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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/10/24 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 2/5/24. These drawings are acceptable.
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, 5, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2021-125304 A (JP'304) in view of KR 10-2493946 B1 (KR'946).
As to Claim 1:
JP'304 discloses a power storage device comprising: a case including a tubular part and a bottom part, the tubular part being cylindrical and including an open end part at one end, the bottom part closing an opposite end of the tubular part; a power storage element disposed inside the case, the power storage element including a pair of electrodes; a lead connected to one of the pair of electrodes; and a sealing member sealing the open end part of the case, wherein the sealing member includes a gasket including an insulation property and a sealing plate including conductivity; the gasket includes a compression part between the tubular part and the sealing plate, and a base that is disk-shaped and is layered with the sealing plate; the sealing plate includes a displaceable part and an outer peripheral part surrounding the displaceable part, the displaceable part including a protrusion projecting toward the power storage element, the outer peripheral part being pinched by the compression part; the base is disposed between the sealing plate and the power storage element; the base includes a first through hole; the protrusion of the sealing plate is inserted in the first through hole; the protrusion of the sealing plate is connected to the lead; and the protrusion is disconnected from the lead when displaced in a direction away from the lead in response to an increase in internal pressure of the case (JP'304, Pgs. 1–6 and 8–10).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that the power storage device further comprises a reinforcing member between the base and the lead, the reinforcing member reinforcing the base, wherein the reinforcing member includes a second through hole at a position overlapping with the first through hole, and the protrusion of the sealing plate is inserted in the second through hole.
KR'946 discloses a cap sealing assembly for a secondary battery that incorporates a dedicated “reinforcing plate” to prevent structural deformation and unwanted bending of adjacent assembly layers under mechanical pressure stresses (KR'946, Pgs. 1 and 3–5).
JP'304 and KR'946 are analogous arts because both references are directed toward the field of secondary battery cap and sealing assemblies, specifically focusing on structural layers design within a battery's terminal lid to handle high mechanical stresses and internal pressure shifts safely (JP'304, Pgs. 2–6; KR'946, Pgs. 1–4).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to introduce the rigid reinforcing member taught by KR'946 and place it between the flexible gasket base and the lead structure of JP'304, further incorporating a second overlapping through hole through the reinforcing member to align with the gasket base's existing first through hole so that the displacement protrusion can still pass through cleanly to connect to the lead. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the device in this manner to increase the overall structural rigidity of the flexible gasket base. This mechanical modification ensures that the underlying gasket base resists upward bowing or flexing during a sudden gas overpressure event, holding the lead firmly in place while the expanding protrusion snaps away to achieve a highly prompt, clean, and operationally reliable current path separation as desired in JP'304 (JP'304, Pgs. 3–6 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5).
As to Claim 5:
See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the base power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing plate includes a thin-walled part between the protrusion part and the outer peripheral part (JP'304, Pgs. 5–6, 9, and 12).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that an outer edge of the reinforcing member is located externally to an inner edge of the outer peripheral part of the sealing plate in a radial direction of the case.
KR'946 discloses a cap sealing configuration for a secondary battery wherein an end or outer peripheral portion of a reinforcing plate is formed to extend radially outward toward the inside of the region coupled to the cap assembly, where it is securely captured and fixed to the inside of the case (KR'946, Pgs. 3–5 and 7).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to configure the outer edge of the reinforcing member of the primary combination to extend radially outward so that it is located externally to an inner edge of the outer peripheral part of the sealing plate in a radial direction of the case. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to extend the outer boundary of the component in this manner to copy the peripheral anchoring technique taught by KR'946. By positioning the outer edge of the reinforcing member beneath the sturdier, pinched outer peripheral part of JP'304's sealing plate, the reinforcing member itself is blocked from upward displacement when the lead pulls against it during an overpressure event. This directly restricts the movement of both the reinforcing plate and the underlying gasket base, further minimizing lead displacement and ensuring a prompt, operationally reliable activation of the current interrupt device (JP'304, Pgs. 3–6 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5 and 7).
As to Claim 6:
See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the base power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the base of the gasket includes a surface on the lead side provided with at least one rib (JP'304, Pgs. 7 and 10).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that the base of the gasket includes a recess in a face facing the power storage element, and the reinforcing member is at least partly housed in the recess.
KR'946 discloses a cap sealing assembly configuration for a secondary battery wherein internal plate layers are securely captured, seated, and structurally nested together within bounded component regions inside the battery lid assembly (KR'946, Pgs. 3–5).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to configure the base of the gasket of the primary combination to include a recess in a face facing the power storage element, and to place the reinforcing member such that it is at least partly housed in the recess. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the gasket configuration in this manner by utilizing the pre-existing bounding structures, such as the surface ribs taught by JP'304 on the face of the gasket base, to define a neat receiving pocket or recessed seat that safely captures the reinforcing plate. Structuring the gasket base to recess the reinforcing component copies the compact, nested layer assembly techniques found in KR'946. This mechanical layout provides an immediate engineering benefit by ensuring precise alignment of the reinforcing plate and its through hole during manufacturing, while simultaneously lowering the overall structural profile and stack height of the sealing cap assembly (JP'304, Pgs. 7 and 10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5).
