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 .
Claims 1-3 and 5-7 are pending in the application.
Claim 6 is withdrawn in the application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-3 in the reply filed on 09/15/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim 4 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, method of making the secondary, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 09/15/2026.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 11, line 22 in specification “serve as positive electrode terminal 123” should; be corrected to “serve as positive electrode terminal 132”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “ a first opening at one end portion …a second opening at the other end of the” should be corrected to ““ a first opening at one end portion …a second opening at the other end portion of the” for consistency and clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 1-7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “the other end of the case main body” in line 5, there is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim because the ends have not been explicitly defined in relation to one another. It is unclear if the other end portion is opposite to one end portion or adjacent to each other rendering the claim vague and indefinite.
Claims 2-7 are similarly rejected as they are dependent on claim 1.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng (US PG Pub. 2023/0216163 A1) in view of Xu (US PG Pub. 2023/0420814 A1).
Deng discloses secondary battery (para. 0004, figure 1) comprising: an electrode assembly including a first electrode (positive electrode) , a second electrode (negative electrode), having a polarity different from a polarity of the first electrode occupying the single core cavity (para. 0061). Deng discloses an exterior package that accommodates the electrode assembly and an electrolyte solution (ref. 1, figure 1 para. 0060-0061, 0066). Deng discloses the first square-shaped frame (ref. 1) is an elongated frame enclosed by four plates, and a core cavity is formed in the first square-shaped frame; and a first end of the core cavity has a first opening, and a second end of the core cavity has a second opening (para. 0011, figure 1) thereby meeting the limitation exterior package includes a case main body provided with a first opening at one end portion of the case main body and a second opening at the other end of the case main body. Deng further discloses cover plate (ref. 39, figure 5) of the first pole cover is welded over the first opening: and cover plate (ref. 39) of the second pole cover is welded over the second opening (para. 0015) thereby meeting the limitation a first sealing plate that seals the first opening and a second sealing plate that seals the second opening.
Deng discloses the first pole cover and the second pole cover each include an electrode terminal (electrode column ref. 31), and a connecting strip plate (ref. 32) and a cover plate (ref. 39, para. 0062). Deng discloses that the positive tab of positive-electrode end (ref. 101, figure 1) is welded to the connecting strip plate (ref. 32, figure 5) of the first pole cover, and that the negative tab at the negative electrode end (ref. 102) is welded to aluminum plate (ref. 22) which is welded to the connecting strip plate (ref. 32) of the respective electrode column (ref. 31, para. 0062-0063). Deng discloses that each connecting strip plate (ref. 32) is connected to respective electrode column (ref. 31). Though Deng doesn’t expressively disclose the electrode terminal are electrically connected with the electrodes, since the conductive parts are joined together by welding and the tabs carry electric current from the electrodes to electrode column, Deng’s disclosed structure necessarily provides electrical connection between the respective electrode tabs and the electrode columns there by meeting the limitation the first sealing plate is provided with a first electrode terminal electrically connected to the first electrode, the second sealing plate is provided with a second electrode terminal electrically connected to the second electrode.
Deng discloses the cell core set has an elongated structure and is arranged in the core cavity (para. 0012). Two ends of the core cell are each provided with a tab (ref. 21, figure 3) and first end of the cell core set is provided with a positive tab connected to the positive electrode, and the second end of the cell core set is provided with a negative tab connected to negative electrode (para. 0012, 0061). Deng discloses the positive tab at the positive electrode end is generally a plate made of multilayer aluminum foil, and the negative tab at the negative electrode end is generally a plate made of multilayer copper foil (para. 0061). Though Deng does not expressively disclose the electrode group is electrically connected to the respective electrodes since the intervening members are conductive and the connection necessarily provides electrical connection between respective electrode tab group and electrodes thereby meeting the limitation one end portion of the electrode assembly is provided with a first electrode tab group electrically connected to the first electrode, the other end portion of the electrode assembly is provided with a second electrode tab group electrically connected to the second electrode.
Deng discloses in the case main body, a first through hole (liquid injection hole, ref. 12, figure 3) is provided at a region located on the second opening side with respect to an end portion of the electrode assembly on the second opening side (figure 2 and 3, examiner figure A, para 0066), and the first through hole is sealed with a first sealing member (para. 0067).
Deng fails to disclose a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Xu discloses a battery including a battery casing, a cell and an electrolyte and the battery casing is provided with a liquid injection hole ( ref. 11, figure 1, para. 0005). Xu discloses the cell refers to a unit formed by laminating a stacked part, and first electrode pieces that are stacked on each other, second electrode pieces having electrical property that is opposite to the first electrode pieces, and diaphragm pieces disposed between the first electrode pieces and the second electrode pieces. (para. 0057). Xu further discloses such a battery is a laminated battery, which may be conveniently assembled and may further be processed to obtain a battery with a longer length (para. 0055).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include a separator disposed between positive and negative electrode of Deng’s cell as taught by Xu. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to disposed a separator between the opposite polarity electrodes for convenient assembly and to obtain a battery of longer length.
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Examiner figure A
Regarding claim 2, Deng discloses in the case main body, a second through hole (ref. 13) is provided at a region located on the first opening side with respect to an end portion of the electrode assembly on the first opening side (figure 1, Examiner figure A).
