DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
In the amendment dated 8/10/2026, the following has occurred: Claim 1 has been amended; and new Claims 7-9 have been added.
The objection to the title has been withdrawn in response to the amendment of the title.
Claims 1-9 are pending. This communication is a Final Rejection in response to the "Amendment" and "Remarks" filed on 8/10/2026.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-2, 4-6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0295256 A1 (US'256) in view of JP 2013-219003 A (JP'003).
As to Claim 1:
US'256 discloses a power storage cell (rechargeable secondary battery 100) (US'256, [0005], [0055]) comprising: a cell case (case 110 having an open top sealed with cap plate 160) (US'256, [0056], [0058], FIGS. 1a, 1b); and an electrode assembly (electrode assembly 120), wherein the cell case accommodates the electrode assembly (US'256, [0056], [0058], [0064], FIG. 1c), the cell case includes an electrode terminal (first terminal 170a and second terminal 170b attached to and extending through cap plate 160) (US'256, [0056], [0079]–[0080], FIGS. 1a, 1b), an electric current path is formed inside the cell case, the electric current path electrically connects the electrode assembly with the electrode terminal (first collector plate 130a positioned inside case 110 electrically connecting first terminal 170a to first non-coating portion 121a of electrode assembly 120) (US'256, [0065], FIGS. 1b, 1d), the electric current path includes a first flat-plate portion, a fuse portion, and a second flat-plate portion, the fuse portion being provided between the first flat-plate portion and the second flat-plate portion (first collector plate 130a includes first region 131a serving as a first flat-plate portion, second region 132a serving as a second flat-plate portion, and fuse part 136a serving as a fuse portion provided between first region 131a and second region 132a) (US'256, [0065]–[0066], FIGS. 1b, 1d), and tensile stress is applied to the fuse portion in a direction separating the fuse portion (electrode assembly 120 is suspended by second region 132a such that gravity acting on the self-weight of electrode assembly 120 applies downward separating tensile force to fuse part 136a (US'256, [0065], [0100]); and elastic force offering part 150a, 450a, 550a is maintained in a compressed state applying a continuous elastic tensile force to fuse part 136a in a separating direction (US'256, [0071]–[0074], [0100], [0106], [0112], FIGS. 6a–6b, 8, 11a–11b)).
However, US'256 does not explicitly disclose wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion. Specifically, US'256 achieves a reduced cross-sectional area for fuse parts 136a by providing an opening 135a or notches 235a to reduce the width of the fuse parts, rather than reducing the thickness dimension relative to the first and second flat-plate regions (US'256, [0017]–[0019], [0066], [0107]).
JP'003 discloses a secondary battery having an electric current path (first current collector 120C) formed inside a case and electrically connecting an electrode assembly to a terminal, wherein the current path includes a first flat-plate portion (first connection part 121), a second flat-plate portion (first extension part 123), and a fuse portion (third fuse region 126c) provided between the first flat-plate portion and the second flat-plate portion, wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion (JP'003, Pgs. 4–5, FIG. 3c). Specifically, JP'003 teaches that in order to configure the cross-sectional area of the third fuse region 126c to be smaller than the other regions of the current collector 120C, the third fuse region 126c is formed to have a thickness smaller than the connection thickness Tc of the current collector plate portions (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c).
US'256 and JP'003 are analogous arts because both references are from the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries comprising an internal current collector plate having a fuse portion, and both references are reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of interrupting overcurrent and preventing arc discharge and fuse reconnection within a sealed battery case (US'256, [0006]–[0010]; JP'003, Pgs. 1–2).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the current collector plate of US'256 by configuring the fuse portion to have a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion, as taught by JP'003 (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c), in order to concentrate electrical resistance and localized Joule heating across the fusible bridge to ensure rapid and reliable blowout during overcurrent conditions, while maintaining planar width boundaries of the current collector within the cell case (US'256, [0066], [0069]; JP'003, Pg. 5).
