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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 08/11/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15 and 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Groups I and II, respectively, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/11/2026.
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 1-2, 7, 10-11, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (KR20110082966A, cited in IDS filed 09/30/2025, see Examiner provided English translation for citations) in view of Chen et al. (CN 108735965 A).
Regarding claim 1, Jung discloses a battery cell (i.e. secondary battery, [0024]), comprising: a shell (i.e. external casing, Fig. 1, 200) comprising a wall portion (Fig. 1, 200), an electrode terminal (Fig. 1, 310, 320) provided on the wall portion (Fig. 1, 200),
the electrode terminal having a filling hole (i.e. electrolyte injection hole, Fig. 5, 310a) penetrating in an axial direction of the electrode terminal (Fig. 5, 310), the filling hole comprising a first hole section and a second hole section being closer to the interior of the battery cell than the first hole section, and the second hole section having a smaller hole diameter than the first hole section, as shown below in annotated Jung Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image1.png
508
768
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
Jung further discloses a sealing member configured to seal the filling hole (Fig. 5), the sealing member comprising a body and a limiting protrusion, the body fitting with the first hole section in a sealing manner, and the limiting protrusion being fitting with the second hole section, as shown below in annotated Jung Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image2.png
458
829
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
Jung further discloses the body comprising a surface facing away from the interior of the cell, as shown in below annotated Jung Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image3.png
508
829
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
However, Jung does not disclose the body comprising a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite each other in an axial direction from the interior of the battery cell, the first surface facing the interior of the batter cell, the second surface facing away from the interior of the battery cell and the limiting protrusion being formed on the first surface.
Chen teaches a similar battery (i.e. lithium battery, [7]) with a liquid replenishing structure to solve the technical problem that the liquid replacement process cannot be performed ([7]).
Chen teaches a liquid injection hole designed was a stepped hole and a sealing member placed in different stepped hole units ([9]) which can achieve a good sealing effect ([9]).
Chen further teaches the sealing member comprising a body and limiting protrusion wherein the body comprises a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite each other in an axial direction from the interior of the battery cell, the first surface facing the interior of the batter cell, the second surface facing away from the interior of the battery cell and the limiting protrusion being formed on the first surface, as shown below in Jung annotated Chen Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image4.png
602
1218
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
Therefore, it would have been obvious to have utilized the sealing member taught by Chen to achieve a good sealing effect, and with reasonable expectation that configuration will achieve a satisfactory sealing member.
Regarding claim 2, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the body comprises a peripheral face that connects the first surface and the second surface, as shown below in annotated Chen Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image5.png
498
1107
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the sealing plate is welded to the electrode terminal for joining the sealing plate and the electrode terminal (Jung, [0043]) but does not explicitly disclose where the peripheral face is welded to a hole wall of the first section.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to utilize welding to weld the peripheral face to a hole wall of the first hole section, as welding is a known method in the art for joining, as taught by Jung.
Regarding claim 7, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the peripheral face is a first conical face that has a diameter gradually decreasing in the axial direction and towards the interior of the battery cell, and the hole wall of the first hole section is a second conical face that matches the first conical face, as shown below in annotated Chen Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image6.png
432
1128
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
Regarding claim 10, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung discloses a second hole section, as rendered obvious above, and a third hole section that is closer to the interior of the battery cell than the second hole section, and the limiting protrusion covering the third hole section, as shown below in annotated Jung Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image7.png
476
721
media_image7.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
However, modified Jung does not disclose the third hole section having a smaller hole diameter than the second hole section.
Chen teaches a liquid injection hole designed was a stepped hole and a sealing member placed in different stepped hole units ([9]) which can achieve a good sealing effect ([9]), including part of the stepped member that covers the third hole section (i.e. stepped hole unit four, Fig. 3, 15). Furthermore, Chen teaches the third hole section (Fig. 3, 15) has a smaller diameter than the first- and second-hole sections ([34]). See annotated Chen Fig. 4 below.
PNG
media_image8.png
531
1130
media_image8.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have utilized the configuration of Chen’s sealing member with reasonable expectation of achieving a satisfactory sealing member with a good sealing effect.
Regarding claim 11, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the limiting protrusion comprises a third surface that is the side of the limiting protrusion facing the interior of the battery cell in the axial direction; and a transition connection face is formed between a hole wall of the second hole section and a hole wall of the third hole section, and the transition connection face and the third surface are arranged opposite each other, as shown below in annotated Chen Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image9.png
664
1238
media_image9.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
However, modified Jung does not disclose wherein the transition connection face and the third surface have a gap therebetween.