Claims 2-4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2021-125304 A (JP'304) in view of KR 10-2493946 B1 (KR'946), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of JP 2006-147180 A (JP'180).
As to Claim 2:See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the base power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the lead is made of conductive metal and is connected to the protrusion of the sealing plate (JP'304, Pgs. 4 and 9–10).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that the reinforcing member is a conductive member, and the reinforcing member and the lead are electrically and mechanically connected.
JP'180 discloses a sealing cap group for a secondary battery that incorporates a current cut-off valve and current-carrying assembly components situated within the lid structure, where adjacent internal plates or structural parts are designed as conductive members that maintain a direct mechanical and electrical connection with an associated lead part to establish a safe internal path (JP'180, Pgs. 1 and 4–5).
JP'304, KR'946, and JP'180 are analogous arts because each reference is directed toward the field of secondary battery terminal and sealing structures, specifically focusing on the material composition, geometric arrangement, and connection paths of component layers within a cell's lid assembly to manage current-carrying states and high internal stresses safely (JP'304, Pgs. 2–6; KR'946, Pgs. 1 and 3–4; JP'180, Pgs. 1 and 3–5).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to configure the reinforcing member of the primary combination (JP'304 in view of KR'946) as a conductive member, and to electrically and mechanically connect the reinforcing member to the lead structure. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the device in this manner to copy the current-carrying assembly configuration taught by JP'180. By utilizing a conductive metal for the reinforcing member and bonding it directly to the lead, the reinforcing member predictably serves a dual engineering purpose: it functions as a highly rigid mechanical backing plate that prevents the gasket base from bowing upward during a pressure event, and simultaneously acts as a secondary structural anchor or conductive track that stabilizes the flexible lead against external shock or high-vibration environments, directly improving terminal connection stability and current-path efficiency within the cell (JP'304, Pgs. 4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5 and 10–11).
As to Claim 3:
See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the baseline power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 2, wherein a first connection part connects the protrusion and the lead (JP'304, Pgs. 1–4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that a second connection part connects the reinforcing member and the lead, and the first connection part and the second connection part are continuous with each other.
JP'180 discloses a sealing cap group for a secondary battery that incorporates current-carrying structural plates and safety valve assembly components situated within the lid structure, where adjacent internal plates or parts can be bonded directly onto an underlying lead member to establish continuous, unified metallurgical contact junctions or integrated current-carrying regions across the terminal group (JP'180, Pgs. 1 and 4–5).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to form a second connection part connecting the reinforcing member and the lead of the primary combination (JP'304 in view of KR'946), and to configure the first connection part and the second connection part to be continuous with each other. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the device in this manner to copy the continuous current-carrying assembly configurations taught by JP'180. By utilizing a continuous, uninterrupted single-pass bonding track or integrated contact line to join both the central protrusion and the surrounding conductive reinforcing member to the shared lead, a PHOSITA can predictably ensure a sturdier mechanical junction while maximizing current-path connection area. This continuous connection profile locks the lead and the reinforcing member tightly together into a single rigid backing assembly, stabilizing the flexible lead against physical vibrations while cleanly keeping it anchored in place so that the displacement protrusion can snap away smoothly during an overpressure event to directly enhance current interrupt device reliability (JP'304, Pgs. 4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5 and 10–11).
As to Claim 4:
See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the baseline power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 2, wherein a first connection part connects the protrusion and the lead (JP'304, Pgs. 1–4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that a second connection part connects the reinforcing member and the lead, and the first connection part and the second connection part are separate from each other.
JP'180 discloses a sealing cap group for a secondary battery that incorporates current-carrying structural plates and safety valve assembly components situated within the lid structure, where adjacent internal plates or parts can be bonded directly onto an underlying lead member at separate, distinct connecting regions or discontinuous conduction tracks (JP'180, Pgs. 1 and 4–5).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to form a second connection part connecting the reinforcing member and the lead of the primary combination (JP'304 in view of KR'946), and to configure the first connection part and the second connection part to be separate from each other. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the device in this manner to copy the separated contact configurations taught by JP'180. By utilizing distinct, physically spaced-apart weld zones or separate spot bonds to connect the central protrusion and the surrounding conductive reinforcing member to the shared lead, a PHOSITA can predictably minimize the total thermal energy transferred to the lead during any single welding step, thereby preventing heat distortion of the adjacent elastic gasket. This separate connection profile allows the reinforcing member to provide localized mechanical anchoring to the lead at independent spots, keeping the lead safely stabilized against structural vibrations while holding it taut so that the central displacement protrusion can cleanly sever its own connection during an overpressure event, directly enhancing the operational reliability of the current interrupt device (JP'304, Pgs. 4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5 and 10–11).
