the first electrode and the second electrode, a first electrode tab (i.e., a second metal part 321) extending from the first electrode 32, and a second electrode tab (i.e., a first metal part 311) extending from the second electrode 31 (see translation at paragraph bridging pages 12-13);
an exterior body (i.e., a first conductive part 10) accommodating the electrode assembly 30, the exterior body comprising a through hole (i.e., an opening 121) exposing an upper central region of the electrode assembly 30 and a bottom wall (i.e., a first wall 111) connected to the first electrode tab 321;
a terminal plate (i.e., a second conductive part 20 comprising a first part 21 having a plate-shaped structure; see translation at page 12, second paragraph) insulated from and bonded to the exterior body 10 (i.e., by a material of a first layer 40) to cover the through hole 121, and connected to the second electrode tab 311; and
a bonding layer (i.e., the first layer 40; translation at page 10, second to last paragraph; page 14, fifth paragraph) between the exterior body 10 and the terminal plate 20, the bonding layer being configured to insulate and bond the exterior body and the terminal plate (i.e., the first layer 40 comprises an insulating material, such as a high molecular polymer, to insulate and seal the first conductive part 10 and the second conductive part 20).
Yan et al. further discloses that the exterior body 10 (see FIG. 7) comprises:
a case (i.e., a concave part 11 comprising the bottom wall 111 and a side wall 112) accommodating the electrode assembly 30, the case 11 comprising an opening exposing an upper portion of the electrode assembly 30; and a top plate (i.e., a second wall 122 of a cover part 12) coupled to the case to cover the opening; wherein the top plate 122 comprises the through hole 121 exposing the upper central region of the electrode assembly 30; and wherein the case 11 comprises the bottom wall 111 connected to the first electrode tab 321.
Yan et al. fails to disclose an exterior body having the claimed construction, in which the exterior body comprises: a case accommodating the electrode assembly 30, the case comprising the through hole 121 exposing the upper central region of the electrode assembly 30 and an opening exposing a lower portion of the electrode assembly 30; and a bottom plate coupled to the case to cover the opening, and connected to the first electrode tab 321.
Ochi discloses a button cell (i.e., a secondary battery 20,30, FIG. 2-3; preferably having a button shape, FIG. 9(a), paragraph [0146]), comprising:
an electrode assembly 10 (see FIG. 1(A)-(B); paragraph [0034]) comprising a first electrode 1, a second electrode 2, a separator 3 between the first electrode and the second electrode, a first electrode tab (i.e., a tab 27,37) extending from the first electrode, and a second electrode tab (i.e., a tab 26,36) extending from the second electrode;
an exterior body 23,33 accommodating the electrode assembly 10, the exterior body 23,33 comprising a through hole (i.e., a cavity 25,35) exposing an upper central region of the electrode assembly 10, and a bottom wall connected to the first electrode tab 27,37;
a terminal plate (i.e., an electrode terminal 21,31 comprising a plate 22,32) insulated from and bonded to the exterior body 23,33 (i.e., by a layer of insulating material 24,34) to cover the through hole 25,35, and connected to the second electrode tab 26,36; and
a bonding layer (i.e., the layer of insulating material 24,34) between the exterior body 23,33 and the terminal plate 22,32, the bonding layer being configured to insulate and bond the exterior body and the terminal plate (paragraphs [0089],[0123],[0127]).
Specifically, Ochi discloses that the exterior body 23,33 can be constructed in the manner of one of two embodiments:
In a first embodiment, which is similar to Yan et al., the exterior body 23 (see FIG. 2) comprises: a case (i.e., a cup-shaped member 23b) having an opening exposing an upper portion of the electrode assembly 10, and a top plate (i.e., a lid-shaped member 23a) coupled to the case 23b (i.e., joined together, such as by a welding process; see paragraph [0082]) to cover the opening; wherein the top plate 23a comprises the through hole 25 exposing the upper central region of the electrode assembly 10, and wherein the case 23b comprises the bottom wall connected to the first electrode tab 27.
In a second embodiment, which is the same as the claimed structure, the exterior body 33 (see FIG. 3) comprises: a case (i.e., a cup-shaped member 33a) having an opening exposing a lower portion of the electrode assembly 10, and a bottom plate (i.e., a lid-shaped member 33b) coupled to the case 33a (i.e., joined together, such as by a welding process; see paragraph [0082]) to cover the opening; wherein the case 33a comprises the through hole 35 exposing the upper central region of the electrode assembly 10; and wherein the bottom plate 33b comprises the bottom wall connected to the first electrode tab 37.
