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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 2022/0302533) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (KR 20210145489A).
Office action citations will refer to the US PG PUB 2022/0302533.
With regard to claim 1, Choi et al. teaches a secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly (see figures 1-5, claims 1-17) comprising a negative electrode tab and a positive electrode tab at opposite ends thereof in a longitudinal direction, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, both ends of the case in the longitudinal direction being open; and a pair of cap plates respectively coupled to the open ends of the case (see claims 1-17). A negative electrode terminal and a positive electrode terminal are electrically connected to the negative electrode tab and the positive electrode tab and exposed at an outside of the cap plates (claims 1-17, figures 1-5). A current collector is taught on an upper portion of the negative electrode tab or the positive electrode tab. A terminal connection part is on the current collector, and wherein the terminal connection part passes through a plate hole in the cap plate to be electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal or the positive electrode terminal (see, for example, Fig 4A and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 2, Choi teaches a first current collector welded to the negative electrode tab or the positive electrode tab of the electrode assembly; and a second current collector electrically connected to the first current collector, wherein the terminal connection part protrudes upwardly from a top surface of the second current collector and passes through the plate hole to be connected to a bottom surface of the negative electrode terminal or the positive electrode terminal (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 3, Choi teaches a negative electrode terminal or the positive electrode terminal comprises a terminal body and a flange protruding outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the terminal body, and wherein the terminal body has a cylindrical hole at a center thereof, a bottom surface of the cylindrical hole being closed (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 4, Choi teaches a bottom surface of the terminal body has a flat shape and is in contact with a top surface of the terminal connection part (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 6, Choi teaches a shape of the terminal connection part is any one of a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, a square pillar, or a hexagonal pillar, and wherein the plate hole is punched in a shape corresponding to the terminal connection part (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 7, Choi teaches a terminal connection part protrudes downwardly from a bottom surface of the terminal and passes through the plate hole to be connected to the top surface of the second current collector (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claims 8-9, Choi teaches a terminal connection part is integral with the second current collector and is a separate component from the second current collector.
With regard to claim 10, Choi teaches a second current collector is directly welded to a top surface of the first current collector ([0057], for example).
With regard to claim 12-13, Choi teaches an insulator that comprises a lower insulator below the cap plate, an upper insulator above the cap plate, and an intermediate insulator extending along an inner circumferential surface of the cap plate and connecting the lower insulator to the upper insulator, and wherein the negative electrode terminal or the position electrode terminal and the cap plate, and the cap plate and the second current collector are insulated from each other through the insulator (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text). With regard to claim 13, Choi does not teach that the electrode terminal and the insulator are manufactured by using an insert molding manner, however structural limitations of the product are met by the reference. Product-by-process claims are not limited to the manipulations of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps (MPEP 2113).
With regard to claim 14, Choi teaches a cap plates have low-level areas that are lower than a surrounding area thereof in a top surface of the cap plate with a size corresponding to that of a plane of the upper insulator, and wherein the upper insulator is seated on the low-level area to be fixed in position in a direction of the plane (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
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.
Claims 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (US 2022/0302533), as applied to claims 1-3 above, in view of Kim et al. (US 2001/0004505).
Choi et al. (US 2022/0302533) teaches a secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly (see figures 1-5, claims 1-17) comprising a negative electrode tab and a positive electrode tab at opposite ends thereof in a longitudinal direction, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, both ends of the case in the longitudinal direction being open; and a pair of cap plates respectively coupled to the open ends of the case (see claims 1-17). Choi teaches a negative electrode terminal or the positive electrode terminal comprises a terminal body and a flange protruding outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the terminal body, and wherein the terminal body has a cylindrical hole at a center thereof, a bottom surface of the cylindrical hole being closed (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text).
With regard to claim 5, Choi does not teach that the recess in the terminal body has a shape corresponding to that of the terminal connection part as defined in the bottom surface of the terminal body to accommodate a portion of the terminal connection part. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form a terminal body having a recess shape in the bottom surface (as taught by Choi) that corresponds to the shape of the terminal connection part in order to form a secure connection between the terminal body and the terminal connection part. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that having corresponding shapes of connection parts would allow for a secure connection in the battery. For example, Choi teaches a flat connection between the terminal connection part and the terminal body.
With regard to claim 11, Choi teaches a first current collector welded to the negative electrode tab or the positive electrode tab of the electrode assembly; and a second current collector electrically connected to the first current collector, wherein the terminal connection part protrudes upwardly from a top surface of the second current collector and passes through the plate hole to be connected to a bottom surface of the negative electrode terminal or the positive electrode terminal (see figures 2-5 and the corresponding text). Choi does not teach that the second current collector is made of the same material as the first current collector, however, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the same conductive material of the first current collector as the second current collector in order to conduct electrons from the battery. One skilled in the art would be motivated to used the same material to have the same properties of conductivity and resistance.
Choi does not teach that the second current collector has a thickness greater than that of the first current collector, however, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a second current collector having a thickness greater than that of the first current collector in order to conduct electrons from the battery and provide a durable current collector. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that increasing the thickness of the current collector would give a robust and relatively stronger connector in Choi as compared to a thinner connector.
Conclusion
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/MARK RUTHKOSKY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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