As to Claim 8:
See the rejection of Claim 3 regarding the power storage device where a first connection part connects the protrusion and the lead, a second connection part connects the reinforcing member and the lead, and the first connection part and the second connection part are continuous with each other; JP'304 discloses a power storage device having a current interrupt device assembly where a protrusion of a sealing plate and a lead are joined together (JP'304, Pgs. 1–4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose a method for manufacturing the power storage device comprising: forming the first connection part and the second connection part by laser welding using a laser; wherein laser output power of the laser for an area between the first connection part and the second connection part is made weaker than for the first connection part and for the second connection part, or an area between the first connection part and the second connection part is excluded from laser irradiation.
JP'180 discloses a method for manufacturing a sealing cap group of a secondary battery that details the physical processing and thermal attachment steps to bond internal current-carrying safety valves and overlapping terminal layers directly onto an underlying lead member, utilizing clean welding steps to establish direct joints while precisely controlling thermal input across specified regions of the terminal assembly to protect adjacent interfaces from damage or degradation (JP'180, Pgs. 4–5 and 12–13).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to manufacture the power storage device of the primary combination (JP'304 in view of KR'946 as applied to Claim 3) by a method comprising forming the first connection part and the second connection part by laser welding using a laser, wherein the laser output power for an area between the first connection part and the second connection part is made weaker than for the first connection part and for the second connection part, or an area between the first connection part and the second connection part is excluded from laser irradiation. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the manufacturing process in this manner to copy the clean, stress-controlled bonding techniques taught by JP'180. When scanning a laser to form the continuous metallurgical connection line across both the central protrusion and the surrounding conductive reinforcing plate to join them to the shared lead, modulating the laser by turning down its output beam power or switching it off completely over the intermediate gap represents a highly predictable processing choice. This power reduction or exclusion directly prevents localized overheating, metal distortion, and material spattering on the exposed lead sheet, thereby fulfilling the engineering goals of eliminating processing defects and maximizing connection integrity as demonstrated in JP'180 (JP'304, Pgs. 4 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'180, Pgs. 4–5 and 12–13).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2021-125304 A (JP'304) in view of KR 10-2493946 B1 (KR'946), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of JP 2007-200755 A (JP'755).
As to Claim 7:
See the rejection of Claim 1 regarding the base power storage device configurations, the cylindrical case, the gasket base with a first through hole, the sealing plate protrusion, and the added reinforcing member containing a second through hole; JP'304 discloses the power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the base of the gasket includes a plurality of vent holes configured as through holes to allow gas pressure communication (JP'304, Pgs. 6–7 and 9–10).
However, JP'304 does not explicitly disclose that the reinforcing member includes through holes that overlap each other with the through holes of the base of the gasket.
JP'755 discloses a safety valve cap configuration for a secondary battery where a structural support plate layer and neighboring elements each contain designated outgassing openings or vents; and further discloses that these multiple through holes are formed to deliberately overlap and line up in the vertical direction to form an unobstructed path for gas communication (JP'755, Pgs. 1–3 and 5–6).
JP'304, KR'946, and JP'755 are analogous arts because each reference is directed toward the field of secondary battery terminal, safety cap, and sealing structures, specifically focusing on the geographic layout and fluid alignment of component layers within a cell's lid assembly to manage structural stresses and high gas pressure venting events safely (JP'304, Pgs. 2–7 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 1 and 3–5; JP'755, Pgs. 1–6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to configure the reinforcing member of the primary combination (JP'304 in view of KR'946) to include through holes that overlap each other with the through holes of the base of the gasket. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to modify the device in this manner to copy the overlapping gas passage configurations taught by JP'755. Because placing the rigid reinforcing plate of KR'946 underneath the gasket base of JP'304 would completely cover and obstruct the gasket's pre-existing outgassing vent holes, stamping matching through holes into the reinforcing member that align with the gasket's vents is a predictable design solution. This modification yields the immediate engineering benefit of maintaining unhindered internal fluid communication through the stacked lid layers, ensuring that rising gas pressure inside the case can seamlessly migrate through both components to activate the current interrupt device promptly, without diminishing the structural reinforcement provided to the gasket base (JP'304, Pgs. 6–7 and 9–10; KR'946, Pgs. 3–5; JP'755, Pgs. 1–3 and 5–6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIMMY K VO whose telephone number is (571)272-3242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 am to 6 pm EST.
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/JIMMY VO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/JIMMY VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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