A skilled artisan would recognize that an axial clearance or gap provided at the end of the sealing member between the transition connection face and the third surface, as well as a step or internal shoulder, is standard mechanical design to prevent over-constraint or over-positioning and ensures the primary sealing step (i.e. first surface) sits properly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have utilized a gap between the transition connection face and third surface as it is standard mechanical design, and with reasonable expectation that such a configuration will achieve a satisfactory sealing member.
Regarding claims 13-14, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung discloses wherein a battery comprises the battery cell according to claim 1 above (i.e. one battery cell packed in a pack form, Jung, [0002]), as claimed in claim 13.
Modified Jung further discloses a power consuming apparatus comprising the disclosed battery (i.e. power source for driving motor of a hybrid electric vehicle, used in portable telephone, computer, Jung, [0002]), as claimed in claim 14.
Claims 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (KR20110082966A) and Chen et al. (CN 108735965 A), as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Aota (JP2012018861, cited in IDS filed 09/30/2025, refer to US equivalent PG Pub US20130115492A1 for citations).
Regarding claim 3 and 5, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the second surface comprises a central region and an edge region. See Jung Fig. 5 below.
PNG
media_image10.png
508
768
media_image10.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
Modified Jung further discloses the central region (i.e. surface of filler, Jung, Fig. 5, 530) to be below the sealing plate of the electrode terminal (Jung, Fig. 5, 510) where the electrode terminal is electrically connected to the electrode assembly and provided in the outer case to be exposed to the outside case ([0006], third para, lines 2-3).
A skilled artisan would recognize that the electrode terminal disclosed by modified Jung, including the sealing plate (Jung, Fig. 1, Fig. 5, 510) which is connected to the central region of the second surface of the sealing member, is configured to be connected to a busbar component as busbars are commonly used in the art to connect electrode terminals. Thus, modified Jung satisfies the limitation “the central region being configured to be connected to a busbar component”.
However, modified Jung does not disclose the second surface being provided with a first recess that is arranged around the periphery of the central region and the edge region being arranged around the periphery of the first recess, as claimed in claim 3, or wherein the edge region is recessed towards the interior of the battery cell in the axial direction relative to the central region, as claimed in claim 5.
Aota teaches a similar battery with a liquid filling hole ([0004]) and a sealing member (liquid filling tap, [0051], Fig. 4, 30) wherein the sealing member comprises a first recess that is arranged around the periphery of the central region (i.e. annular groove, [0053], Fig. 4-5, 34), such that the edge region is arranged around the periphery of the first recess, as shown below in annotated Aota Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image11.png
406
842
media_image11.png
Greyscale
Annotated Aota Fig. 4
Aota further teaches that once the sealing member (i.e. liquid filling tap) is welded, the annular groove (i.e. first recess) and projection (i.e. edge region), constitute a welded join ([0053]) and the groove makes it so the weld metal does not cause tensile stress in the radial direction and the liquid filling hole can be sealed with favorable weld quality ([0058]).
Aota further teaches following the welding process, wherein the edge region is recessed towards the interior of the battery cell in the axial direction relative to the central region (Fig. 5), as claimed in claim 5 and shown in annotated Aota Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image12.png
459
838
media_image12.png
Greyscale
Annotated Aota Fig. 5
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have utilized the annular groove and to have arrived at an edge region recessed towards the interior of the battery for the benefit of achieving better welding quality of the sealing member to the terminal, as taught by Aota.
Regarding claim 4, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the projection of the limiting protrusion on the second surface in the axial direction is located in the central region (Jung, Fig. 5).
PNG
media_image13.png
508
768
media_image13.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
Regarding claim 6, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung further discloses wherein the electrode terminal (Jung, Fig. 5, 310) comprises a first end face that is perpendicular to the axial direction and faces away from the interior of the battery cell and the central region flush with the first end face, as shown below in Jung Fig. 5.
PNG
media_image14.png
476
639
media_image14.png
Greyscale
Annotated Jung Fig. 5
Furthermore, modified Jung teaches the sealing means to include a sealing plate which is at a height lower than or the same height as the upper surface of the electrode terminal (i.e. first end face, Jung, [42]). Jung suggests that having the height of the sealing plate (i.e. sealing means) lower or at the same height (i.e. flush) as the upper surface of the electrode terminal allows for the volume of the secondary to be reduced, in turn increasing energy density per volume of the secondary battery ([42]). A skilled artisan would recognize that having the first end face and central region flush with each other would achieve a similar effect.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the central region flush with the first end face with reasonable expectation that such a configuration will result in a satisfactory sealing member as this is a well-known configuration in the art.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (KR20110082966A) and Chen et al. (CN 108735965 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kambayashi (US20130108918A1).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung discloses a second surface (Jung, Fig. 5) but does not disclose wherein the second surface is provided with a second recess, as claimed in claim 8, or wherein the second recess is hemispherical, as claimed in claim 9.