As to Claim 2:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and wherein the tensile stress is generated by a self-weight of the electrode assembly (electrode assembly 120 is suspended by second region 132a of collector plate 130a such that electrode assembly 120 pulls down on collector plate 130a due to gravity acting on the mass and self-weight of electrode assembly 120, thereby applying tensile stress to fuse parts 136a in a direction separating first region 131a and second region 132a upon fusion) (US'256, [0029], [0065], [0100], [0106]).
As to Claim 4: US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); the electric current path further includes a flexurally-deformed portion (first collector plate 130a forming the current path includes a bent region 133a formed between first region 131a and second region 132a) (US'256, [0015], [0065], [0071]–[0072], [0108], FIG. 1b); and the tensile stress is generated by springback of the flexurally-deformed portion (collector plate 130a is flexed at bent region 133a and maintained in a compressed state with elastic force offering part 150a between bent region 133a and first insulation part 140a/cap plate 160, such that an elastic restoring force and springback continuously push second region 132a downward away from first region 131a, generating tensile stress across fuse parts 136a in a separating direction; and further disclosing an embodiment where an elastic force offering part 450a is maintained in a compressed reverse omega shape in fuse opening 135a to generate a springback separating force across fuse parts 136a) (US'256, [0020], [0032], [0071]–[0074], [0076], [0100], [0108], [0112], FIGS. 6a–6b, 11a–11b).
As to Claim 5:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and wherein the tensile stress is applied parallel to a current flow direction (current flows along first collector plate 130a from first region 131a through fuse parts 136a into second region 132a; and elastic force offering part 450a, 550a exerts a continuous horizontal pushing/separating force between first region 131a and second region 132a across fuse parts 136a in a horizontal direction that is parallel to the current flow direction across the fuse parts) (US'256, [0061], [0065], [0102]–[0106], [0111]–[0113], FIGS. 7a–8, 11a–11b).
As to Claim 6:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and wherein the tensile stress is applied vertically to a current flow direction (current flows along the horizontal plane of first collector plate 130a from first region 131a across fuse parts 136a into second region 132a; and elastic force offering part 150a is configured to exert a downward elastic force from above in a direction that is substantially normal to the horizontal plane on which fuse parts 136a are located, and/or downward gravity acting on the self-weight of suspended electrode assembly 120 exerts a downward pulling force, such that the resulting tensile stress is applied vertically to the current flow direction across the fuse parts) (US'256, [0014], [0061], [0065], [0071]–[0072], [0100], FIGS. 1b, 6a–6b).
As to Claim 8:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and wherein the fuse portion has a cross-sectional area smaller than both a cross-sectional area of the first flat-plate portion and a cross-sectional area of the second flat-plate portion (first collector plate 130a includes first region 131a, second region 132a, and fuse parts 136a formed at opposite sides of fuse opening 135a, wherein fuse parts 136a have a relatively small cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area of each fuse part 136a is smaller than the cross-sectional area of another region of the collector plate, such as first region 131a and second region 132a) (US'256, [0017], [0054], [0066], FIGS. 1b, 1d).
As to Claim 9:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and an electric current path including a first flat-plate portion (first region 131a), a second flat-plate portion (second region 132a), and a fuse portion (fuse parts 136a or notched fuse part 236a) provided therebetween (US'256, [0065]–[0066], [0107], FIGS. 1b, 1d, 9).
However, as noted in the rejection of claim 1, US'256 does not explicitly disclose wherein the entire fuse portion has a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion. Specifically, US'256 achieves a reduced cross-sectional area for fuse parts 136a by providing an opening 135a or notches 235a to reduce the width of the fuse parts, rather than reducing the thickness dimension across the entire fuse portion relative to the first and second flat-plate regions (US'256, [0017]–[0019], [0066], [0107]).
JP'003 discloses an electric current path (first current collector 120C) formed inside a case and electrically connecting an electrode assembly to a terminal, wherein the current path includes a first flat-plate portion (first connection part 121), a second flat-plate portion (first extension part 123), and a fuse portion (third fuse region 126c) provided between the first flat-plate portion and the second flat-plate portion, wherein the entire fuse portion has a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion (JP'003, Pgs. 4–5, FIG. 3c). Specifically, JP'003 teaches that the third fuse region 126c is formed in a lead shape bridging between the first connection part 121 and the first extension part 123, and in order to make the cross-sectional area of the third fuse region 126c smaller than other regions of the current collector 120C, the entire third fuse region 126c is formed to have a thickness smaller than the connection thickness Tc of the current collector plate portions (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c).