Chen et al. also discloses a button cell (i.e., a button battery 1; see FIG. 1-2; second translation, in particular, at the underlined portions) comprising: an electrode assembly 15; an exterior body comprising a case (i.e., a shell 11 comprising a side wall 110 and a bottom wall 111) accommodating the electrode assembly 15, the case 11 comprising a through hole 1111 exposing a lower central region of the electrode assembly and an opening 1101 exposing an upper portion of the electrode assembly; a plate (i.e., a cover plate 12) coupled to the case 11 to cover the opening 1101, and connected to a first electrode tab (i.e., a second tab 17) of the electrode assembly; a terminal plate (i.e., a cap 13) insulated from and bonded to the case 11 (i.e., by a first insulator 14) to cover the through hole 1111, and connected to a second electrode tab (i.e., a first tab 16) of the electrode assembly; and a bonding layer (i.e., the first insulator 14) between the case 11 and the terminal plate 13, the bonding layer 14 being configured to insulate and bond the case to the terminal plate.
Specifically, Chen et al. (see translation at page 4, second to last paragraph, to page 5, first paragraph; with emphasis) discloses,
“In the prior art, the cover plate of the button battery and the cap are located at the same end of the shell, so that the distance between the cover plate and the cap is very close, when the cover plate and the shell are welded, it is very easy to damage the insulating connection structure between the cap and the shell, so as to reduce the whole sealing performance of the button battery.
… the present disclosure provides a button battery, the cover plate 12 and the cap 13 are respectively located at the two ends of the side wall 110, cover plate 12 and the cap 13 is far away; when the cover plate wall 110 for laser sealing welding, the heat generated by the welding will not affect the insulating connection structure between the cap 13 and the bottom wall 111, so as to ensure the whole sealing performance of the button battery.”
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the claimed structure, including a case and a bottom plate coupled to the case to cover its opening, for the exterior body 10 in the button cell 100 of Yan et al. because the claimed structure would have been considered a suitable alternative construction of the exterior body for accommodating the electrode assembly, as taught by Ochi, and, furthermore, with such construction, the bottom plate and the terminal plate would be located far away from one another, at the respective ends of the sidewall of the case, and, as such, when the bottom plate is coupled to the case by a welding process, the heat generated by the welding process would not affect or melt the bonding layer located between the case and the terminal plate, and the whole sealing performance of the button cell would be ensured, as taught by Chen et al. (see translation at page 2, first and second paragraphs; page 3, twelfth paragraph; and page 4, second to last paragraph, to page 5, first paragraph).
Regarding claim 2, Ochi (FIG. 3) further discloses that the bottom plate 33b is coupled to the case 33a by a welding process (see paragraph [0082]), such that the button cell 30 comprises a welded portion welding the case 33a to the bottom plate 33b.
Regarding claim 3, Ochi (FIG. 3) further disclose that the case 33a comprises a side wall (i.e., the cylindrical wall), and the welded portion is located between the sidewall and the bottom plate 33b.
Regarding claim 8, Yan et al. (see FIG. 21; translation at paragraph bridging pages 16-17) discloses that the bonding layer 40 protrudes from the terminal plate 20 in a direction toward the side wall 112.
Regarding claim 9, Yan et al. (see FIG. 21; translation at paragraph bridging pages 16-17) discloses that the bonding layer 40 overlaps the side wall 112.
Regarding claim 10, Yan et al. (FIG. 3, 21) discloses that the terminal plate comprises: a flange portion (i.e., a first part 21 of the second conductive part 20) covering the through hole 121 and in contact with the bonding layer 40; and a protrusion (i.e., a second part 22 of the second conductive part 20) extending from the flange portion, passing through the through hole 121, and connected to the second electrode tab 311.
Regarding claim 11, Yan et al. (FIG. 3) discloses that the bonding layer 40 is in contact with the flange portion 21; and the bonding layer 40 is not in contact with the protrusion 22 (see translation at paragraph bridging pages 14-15).
Regarding claim 12, Yan et al. (FIG. 3, 21) discloses that each of a rear surface of the protrusion 22 in contact with the second electrode tab 311 (i.e., a surface 222(C) of the second part 22 in contact with the first metal part 311) and a front surface of the flange portion 21 not in contact with the bonding layer 40 (i.e., an outward facing surface of the first part 21) is flat.
