END COVER ASSEMBLY, BATTERY CELL, BATTERY MODULE, AND ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/20/2024, 11/29/2024, and 7/9/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-4, 8-11, 15, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (CN 214898622 U).
Regarding claims 1, 8, 15, 17, and 18, Zhou et al. teach an end cover assembly (Abstract; Figs.1 and 2, element 10 discloses a cap body as part of a battery cover plate component. Paragraph 0002 discloses the battery includes a cover, casing, and battery cells. Further, paragraph 0008 discloses a lithium battery.), comprising:
a cover plate (Figs. 1 and 2, element 11 discloses an upper surface of the cap body, element 10.) having a first protrusion, at least one second protrusion, and at least one third protrusion (Figs. 1 and 2 discloses a first groove, element 15, a second groove, element 16, and a third groove, element 17. Further, paragraphs 0028, 0031, and 0039 disclose these grooves form protrusions on the lower surface of the cover body.) the first protrusion having a mounting hole (Fig. 1, element 13 discloses an explosion proof hole.), and the at least one second protrusion and the at least one third protrusion being arranged at two opposite sides of the first protrusion in a length direction of the cover plate (Figs. 1 and 2 disclose the second and third protrusions, elements 16 and 17, on either side of the first groove, element 15 in a length direction.), respectively;
an explosion-proof valve mounted in the mounting hole (Fig. 1, element 20.); and
a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal that are arranged on the cover plate and spaced apart from each other (Figs. 1 and 2, elements 30 and 40 disclose a first and second terminals or pole.), wherein in the length direction of the cover plate, one of the at least one second protrusion is closer to the first electrode terminal than the first protrusion and one of the at least one third protrusion is closer to the second electrode terminal than the first protrusion (See Fig. 1. The positions of the grooves and the terminals are identical to what is seen in figure 1 of the present application.).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Zhou et al. teach the end cover assembly according to claim 1 and the battery cell according to claim 8, wherein the first protrusion, the at least one second protrusion, and the at least one third protrusion are formed on the cover plate through a stamping process (Paragraph 0040).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Zhou et al. teach the end cover assembly according to claim 1 and the battery cell according to claim 8, wherein: the first electrode terminal, the at least one second protrusion, the first protrusion, the at least one third protrusion, and the second electrode terminal are arranged sequentially in the length direction of the cover plate (Figs. 1 and 2 disclose terminal, groove, groove, groove, and terminal.); or
the at least one second protrusion, the first electrode terminal, the first protrusion, the second electrode terminal, and the at least one third protrusion are arranged sequentially in the length direction of the cover plate; or
the at least one second protrusion, the first electrode terminal, the first protrusion, the at least one third protrusion, and the second electrode terminal are arranged sequentially in the length direction of the cover plate; or
the first electrode terminal, the at least one second protrusion, the first protrusion, the second electrode terminal, and the at least one third protrusion are arranged sequentially in the length direction of the cover plate.
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Zhou et al. teach the end cover assembly according to claim 1 and the battery cell according to claim 8, wherein: the at least one second protrusion is spaced apart from the first electrode terminal; and the at least one third protrusion is spaced apart from the second electrode terminal (Figs. 1 and 2 disclose the grooves, elements 16 and 17, are spaced apart from the terminals, elements 30 and 40.).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5-7, 12-14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (CN 214898622 U) as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Xu et al. (CN 217334245 U).
Regarding claims 5, 6, 12, and 13, Zhou et al. teach the end cover assembly according to claim 1 and the battery cell according to claim 8. However, they do not teach satisfying at least one of the following relationships: 0.05≤L2/L1≤0.3; 0.05≤L5/L1≤0.3; 0.1≤L3/L1≤0.3; and 0.5≤L4/L3≤0.9 and 5 mm≤L4-L3≤20 mm, where L1 represents a length of the cover plate, L2 represents a length of each of the at least one second protrusion, L3 represents a length of the first protrusion, L4 represents a length of the explosion-proof valve, L5 represents a length of each of the at least one third protrusion, and each of a length direction of the first protrusion, a length direction of the second protrusion, and a length direction of the third protrusion is parallel to the length direction of the cover plate; satisfying at least one of the following relationships: 0.2≤W2/W1≤0.9; 0.2≤W5/W1≤0.9; 0.4≤W3/W1≤0.9; and 0.5≤W4/W3≤0.9 and 5 mm≤W3-W4≤20 mm, where W1 represents a width of the cover plate, W2 represents a width of each of the at least one second protrusion, W3 represents a width of the first protrusion, W4 represents a width of the explosion-proof valve, W5 represents a width of each of the at least one third protrusion, and each of a width direction of the first protrusion, a width direction of the second protrusion, and a width direction of the third protrusion is parallel to a width direction of the cover plate.