US'256 and JP'003 are analogous arts because both references are from the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries comprising an internal current collector plate having a fuse portion, and both references are reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of interrupting overcurrent and preventing arc discharge and fuse reconnection within a sealed battery case (US'256, [0006]–[0010]; JP'003, Pgs. 1–2).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the current collector plate of US'256 by configuring the entire fuse portion to have a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion, as taught by JP'003 (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c), in order to concentrate electrical resistance and localized Joule heating across the entire fusible bridge to ensure rapid and reliable blowout during overcurrent conditions, while maintaining planar width boundaries of the current collector within the cell case (US'256, [0066], [0069]; JP'003, Pg. 5).
Claims 3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0295256 A1 (US'256) in view of JP 2013-219003 A (JP'003), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2019/0181394 A1 (US'394).
As to Claim 3: US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); the electric current path further includes a welded portion (first collector plate 130a includes a third region 134a joined to the first non-coating portion 121a of electrode assembly 120 by welding, and fastening region 171a of first terminal 170a is coupled to first region 131a of collector plate 130a by welding) (US'256, [0065], [0082]); and the tensile stress remains in the welded portion (electrode assembly 120 is suspended by second region 132a of collector plate 130a via the welded portion at third region 134a such that gravity acting on the self-weight of electrode assembly 120 pulls down on collector plate 130a, thereby maintaining and leaving continuous tensile stress acting through the welded portion and across fuse parts 136a; and elastic force offering part 150a maintains a compressed state pushing collector plate 130a downward, sustaining continuous tensile stress across the welded connection and current path) (US'256, [0065], [0071]–[0072], [0091], [0100]).
However, as noted in the rejection of claim 1, US'256 does not explicitly disclose wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion. Specifically, US'256 achieves a reduced cross-sectional area for fuse parts 136a by providing an opening 135a or notches 235a to reduce the width of the fuse parts, rather than reducing the thickness dimension relative to the first and second flat-plate regions (US'256, [0017]–[0019], [0066], [0107]). Furthermore, to the extent US'256 only teaches welding as an alternative bonding option ("may be welded", [0065], [0082]), US'256 does not explicitly detail the formation of welded portions along the current collector path.
JP'003 discloses an electric current path (first current collector 120C) formed inside a case and electrically connecting an electrode assembly to a terminal, wherein the current path includes a first flat-plate portion (first connection part 121), a second flat-plate portion (first extension part 123), and a fuse portion (third fuse region 126c) provided between the first flat-plate portion and the second flat-plate portion, wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion (JP'003, Pgs. 4–5, FIG. 3c). Specifically, JP'003 teaches that in order to configure the cross-sectional area of the third fuse region 126c to be smaller than the other regions of the current collector 120C, the third fuse region 126c is formed to have a thickness smaller than the connection thickness Tc of the current collector plate portions (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c). Additionally, US'394 discloses an electric current path formed inside a cell case, wherein the electric current path further includes a welded portion (US'394, [0042], [0046], FIGS. 6, 8). Specifically, US'394 discloses that positive electrode tabs 40 (first positive electrode tab group 40a and second positive electrode tab group 40b) of an electrode body are welded and connected to positive electrode collector 6 by laser, ultrasonic, or resistance welding to form welded portions 60, and positive electrode collector 6 is welded to positive electrode terminal 7 by laser welding to form a welded portion 70 (US'394, [0042], [0046]).
US'256, JP'003, and US'394 are analogous arts because each reference is from the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries comprising an electrode assembly housed in a case and electrically connected to an electrode terminal via an internal current collector path having a fuse portion, and all references are reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of providing durable electrical connections while interrupting overcurrent and preventing fuse reconnection within a sealed battery case (US'256, [0006]–[0010]; JP'003, Pgs. 1–2; US'394, [0006]–[0010]).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the current collector plate of US'256 by configuring the fuse portion to have a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion, as taught by JP'003 (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c), in order to concentrate electrical resistance and localized Joule heating across the fusible bridge to ensure rapid and reliable blowout during overcurrent conditions (US'256, [0066], [0069]; JP'003, Pg. 5), and further to form the electrical connections of the collector path as welded portions, as taught by US'394 (US'394, [0042], [0046]), in order to create robust, low-resistance metal-to-metal joints capable of handling high discharge currents while securely sustaining tensile loads exerted by the suspended electrode assembly (US'256, [0065]; US'394, [0042]).
