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 § 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.
1. Claim(s) 1-7,16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Aota (WO2012169055).
As to claim 1, Aota discloses a cover plate assembly (figure 14), comprising: a cover plate body (8), provided with a through hole; an outer conductive member (42,43a,44), disposed on a side of the cover plate body away from an electrode assembly, the outer conductive member comprising a first metal layer (43a), a second metal layer (44), and a third metal layer (42) disposed between the first metal layer (43a) and the second metal layer (44), wherein the first metal layer comprises a first metal, the second metal layer comprises a second metal, and the third metal layer comprises a third metal (page 23), wherein the third metal layer (42) is respectively connected to the first metal layer (43a) and the second metal layer (44) to form a first composite layer and a second composite layer, the first composite layer comprises the first metal (43a) and the third metal (42), and the second composite layer comprises the second metal (44) and the third metal (42); an electrode lead-out member (41a,41b), passing through the through hole and electrically connected to the outer conductive member.
As to claims 2-4, Aota discloses the growth of intermetallic compounds at diffusion bonding surfaces (page 23) therefore discloses wherein a content of the first metal in the first composite layer increases in a direction away from the first metal layer toward the first metal layer, wherein a content of the second metal in the second composite layer increases in a direction away from the second metal layer toward the second metal layer and wherein a content of the second metal in the second composite layer is greater than a content of the first metal in the first composite layer.
As to claim 5, Aota discloses wherein the third metal layer (figure 17 number 42) covers at least a part of a surface of the first metal layer (43a) close to the second metal (44) layer or a part of a surface of the second metal layer (44) close to the first metal layer (43a).
As to claim 6, Aota discloses wherein the third metal layer (figure 17 number 42) completely covers one with a larger area of the surface of the first metal layer (43a) close to the second metal layer (44) and the surface of the second metal layer (44) close to the first metal layer (43a).
As to claim 7, Aota discloses wherein the third metal layer (42) evenly covers the surface of the first metal layer (43a) close to the second metal layer (44) or the surface of the second metal layer (44) close to the first metal layer (43a).
As to claim 16, Aota discloses wherein the third metal layer comprises at least one of nickel, silver, and tin (page 3 and figure 17 number 42).
As to claim 17, Aota discloses a battery cell (figure 17), comprising: the cover plate assembly according to claim 1, and a shell, installed with the electrode assembly, wherein an end of the electrode lead-out member (41b) in the cover plate (8) assembly is connected to the electrode assembly, and other end passes through the through hole and is electrically connected to the second metal layer (44) in the cover plate assembly.
As to claim 18, Aota discloses a battery pack, comprising the battery cell according to claim 17 (figure 1 number 100).
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.
2. Claim(s) 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aota (WO2012169055) in view of Deguchi et al. (JP2015116577).
Aota discloses the cover plate assembly described above. As to claims 8-11 Aota fail to disclose wherein a surface of one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer close to other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer is provided with at least one protrusion, a surface of the other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer close to the one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer is provided with a first fitting hole corresponding to the at least one protrusion, the third metal layer is provided with a second fitting hole corresponding to the at least one protrusion, and the at least one protrusion is fittingly connected to the corresponding first fitting hole and second fitting hole, wherein a surface of the first metal layer close to the second metal layer is provided with the at least one protrusion, a surface of the second metal layer close to the first metal layer is provided with the first fitting hole fitted to the at least one protrusion, the third metal layer is provided with the second fitting hole fitted to the at least one protrusion, and the at least one protrusion is fittingly connected to the corresponding first fitting hole and second fitting hole, wherein the at least one protrusion is symmetrically distributed on one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer along a central axis of the outer conductive member, the first fitting holes are symmetrically distributed on other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer along the central axis of the outer conductive member, and the second fitting holes are symmetrically distributed on the third metal layer along the central axis of the outer conductive member and wherein an outer surface of the at least one protrusion or an inner surface of the first fitting hole is covered with the third metal layer.
Deguchi et al. teaches a method of joining metal parts with the tip of the projection 26a in figure 10 of the metal part 26 that is joined to the hole 27 of the clad metal 25 that is initially in line contact around the circumference of the hole (paragraph 0020-0021) for the purpose of providing sufficient joint strength.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Aota with Aota fail to disclose wherein a surface of one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer close to other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer is provided with at least one protrusion, a surface of the other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer close to the one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer is provided with a first fitting hole corresponding to the at least one protrusion, the third metal layer is provided with a second fitting hole corresponding to the at least one protrusion, and the at least one protrusion is fittingly connected to the corresponding first fitting hole and second fitting hole, wherein a surface of the first metal layer close to the second metal layer is provided with the at least one protrusion, a surface of the second metal layer close to the first metal layer is provided with the first fitting hole fitted to the at least one protrusion, the third metal layer is provided with the second fitting hole fitted to the at least one protrusion, and the at least one protrusion is fittingly connected to the corresponding first fitting hole and second fitting hole, wherein the at least one protrusion is symmetrically distributed on one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer along a central axis of the outer conductive member, the first fitting holes are symmetrically distributed on other one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer along the central axis of the outer conductive member, and the second fitting holes are symmetrically distributed on the third metal layer along the central axis of the outer conductive member and wherein an outer surface of the at least one protrusion or an inner surface of the first fitting hole is covered with the third metal layer for the purpose of providing sufficient joint strength (paragraph 0020-0021) taught by Deguchi et al.
As to claim 12, wherein along a radial direction of the outer conductive member, in a direction away from the through hole toward the through hole, a part of a surface of the second metal layer close to the first metal layer that exceeds the first metal layer is not covered with the third metal layer, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Aota with wherein along a radial direction of the outer conductive member, in a direction away from the through hole toward the through hole, a part of a surface of the second metal layer close to the first metal layer that exceeds the first metal layer is not covered with the third metal layer for the purpose of changing size in order to provide optimal value in absence of unexpected results.
3. Claim(s) 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aota in view of Urano et al. (WO2020144904).
Aota discloses the cover plate assembly described above. As to claims 13-15, Aota fail to disclose, wherein a thickness of the third metal layer is set between 0.5 μm and 1000 μm, wherein the thickness of the third metal layer is set between 5 μm and 10 μm and wherein a thickness of the second composite layer is d, a total thickness of the first composite layer and the second composite layer is a, and a relational expression 0.2a≤d≤0.9a is satisfied.
Urano et al. teaches wherein a thickness of the third metal layer is set between 0.5 μm and 1000 μm, wherein the thickness of the third metal layer is set between 5 μm and 10 μm and wherein a thickness of the second composite layer is d, a total thickness of the first composite layer and the second composite layer is a, and a relational expression 0.2a≤d≤0.9a is satisfied (paragraph 0054) for the purpose of improving adhesion and making bonding easier (paragraph 0082).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Aota with wherein a thickness of the third metal layer is set between 0.5 μm and 1000 μm, wherein the thickness of the third metal layer is set between 5 μm and 10 μm and wherein a thickness of the second composite layer is d, a total thickness of the first composite layer and the second composite layer is a, and a relational expression 0.2a≤d≤0.9a is satisfied for the purpose of improving adhesion and making bonding easier (paragraph 0082).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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/JANE J RHEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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