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 1-20 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Priority
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al (CN110176571A) in view of Liao et al. (CN209329018U) and Wang et al. (CN112886154A). Machine translation is being used for the foreign references mentioned before (Espacenet).
Regarding Claims 1:Yuan discloses a connection sheet for a battery comprising a connection sheet body and a protection sheet, wherein the connection sheet body includes a first connection portion connected with a tab and a second connecting portion connected with an electrode column (abstract). Yuan further discloses that the protective sheet includes a fixing part and at least one folded part. The fixing part is in the first connecting part and the folded part has a first state and jointed with the first connecting part and the first connecting part in the second state set with an included angle. Yuan also discloses that the fixing part and the first connecting part is welded by an ultrasonic wave (paragraph [0007], [0012], Fig. 1 to 3).
Yuan does not disclose that the terminal connecting portion is being disposed in the same plane as the tab connecting sheet.
Wang discloses a first connecting piece having a first pole connecting portion, a first tab connecting portion and a first fusing portion, wherein the first connecting piece is entirely planar. (paragraph [0014])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the connection sheet of Yuan with the planar arrangement of Wang because Wang teaches that the first connecting piece is entirely planar and that arrangement of the tab connecting portions can increase the contact area between the tab of the battery and the tab connecting portion and thereby increasing the flow area to provide a stable electrical path.
Regarding Claim 2 and 13: Yuan discloses the connection sheet structure as set forth above. Yuan does not disclose a fusing portion arranged between the terminal connecting portion and the tab connecting portion.
Liao discloses a connecting sheet component including a connection sheet and an insulating sheet, wherein the connection sheet includes a fuse part, a tab interconnecting portion with a tab of the battery and a pole interconnecting portion connected with a pole if the battery. Liao further discloses that the fuse part is being located between the tab portion and the pole portion. (paragraph [0027])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the fusing portion of Liao in the connection sheet of Yuan to provide overcurrent protection and improve battery safety during abnormal high-current or overcharge conditions.
Regarding Claims 3 and 14: Yuan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Yuan teaches a connection sheet that include a first connecting portion connected with a tab and a second connecting portion connected with an electrode column. (abstract)
Yuan does not teach that the tab connecting portion comprise a first tab connecting portion and a second tab connecting portion connected through a communication portion and that the fusing portion comprises a first and a second fusing portion.
Wang teaches a first connecting sheet having a first pole connecting portion, a first tab connecting portion, and a first fusing portion connected between the first pole connecting portion. Wang further teaches that the first tab connecting portions extending along a length direction and a first tab collecting part extending along a width direction, where the two ends of the first tab collecting part are connected with the two first tab connecting portions (paragraph [0012]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connection sheet of Yuan to include the two tab connecting portions, the communication portion and the separate fusing portions of Wang in order to accommodate multiple tabs to provide balanced current distribution.
Regarding Claims 4 and 15: Yuan discloses the limitations as set forth above. Yuan does not teach that the separation portion is further arranged on the cell connecting sheet, wherein the separation portion is configured to separate the first and the second fusing portion.
Wang teaches that the first connecting sheet has an opening formed therein and the first fusing part includes sub fusing parts located in both sides of the opening in the width direction. Wang further discloses that the first fusing portion may be provided with notches on both sides in the width direction. (paragraph [0011], [0090])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connection sheet of Yuan to include the separation structure of Wang in order to separate the fusing portions, reduce the cross-sectional area at the fusing region and improve controlled interruption of current during abnormal high current conditions.
Regarding Claims 5 and 16: Yuan discloses the limitations as set forth above. Yuan does not teach that the length of the first tab connecting portion and the length of the second tab connecting portion are equal and are each greater than a length of the communication portion.