As to Claim 7:
US'256 discloses the power storage cell according to claim 3 (see the rejection of claim 3) (US'256, [0055]–[0066], [0079]–[0080], [0082], [0100], FIGS. 1a–1d); and wherein the welded portion is formed between the first flat-plate portion and an electrode portion protruding from the electrode assembly (collector plate 130a includes a second region 132a/third region 134a serving as a flat-plate portion that is welded to a first non-coating portion 121a of electrode assembly 120, wherein first non-coating portion 121a extends and protrudes a predetermined length from electrode assembly 120) (US'256, [0059], [0065]).
However, as noted in the rejection of claim 1, US'256 does not explicitly disclose wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion. Specifically, US'256 achieves a reduced cross-sectional area for fuse parts 136a by providing an opening 135a or notches 235a to reduce the width of the fuse parts, rather than reducing the thickness dimension relative to the first and second flat-plate regions (US'256, [0017]–[0019], [0066], [0107]). Furthermore, US'256 does not explicitly disclose wherein the welded portion is formed between the flat-plate portion and an electrode tab protruding from the electrode assembly, as US'256 identifies the protruding conductive region as a non-coating portion 121a rather than an electrode tab (US'256, [0059], [0065]).
JP'003 discloses an electric current path (first current collector 120C) formed inside a case and electrically connecting an electrode assembly to a terminal, wherein the current path includes a first flat-plate portion (first connection part 121), a second flat-plate portion (first extension part 123), and a fuse portion (third fuse region 126c) provided between the first flat-plate portion and the second flat-plate portion, wherein the fuse portion has a thin portion having a thickness less than both a thickness of the first flat-plate portion and a thickness of the second flat-plate portion (JP'003, Pgs. 4–5, FIG. 3c). Specifically, JP'003 teaches that in order to configure the cross-sectional area of the third fuse region 126c to be smaller than the other regions of the current collector 120C, the third fuse region 126c is formed to have a thickness smaller than the connection thickness Tc of the current collector plate portions (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c). Additionally, US'394 discloses wherein the welded portion is formed between the first flat-plate portion and an electrode tab protruding from the electrode assembly (US'394, [0037], [0042], [0047], FIGS. 6, 9A). Specifically, US'394 discloses that positive electrode substrate 4a protrudes from an edge of the positive electrode plate to form positive electrode tabs 40, and groups of the positive electrode tabs 40 (first positive electrode tab group 40a and second positive electrode tab group 40b) are positioned on a flat tab connecting portion 6c of positive electrode collector 6 and welded to form welded portions 60 (US'394, [0037], [0042], [0047]).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the current collector plate of US'256 by configuring the fuse portion to have a thickness less than both the thickness of the first flat-plate portion and the thickness of the second flat-plate portion, as taught by JP'003 (JP'003, Pg. 5, FIG. 3c), in order to concentrate electrical resistance and localized Joule heating across the fusible bridge to ensure rapid and reliable blowout during overcurrent conditions (US'256, [0066], [0069]; JP'003, Pg. 5), and further to configure the welded connection between the collector flat plate and the protruding conductive portion of the electrode assembly of US'256 as a welded portion formed between a flat-plate portion and protruding electrode tabs, as taught by US'394 (US'394, [0037], [0042], [0047]), in order to create a low-resistance, mechanically secure joint capable of withstanding the tensile load of the suspended electrode assembly while reliably carrying high operational current (US'256, [0065]; US'394, [0042]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combinations of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 JIMMY K VO whose telephone number is (571)272-3242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 am to 6 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Barbara Gilliam can be reached at (571) 272-1330. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIMMY VO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/JIMMY VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
Prosecution Insights