Regarding claim 13, Yan et al. (FIG. 3, 21) discloses that an area of the rear surface 222(C) of the protrusion 22 is smaller than an area of the front surface of the flange portion 21.
Regarding claim 14, Yan et al. (FIG. 3, 21) discloses that a length of the second electrode tab 311 is shorter than a length of the first electrode tab 321.
Regarding claim 15, Yan et al. (FIG. 3, 21) discloses that the housing 10 has a same polarity as the first electrode 321 (i.e., since the first conductive part 10 is connected to the second metal part 321, the elements 10 and 321 have the same polarity); and the terminal plate 20 has the same polarity as the second electrode 311 (i.e., since the second conductive part 20 is connected to the first metal part 311, the elements 20 and 311 have the same polarity). In the modified button cell of Yan et al., the case and the bottom plate would thus have the same polarity as the first electrode 321, and the terminal plate 20 would have the same polarity as the second electrode 311.
Regarding claim 16, Yan et al. (FIG. 1, 3, 21) discloses that a ratio of a height to a diameter of the button cell 100 is 1 or less (i.e., its height is less than its diameter).
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (CN 113826250 A) in view of Ochi (US 2023/0037438 A1) and Chen et al. (CN 115101861 A), as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Cao et al. (CN 113497297 A).
Regarding claim 4, Ochi (FIG. 3) fails to disclose that the sidewall (i.e., the cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped member 33a) comprises a first stepped portion recessed to correspond to the bottom plate 33b, wherein the bottom plate 33b is received in the first stepped portion.
Cao et al. discloses a button cell (FIG. 1-2) comprising: an electrode assembly (i.e., an electric core 1); a case (i.e., a second shell 22) accommodating the electrode assembly, the case 22 comprising an opening; a plate (i.e., a first shell 21) coupled to the case to cover the opening; and a welded portion welding the case 22 to the plate 21; the case 22 comprising a sidewall (i.e., its cylindrical wall), and the welded portion is located between the sidewall and the plate 21. Specifically, Cao et al. discloses that the sidewall can further comprise a first stepped portion (i.e., an inner convex step in the second shell 22; FIG. 5; translation at page 9, fourth and fifth paragraphs) recessed to correspond (i.e., provide a matched sealing connection) to the plate 21, with the plate received in the first stepped portion.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a first stepped portion in the sidewall to correspond to the bottom plate in the modified button cell of Yan et al. because the first stepped portion would help match the bottom plate to the case and avoid a displacement between the bottom plate and the case during the sealing process, so that the bottom plate and the case can be reliably sealed together, and the risk of liquid leakage would be greatly avoided, as taught by Cao et al. (see page 9, fourth and fifth paragraphs).
Regarding claim 5, Cao et al. further discloses that the welded portion is in the first stepped portion (i.e., a sealing connection mode by a welding process in the inner convex step between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22; see translation at page 9, fourth paragraph).
Regarding claim 6, Ochi (FIG. 3) fails to disclose that the bottom plate 33b comprises a second stepped portion recessed to correspond to the sidewall (i.e., the cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped member 33a), wherein the sidewall is received in the second stepped portion.
Cao et al. discloses a button cell (FIG. 1-2) comprising: an electrode assembly (i.e., an electric core 1); a case (i.e., a second shell 22) accommodating the electrode assembly, the case 22 comprising an opening; a plate (i.e., a first shell 21 as a cover plate) coupled to the case to cover the opening; and a welded portion welding the case 22 to the plate 21; the case 22 comprising a sidewall (i.e., its cylindrical wall), and the welded portion is located between the sidewall and the plate 21. Specifically, Cao et al. discloses that the plate 21 can further comprise a second stepped portion (i.e., an inner convex step in the first shell 21; FIG. 8; translation at page 9, fourth and fifth paragraphs) recessed to correspond (i.e., provide a matched sealing connection) to the sidewall, wherein the sidewall is received in the first stepped portion.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a second stepped portion in the bottom plate to correspond to the sidewall in the modified button cell of Yan et al. because the second stepped portion would help match the bottom plate to the case and avoid a displacement between the bottom plate and the case during the sealing process, so that the bottom plate and the case can be reliably sealed together, and the risk of liquid leakage would be greatly avoided, as taught by Cao et al. (see page 9, fourth and fifth paragraphs).
Regarding claim 7, Cao et al. further discloses that the welded portion is in the second stepped portion (i.e., a sealing connection mode by a welding process in the inner convex step between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22; see translation at page 9, fourth paragraph).
Conclusion
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/JENNIFER A LEUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774