The explosion - proof valve is provided on the top plate (ref. 11, para. 0066). Under broadest reasonable interpretation the explosion proof valve necessarily seals an opening through the top plate during normal battery operation and remains close till a predetermined pressure is reached is a sealing member thereby meeting the limitation the second through hole is sealed with a second sealing member.
Regarding claim 3, Deng expressively teaches, at the second opening end (negative electrode), a space between cell core set (ref. 2) and the second end of the core cavity (ref. 18) to form a first accommodating cavity (ref. 19, para. 0064, figure 3, 9) and the first through hole is provided adjacent that end (figure 1 Examiner figure A). The first accommodating cavity accommodates tab protector (ref. 4, figure 3) which defines second accommodating cavity (ref. 49, figure 3, para. 0064). This accommodating cavity lies between cell core set and cover plate (ref. 39) of the second pole cover which is the second sealing plate (figure 3). Deng discloses the second electrode tab (negative tab) is connected to a connecting strip plate of the second pole cover through the aluminum plate (ref. 22), namely the connecting strip plate of the second pole cover is weldedly connected to the aluminum plate (ref. 22, para. 0063). In comparison, at the positive-electrode end (ref. 101 figure 1) the positive tab is connected to the connecting stripe plate (ref. 32) which is attached to the inner side of its cover plate (ref. 39) of the first pole cover without the corresponding tab protector and the accommodating cavity arrangement (figure 1, para. 0013, 0063). Therefore, there is no intermediate member corresponding to aluminum plate (ref. 22) at the positive electrode end (figure 1 and 8). Deng discloses that electrolyte injected through hole (ref. 12) flows through avoidance hole (ref. 411, figure 3) into the second accommodating cavity (ref. 49) before it reaches the cell core (para. 0066). Although the Deng does not expressly state D2>D1, it would have been obvious to provide the distance between the cell core set and second pole cover greater than the corresponding distance at the first pole cover in order to provide sufficient space at the negative electrode end for the disclosed tab protector and electrolyte injection path from hole (ref. 12) through avoidance hole (ref. 411).
Regarding claim 5, Deng discloses the case main body includes a pair of first walls facing each other and a pair of second walls facing each other, an area of each of the pair of first walls is larger than an area of each of the pair of second walls, and the first through hole is provided in one of the pair of second walls (figure 1, Examiner figure A).
Regarding claim 6, Deng discloses the second electrode tab group (negative electrode tab) includes a folded portion. Deng discloses the negative tab is connected to a connecting strip plate of the second pole cover through the aluminum plate (ref. 22, figure 8) namely the connecting strip plate of the second pole cover is welded connected to the aluminum plate (para. 0063). Deng discloses the negative electrode tab and aluminum plate (ref. 22) are bent into a zigzag and pressed into second accommodating cavity (para. 0064 – 0065). Deng disclose first through hole (ref. 12) penetrates top plate (ref. 11) of the case main body at the negative end, above second accommodating cavity (ref. 49, figure 3). Deng discloses the first through hole (ref. 12) located on the top part of the exterior package (figure 3) and the negative electrode tab (ref. 21) and the bent aluminum plate (ref. 22) pressed into second accommodating cavity located at a lower region and does not contact the hole (ref. 11) on the top plate (ref. 11, figure 3). Therefore the folded portion would not necessarily overlap when viewed in a direction in which the first through hole penetrates the case main body.
Alternatively if Deng fails to disclose that the folded portion is disposed so as not to overlap the first through hole as viewed in a direction in which the first through hole penetrates the case main body.
Xu discloses a battery including a battery casing and a cell and the battery casing is provided with a liquid injection hole ( ref. 11, figure 1, para. 0005). Xu discloses the cell is disposed of in the battery casing and includes a cell body and a tab portion (ref. 22, figure 3). The tab portion extends from a side surface of the cell body; the liquid injection hole is located on a side of the cell body adjacent to the tab portion (para. 0005). Xu further discloses the liquid injection hole (ref. 11) includes a circular hole, and an orthographic projection of the tab portion (ref. 22) on the surface of the battery casing (ref. 10) provided with the liquid injection hole is spaced apart from the circular hole (para. 0025, figure 3). Xu further discloses the process of injecting the electrolyte into the battery casing (ref. 10), the direct impact of the electrolyte on the tab portions (ref. 22) is required to be avoided (para. 0018). Xu discloses when the distance between the tab portion and the corresponding liquid injection hole is relatively short, which causes the electrolyte to be easily sprayed onto the tab portion during the liquid injection process of the battery. As such, the infiltration rate of the electrolyte may be affected, and the tab portions may be washed out, resulting in structural damage (para. 0018).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to dispose the folded portion of the second electrode tab of Deng as taught by Xu. Such a modification would result in the folded portion being disposed so as not to overlap the first through hole as viewed in a direction in which the first through hole penetrates the case main body. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to avoid structural damage and maintain the infiltration rate of the electrolyte.
Regarding claim 7, Deng discloses a spacer (tab protector, ref. 4, figure 1, 3, 4 ) disposed between the second sealing plate and the electrode assembly (figure 1, 3, para. 0064, 0067). Deng discloses the spacer (ref. 4) is provided with an opening (avoidance hole, ref. 411, figure 3-4) through which the electrolyte solution passes, the opening being located at a position facing the first through hole (para. 0066, figure 3-4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ISWARYA MATHEW whose telephone number is (571)272-9515. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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/I.M./
Iswarya MathewExaminer, Art Unit 1788
09/25/2026
/ALEXANDRE F FERRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788
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