Xu et al. teach an end cover assembly for a battery device (Abstract). Further, electrode terminals (Fig. 4, elements 243) are disposed on convex portions or reinforcing portions (Fig. 4, elements 242) and arranged at intervals along the length direction (Fig. 4, see Y-axis). Further, the area of the at least one reinforcing portion is S1, the total area of the end cover is S2 and 10%≤S1/S2≤90% (Paragraph 0005). The area of the reinforcing portion, S1, can be mathematically shown as A1=L1xW1 where L1=L2 of the claimed length of second protrusion and W1=W2 of the claimed width of the second protrusion. Therefore, Xu et al. teach the ratio-based dimensional parameters.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Zhou with Xu in order to improve safety of the battery.
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Zhou et al. teach the end cover assembly according to claim 1 and the battery cell according to claim 8. However, they do not teach satisfying at least one of the following relationships: 0.2≤H2/H1≤1 and 0.5 mm≤H2≤3 mm; 0.2≤H3/H1≤1 and 0.5 mm≤H3≤3 mm; and 0.2≤H4/H1≤1 and 0.5 mm≤H4≤3 mm, where H1 represents a thickness of the cover plate, H2 represents a height by which each of the at least one second protrusion protrudes from the cover plate, H3 represents a height by which the first protrusion protrudes from the cover plate, and H4 represents a height by which each of the at least one third protrusion protrudes from the cover plate.
Xu et al. teach an end cover assembly for a battery device (Abstract). Further, electrode terminals (Fig. 4, elements 243) are disposed on convex portions or reinforcing portions (Fig. 4, elements 242) and arranged at intervals along the length direction (Fig. 4, see Y-axis). Further, the thickness of the end cap is H, and the height of the protrusion is L, satisfying 0 < L/H ≤ 4.5 (Fig. 5; paragraph 0010).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Zhou with Xu in order to improve safety of the battery.
Regarding claim 16, Zhou et al. teach the battery module according to claim 15. However, they do not teach a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side, wherein two first electrode terminals or two second electrode terminals of two adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to each other by a connection sheet, and wherein one of the at least one second protrusion or one of the at least one third protrusion of each of the plurality of battery cells is electrically connected to a connection sheet close to the one second protrusion or the one third protrusion by a sampling connector.
Xu et al. teach an end cover assembly for a battery device (Abstract). Further, electrode terminals (Fig. 4, elements 243) are disposed on convex portions or reinforcing portions (Fig. 4, elements 242) and arranged at intervals along the length direction (Fig. 4, see Y-axis). A plurality of battery cells arranged side by side (Fig. 3 shows two battery cells, element 23, arranged side by side.), wherein two first electrode terminals or two second electrode terminals of two adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to each other by a connection sheet (Fig. 3; paragraph 0071 disclose an electrode tab, element 231, is connected to the electrode terminal, element 243, through the connector, element 22, to form a current loop.), and wherein one of the at least one second protrusion or one of the at least one third protrusion of each of the plurality of battery cells is electrically connected to a connection sheet close to the one second protrusion or the one third protrusion by a sampling connector (Figs. 3 and 4 disclose the electrode terminal, 243, is disposed on the protruding/reinforcing portion, element 242. Therefore, element 242 is connected to the connector, element 22.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Zhou with Xu in order to improve safety of the battery.
Conclusion
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Daniel S. Gatewood, Ph.D.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1729
/DANIEL S GATEWOOD, Ph. D/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729 July 13th, 2026
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