Wang teaches that the first tab connection part includes two first tab connecting portion extending along a length direction and a first tab collecting part extending along a width direction, wherein both ends of the first tab collecting part are connected with the two first tab connecting portions (paragraph [0011], [0090]). Wang further discloses that the arrangement of the two first tab connecting portions can increase the contact area between the tab of the battery cell and the corresponding tab connecting portion, increasing the current flow area (paragraph [0066], [0069]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the connection sheet of Yuan with the two tab connecting portions and communication portion of Wang in order to increase the tab contact area and improve the current distribution.
Regarding Claims 7 and 18: Yuan discloses a groove region (paragraph [0009], [0038], [0040]) but does not disclose a plurality of soldering grooves having inclined inner wall and gradually decreasing the cross-sectional area from a top to a bottom.
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 plurality of soldering grooves instead of a single groove as a predictable modification of parts to increase welding location and improve welding reliability.
Regarding Claims 8 and 19: Yuan discloses the limitations as set forth above in claim 7 and 8. Yuan further teaches that the groove may be processed to improve laser welding efficiency and connection reliability.
Yuan does not teach that the inclined inner wall defines an inclination angle ranging from 30° to 60°.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to selected an inclination angle within the claimed range of 30° to 60° through a routine optimization in order to improve laser welding quality, reduce reflection of the laser beam, and maintain sufficient structural integrity of the terminal connecting portion. The inclination angle of the inner wall of a soldering groove is a result-effective variable because the angle affects the laser reflection, the heat distribution and the welding reliability.
Regarding Claims 9, 10 and 20: Yuan discloses the limitations as set forth above. Yuan does not teach that the depth of each soldering groove is greater than 0.2mm and the area of a maximum cross section of the soldering ranges from 0.09 mm2 to 0.49 mm2.
The claimed depth and maximum cross-sectional area would have been a result-effective variables because they directly affect the welding performance taught by Yuan. In the absence of evidence of criticality or unexcepted results for the claimed values, selecting the claimed dimensions would have been within routine optimization by a person with ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding Claim 11: Yuan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Yuan does not disclose that the cell battery includes a cover plate and that the terminal connecting portion is disposed in the same plane as the tab connecting sheet.
Wang discloses a secondary battery including a battery cell having a tab, a top cover having a pole and a connecting sheet electrically connected between the tab and the pole (paragraph [0055]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the cell battery of Yuan with the cover, terminal and planar connecting sheet arrangement of Wang because Wang teaches that using a planer connecting sheet between the tab and the terminal of a cover plate would simplify the battery connection structure and increase the tab contact current flow area. (See Wang [0076])
Regarding Claim 12: Yuan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Yuan does not teach that the core pack includes a first core pack and a second core pack, wherein the tab of the first core pack and the tab of the second core pack are connected to the tab connecting portion, respectively.
Wand discloses a secondary battery including a plurality of battery cells (core packs) and a connecting sheet structure configured to connect tabs of the battery cells to a pole. Wang further discloses two tab connecting portions configured to be electrically connected with the corresponding tabs of the respective battery cells (core packs). (paragraph [0066], [0079])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cell battery of Yuan to include a first and second core packs, with respective tabs connected to the tab connecting portion as taught by Wang in order to improve current collection, accommodate multiple cells, and provide stable electrical connection between multiple tabs and the terminal.
Claims 6 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al. (CN110176571A), as applied to claim 1-5 and 11-16 above, and further in view of Jang et al. (US8597814). Machine translation is being used for the foreign references mentioned before (Espacenet).
Regarding Claims 6 and 17: Yuan and Wang disclose the limitations as set forth above. Yuan and Wang do not teach that the communication portion is equal to half the length of the first tab connecting portion.
Jang teaches a battery connection terminal including a connection part and a support part, wherein the support part is positioned at the center of the connection part and has approximately half the length of the connection part (col. 3, lines 16-19; col. 5, lines 39-43).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connection sheet of Yuan so that the communication portion has a length equal to half the length of the first tab connecting portion, as taught by Jang, in order to provide mechanical support and electrical connection between the tab connection portions.
Conclusion
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/NMRO/Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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