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 Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 9, the limitation of “one or moe” appears it should be “one or more”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uh (US Pub No. 2008/0220328) in view of Xu (US Pub No. 2024/0274778)
Regarding Claim 1, Uh et al. teaches a prismatic secondary battery [abstract] comprising a housing [110, Fig. 1, 0035-0036] made of a metal [0036] and having a hexahedral shape [Fig. 2a, 0035-0036, the interpretation is consistent with figures 1-4 of the instant application]; and one or more electrode assemblies [215, Fig. 1, 0038] inserted through an open surface [see opening in 360, Fig. 1, 0038] formed at an upper surface of the housing and accommodated in the housing [Fig. 1],
Wherein a concave surface is formed in at least one surface of a front surface or a rear surface of the housing [see 12a and 13a, Fig. 2a, 0041-0042],
Wherein the one or more electrode assemblies [215, Fig. 1, 0038] are supported by contacting the concave surface in the housing [the electrodes 215 are part of the structure so would be contacting the concave surface in the housing], and
Uh et al. is silent on an insertion end portion of the one or more electrode assemblies having a wedge shape.
Xu et al. teaches an electrode assembly which has a wedge shape used to reduce local pressure and stress concentration [0010].
Since Uh et al teaches the use of an electrode assembly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to modify the electrode assembly of Uh et al. with the electrode assembly design of Xu et al. in order to reduce local pressure and stress concentration [0010].
Regarding Claim 2, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is formed along a width direction or a height direction of the housing [Fig. 2a, 0041].
Regarding Claim 3, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is continuously formed form one end to the other end of the housing [Fig. 2a, 0041].
Regarding Claim 4, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is formed curved or flat [Fig. 2a, 0041].
Regarding Claim 5, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is connected to both ends in the height direction or in the width direction of the housing, which intersects a direction in which the concave surface extends, as a curved surface or a flat surface [Fig. 2a, 0041]
Regarding Claim 7, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is formed in a central portion of at least one surface of the front surface or the rear surface of the housing [Fig. 2a, 0041].
Regarding Claim 8, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the concave surface is connected to an edge of the housing through a continuous inclined surface [Fig. 2a-2B, 0041].
Regarding Claim 9, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the insertion end portion of the one or more electrode assemblies are not in contact with the concave surface [see rejection of claim 1, Xu: 0010, electrode assemblies not in direct contact with the concave surface meeting the limitations of the claim].
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uh (US Pub No. 2008/0220328) in view of Xu (US Pub No. 2024/0274778) as applied above in addressing claim 1, in further view of Kim (US Pub No. 2006/0051666)
Regarding Claim 6, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. is silent on wherein the concave surface is formed as a stepped surface.
Kim et al. teaches a battery case which comprises a stepped surface [Fig. 2B, 0076].
Since modified Uh et al. teach a battery case which can have a modified surface, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to modify the battery case of modified Uh et al. with the case design of Kim et al. as it is merely the selection of a conventional engineering design and one of ordinary skill would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so.
The combination of familiar elements is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, A.).
Claim(s) 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uh (US Pub No. 2008/0220328 in view of Xu (US Pub No. 2024/0274778) as applied above in addressing claim 1, in further view of Eaves (US Pub No. 2010/0028758)
Regarding Claim 10, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. is silent on further comprising: a heat absorber disposed in a space formed by the concave surface.
Eaves et al. teaches the use of SAP and a corrosion inhibitor in a pouch for a battery [0041], used to absorb thermal energy and prevent thermal runaway [Abstract].
Since modified Uh et al. teaches the use of a battery case, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to apply the SAP and corrosion inhibitor pouch of Eaves et al. in the battery case of modified Uh et al. in order to absorb thermal energy and prevent thermal runaway [Abstract].
Regarding Claim 11, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein an
exterior material of the heat absorber is a pouch, and
wherein the pouch seals an absorbent material impregnated with a liquid that absorbs
external heat and is vaporized [Eaves: 0041, Abstract].
Regarding Claim 12, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the absorbent material is a super absorbent matrix [Eaves: 0041, Abstract].
Regarding Claim 13, within the combination above, modified Uh et al. teaches wherein the super absorbent matrix includes a super absorbent polymer (SAP) or a super absorbent fiber (SAF) [Eaves: 0041, Abstract].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL Y SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-0557. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-7PM.
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/MICHAEL Y SUN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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