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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group 1, claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 9/4/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 9/4/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3, line 2, “at least one weld-deposit part” should read “at least one weld-deposited part”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang et al. (KR 102250181 B1). It is noted that the disclosures of Jang et al. are based on a machine translation of the reference included in the office action mailed 7/20/2026.
Regarding claim 1:
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Figure 1
Jang et al. teaches in Figure 1 above, a cap assembly of a typical cylindrical secondary battery (0004), where a cylindrical secondary battery comprises a jelly-roll type electrode assembly, i.e. a pair of electrodes (0003).
Jang et al. also teaches in Figure 1 a positive electrode of the electrode assembly is connected to a top cap 31 via a positive electrode tab 33, i.e. lead (0006).
Jang et al. also teaches an upper open end of a metal can is sealed with a cap assembly 130 to complete the secondary battery (0035), and a gasket 136 can be made of a material having electrical insulation, impact resistance, elasticity and durability, such as polyolefin or polypropylene (PP) (0026).
Jang et al. also teaches the positive electrode of the electrode assembly can be connected to the top cap 131 via the positive electrode tab 133 and safety vent 132, i.e. a sealing plate, to be energized (0027).
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Figure 3
Jang et al. also teaches in Figure 3 above, a gasket 136 has a compression part interposed between the tubular part and the safety vent 132 (0026-0027) and overlaps the safety vent 132.
Although there is no explicit disclosure that the base of the gasket 136 is disk shaped, given that the battery is cylindrical, the base of the gasket 136 is necessarily disk-shaped.
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Figure 2
Jang et al. also teaches in Figure 2 above, when the internal pressure reaches a certain level in an abnormal state of the secondary battery, the safety vent 32 protrudes upward with its shape reversed, i.e. the sealing plate includes a displaceable part.
Jang et al. also teaches in Figure 3 above, the safety vent 132 has a shape with a downward indentation in the center below the top cap 131 (0024), i.e. a protrusion protruding toward the electricity storage element, and an outer peripheral part provided in a periphery of the displaceable part and clamped by the compression part.
Jang et al. also teaches in Figures 2 and 3 above, the base disposed between the safety vent 32 and 132 and the electricity storage element, the base including a through hole, and the protrusion of the safety vent 32 and 132 inserted into the through hole, the positive electrode tab 33 and 133 including a folded part that is folded at least double and welded to the safety vent 32 and 132 (0014), i.e. joined by at least one weld-deposited part, and the protrusion of the safety vent 132 and the folded part of the positive electrode tab being connected to each other.
Further, Jang et al. teaches in Figures 2 and 3, when the internal pressure reaches a certain level in an abnormal state of the secondary battery, the safety vent 32 protrudes upward with its shape reversed (0007), i.e. connection between the protrusion and the lead being disconnected when the protrusion is displaced in a direction away from the lead in response to an increase in an internal pressure inside the case.
Regarding claim 2:
Jang et al. teaches in Figure 3 above, the positive electrode tab 133, i.e. lead, includes a first section overlapping the protrusion see along an axis of the case and a second section overlapping the base seen along the axis, and the first section and second section of the positive electrode tab 133 includes a corresponding one of the at least one weld-deposited part, i.e. the positive electrode tab 133 is welded to the safety vent 132.
Regarding claim 3:
Jang et al. teaches in Figure 3 above, a weld-deposited part corresponding to the second section among the at least one weld-deposited part overlaps an edge of the through hole in the base seen along the axis.
Regarding claim 4:
Given that Jang et al. teaches the folded part in Figure 3 above, the folded part is inherently formed by folding back the lead in a longitudinal direction of the lead and joining the lead being folded back.
Regarding claim 5:
Given that Jang et al. teaches the folded part in Figure 3 above, the folded part is inherently formed by folding back the lead in a width direction of the lead and joining the lead being folded back.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Present claim 6 would be allowable over the “closest” prior art Jang et al. (KR 102250181 B1) if rewritten in independent form as described above for the following reasons:
Jang et al. discloses a cylindrical secondary battery comprising a cap assembly, electrode assembly, and a positive electrode tab.
However, Jang et al. does not disclose or suggest a dimension in a direction in which the lead of a weld-deposited part corresponding to the first section among the at least one weld-deposit part faces the protrusion is a larger than a dimension in a direction in which the lead of a weld-deposited part corresponding to the second section among the at least one weld-deposit part faces the protrusion, as required in present claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADISON E. BROWN whose telephone number is (571)775-5984. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8am-6pm.
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/MADISON ELIZABETH BROWN/Examiner, Art Unit 1787
/CALLIE E SHOSHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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