Kambayashi teaches a similar sealing plug for a housing of a secondary battery ([0002]) wherein the center of the sealing plug may have an indentation (i.e. recess) that is hemispherical (Fig. 14, [0072]; [0145]), and the indentation is used as a laser welding marker ([0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the center of the second surface with a second recess wherein the second recess is hemispherical as a laser welding marker, as taught by Kambayashi.
Claim 11 is alternatively rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (KR20110082966A) and Chen et al. (CN 108735965 A), as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Fang et al. (CN112072058B, see English language equivalent US PG Pub US20220149421A1 for citations).
Regarding claim 11, modified Jung discloses all limitations as set forth above.
Modified Jung discloses wherein the limiting protrusion comprises a third surface that is the side of the limiting protrusion facing the interior of the battery cell in the axial direction; and a transition connection face is formed between a hole wall of the second hole section and a hole wall of the third hole section, and the transition connection face and the third surface are arranged opposite each other, as shown below in annotated Chen Fig. 4.
PNG
media_image9.png
664
1238
media_image9.png
Greyscale
Annotated Chen Fig. 4
However, modified Jung does not disclose wherein the transition connection face and the third surface have a gap therebetween.
Fang teaches a similar battery ([0002]) wherein the electrode terminal includes a terminal body (i.e. sealing member) configured to be connected to the confluence part to lead out the electric energy ([0083], Fig. 7).
Fang further teaches a gap (Fig. 8, 183) is formed between the end face of the electrode terminal (Fig. 7, 130) and the current collector (Fig. 7, 140) as this prevents can prevent over positioning of welding position of the electrode terminal ([0020])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have utilized the gap below the electrode terminal body for the benefit of preventing overpositioning of the welding position of the electrode terminal, as taught by Chen.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 12 would be allowable for disclosing wherein the transition connection face comprises a main body region and a welding body region connected to each other, the welding region being configured to be welded to the first tab, the main body region being connected to the hole wall of the second hole section, the welding region being connected to the hole wall of the third hole section, a first gap being provided between the main body region and the third surface, and a second gap being provided between the welding region and the third surface, the second gap being greater than the first gap.
As established above, Jung in view of Chen and Fang discloses and/or renders obvious all the limitations of claims 1, 10, and 11. Particularly, modified Jung provides a gap between the transition connection face and the third surface (Fang, Fig. 8, 183, [0020]).
Modified Jung further discloses an electrode assembly housed within an outer case (Jung, [0006]) wherein the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode tab and negative electrode tab drawn out from the positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate, respectively, and is electrically connected to the respective terminals ([0026]).
However, neither Jung, Chen, nor Fang disclose a second gap configured to be welded to an electrode tab (i.e. first tab), or wherein the transition connection face comprises a main body region and welding region such that there is a first and second gap, as claimed in claim 12.
Chen, while teaching a sealing member and a filling hole, as claimed in claim 1, does not teach the electrode terminal having a filling hole penetrating the electrode terminal, and is thus not open to any electrical connection through the taught filling hole.
Fang, while teaching a gap beneath the electrode terminal, teaches the electrode tab (Fang, Fig. 140), to exist external of the taught gap, and does not disclose a main body region being connected to the hole wall of the second hole section and a welding region being connected to the hole wall of the third hole section, such that there is a first gap and second gap. Furthermore, Fang teaches a filling hole separate from the electrode terminal ([0031], Fig. 5, 152).
None of the prior art above teaches or explicitly discloses including a main body and/or welding region such that a first and second gap exist. As such, no combination of the above cited prior art would anticipate/render obvious the limitation of claim 12.
Therefore, it would not have been obvious to modify or have the electrode terminal as claimed in claim 12, to allow the weld seam to form, avoiding affecting the positioning accuracy of the sealing member, and ensuring the sealing performance of the sealing member, as disclosed by the Applicant in [0029]-[0030] and [0118] of the instant specification.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ESTHER J TAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3479. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 AM-4:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Leong can be reached at (571)270-1292. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/E.J.T./Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/Haroon S. Sheikh/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751
Prosecution Insights