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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1,4-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsutsumi (US 9373825).
As to claim 1, Tsutsumi discloses a method of manufacturing a power storage device comprising (figure 2): a case (10a) having: a bottomed tube-shaped case (10a) body having an opening portion; and a case lid (10b) member having an insertion hole (203) and being welded (A) to the case body over its entire circumference while closing the opening portion; a terminal member (31) inserted in the insertion hole of the case lid member; and a resin member (20) joined to an insertion hole surrounding portion of the insertion hole of the case lid (10b) member and the terminal member (31) while insulating between them to fix the terminal member (31) to the case lid member (10b), wherein the method comprises: laser-welding the opening portion of the case body and a peripheral portion of the case lid member over their entire circumference with a laser beam while the opening portion of the case body is closed with the case lid member that is a part of a lid assembly including the case lid member and the terminal member integrated via the resin member, to form the case (col. 10 lines 31-34); prior to laser-welding, shielding the resin member by placing a shield member on the lid assembly to block scattered light of the laser beam from reaching the resin member (col. 10 lines 40-43).
As to “after laser-welding, removing the shield member,” Tsutsumi teaches that the shield member is a separate piece attached to the lid (col. 10 lines 57-58). Although Tsutsumi does not teach removing the shield member, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to remove the shield member after laser welding in order to reduce weight of the battery therefore providing optimal results in absence of unexpected results.
As to claims 4-6, Tsutsumi discloses wherein the shield member is configured to be removably fixed to the resin member or the terminal member, which is a part of the lid assembly (col. 10 line 57-58).
As to claims 7-9, Tsutsumi discloses wherein the shield member is made by bending a metal plate (figure 5 number 4, col. 8 line 15).
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsutsumi in view of Shinohara et al. (US20030059677).
Tsutsumi discloses the method described above. Tsutsumi fail to disclose wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 0.5 um or more, and wherein a part of the shield member, where the scattered light of the laser beam reaches, has an Ag-plated layer. Tsutsumi fail to disclose wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 0.9 pm or more, and wherein a part of the shield member, where the scattered light of the laser beam reaches, is made of Cu.
Shinohara et al. teaches wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 1.064um for the purpose of providing improved sealing effect of separating generator elements from the outside of the battery (paragraph 10181,0185).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Tsutsumi with wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 1.064um for the purpose of providing improved sealing effect of separating generator elements from the outside of the battery (paragraph 10181,0185).
Tsutsumi discloses that the shield plate is made of metal (col. 10 line 67), therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide wherein a part of the shield member, where the scattered light of the laser beam reaches, is made of Ag or Cu in order to provide optimal results in absence of unexpected results.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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/JANE J RHEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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