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
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwangbo et al. (US 20220231345 A1).
**Notice: For the purposes of this rejection, “bottom surface”, “top surface”, “lower portion” and “upper portion” is interpreted as an orientation term and not as a limitation requiring a particular spatial orientation of the battery components.
Regarding claim 1, Hwangbo, drawn to the battery art, discloses a battery (Para 161, "cylindrical battery 1") comprising: an electrode assembly 10 comprising a first electrode plate, a separator, and a second electrode plate (para 161-163); a first current collector plate (para 161, “current collector 60”; fig. 6) contacting a bottom surface of the electrode assembly, and electrically connected to the first electrode plate; a second current collector plate (para 161, “current collector 80”; fig. 6) contacting a top surface of the electrode assembly, and electrically connected to the second electrode plate; a case (para 161, “battery can 20”; fig. 6) for accommodating the electrode assembly, the first current collector plate, and the second current collector plate, and electrically connected to the second current collector plate (para 253); and a cap plate (para 161, “cap 30”; fig. 6) for sealing an upper portion of the case, wherein the second current collector plate comprises: a body part (para 258, “supporting portion 81”; fig.15) coupled to the second electrode plate; and a wing part (para 258, “can coupling portion 83”; fig. 15) fixed to the body part and the case (fig. 13).
Regarding claim 2, Hwangbo discloses the body part 81 has a circular plate shape, and wherein the wing part 83 has a ring shape (fig. 15).
Regarding claim 3, Hwangbo discloses the wing part 83 comprises: a first coupling part (para 262, "second uncoated region coupling portion 82") coupled to the body part; a second coupling part (para 262, "contact portion 83 a”; fig. 15) coupled to the case; and a connection part configured to connect the first coupling part to the second coupling part (para 262, "connection portion 83 b”; fig. 15).
Regarding claim 4, Hwangbo discloses the second coupling part 83a is farther from the electrode assembly than the first coupling part 82 in a vertical direction (fig. 15).
Regarding claim 5, Hwangbo discloses second coupling part 83a is farther from a radial center than the first coupling part 82 in a radial direction (fig. 15).
Regarding claim 6, Hwangbo discloses the case comprises a beading part (para 262, beading portion 21”; fig. 13) protruding inwardly from an upper portion of the electrode assembly in a radial direction, and wherein the second coupling part 83a is coupled to an upper portion of the beading part (para 263).
Regarding claim 7, Hwangbo discloses the wing part 83 defines slots extending outwardly from a radial inner end in a radial direction (fig. 15).
Regarding claim 8, Hwangbo discloses the slots are provided in three or more, and are radially symmetrical to each other (para 261; fig. 15).
Regarding claim 9, Hwangbo discloses the wing part 83 defines slots extending inwardly from a radial outer end in the radial direction (para 261, fig.15).
Regarding claim 10, Hwangbo does not explicitly disclose body part 81 defines a gas outlet configured to discharge a gas generated in the case. However, Hwangbo discloses current collector hole 80a formed at the winding center C of the electrode assembly 10 (para 260). Hwangbo further discloses the hole of the electrode assembly and the current collector hole communicate with each other (para 260).
The current collector hole 80a provides an opening through which gas generated within the case 20 can pass. The disclosed current collector hole 80a necessarily functions as a gas outlet for discharging gas generated in the case. Accordingly, Hwangbo discloses the body part defines a gas outlet configured to discharge a gas generated in the case.
Regarding claim 11, Hwangbo discloses the case comprises a beading part 21 protruding inwardly in a radial direction, and wherein an outer edge area 83a of the wing part in the radial direction is coupled to the beading part (fig. 13).
Regarding claim 12, Hwangbo discloses the case comprises a crimping part (para 183, "Crimping portion 22"; fig 13) bent inwardly in the radial direction to fix the cap plate (para 183).
Regarding claim 13, Hwangbo discloses a gasket (para 183, “sealing gasket 90”) between the beading part and the crimping part, and surrounding an edge area of the cap plate (fig. 13).
Regarding claim 14, Hwangbo discloses a terminal (para 231, "terminal 40") passing through a lower portion of the case, and comprising an upper end contacting the first current collector plate (para 231); and a gasket (para 217, "insulation gasket 50”) between the terminal and the case (figs. 7-8).
Regarding claim 15, Hwangbo discloses a method for forming a second current collector plate 80 of a battery comprising a body part 81 coupled to a second electrode plate (para 258; fig. 13), and a wing part 83 fixed to the body part 81, the method comprising coupling an outer area of the wing part 83a in a radial direction to a case 20 of the battery (para 258), and coupling an inner area of the wing part 83b in the radial direction to the body part 81 (fig. 13).
Regarding claim 17, Hwangbo discloses the wing part has a ring shape defining slots extending outwardly from a radial inner end in the radial direction (fig 15).
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.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwangbo et al. (US 20220231345 A1).
Regarding claim 16, Hwangbo discloses the case comprises a beading part 21 protruding inwardly in the radial direction, wherein the wing part 83 comprises a first coupling part 82 coupled to the body part 81, a second coupling part 83a coupled to the beading part 21 and a connection part 83b connecting the first coupling part 82 to the second coupling part 83a (para 262; fig. 15).
Hwangbo does not explicitly disclose the second coupling part 83a is coupled to the beading part 21 before the first coupling part 82 is coupled to the body part 81.
However, Hwangbo teaches “second uncoated region coupling portion 82 extending from the support portion 81 approximately along the radial direction of the electrode assembly 10 and coupled to the second uncoated region 12” of the electrode assembly 10 (para 258). Subsequently, Hwangbo discloses “the can coupling portion 83 [wing part] may be naturally placed on the lower surface of the beading portion 21 through the process of accommodating the electrode assembly 10 coupled with the second current collector 80 into the battery can 20” (para 261). Accordingly, Hwangbo teaches first coupling part 82 and body part 81 of the current collector 80 are coupled with the electrode assembly 10 before being placed in the case. Then, the second coupling part 83a and the beading part 21 are coupled. The reference teaches the claimed structure but performs the coupling operations in the opposite order.
The difference between Hwangbo and the claimed method is merely the order in which first and second coupling operations are performed. Rearranging the order of these known coupling operations would have been an obvious variation of the known assembly process, particularly where the rearrangement does not change the resulting structure or the function of the battery and produces no unexpected results. The examiner notes that it has been held that selection of any order of performing process steps is prima facie obvious in the absence of new or unexpected results (see MPEP 2144.04).
Conclusion
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/A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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