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 statements (IDS) were submitted on 02/28/2024, 12/02/2024 and 08/04/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
In this case, the term, “disclosed herein relates…” has to be amended.
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.
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 2016/0372793 to Lee et al. in view of US Patent Application Publication 2014/0113494 to Kinoshita et al.
With respect to claim 1, Lee et al. teach a secondary battery comprising a battery case 15 having a hexahedral shape; and a positive terminal 21 and a negative terminal 22 spaced apart from each other on a top surface of the battery case 15, wherein the secondary battery includes a terminal structure 21c comprising: a terminal body 21ca coupled to the top surface of the battery case 15 and one or more faces extending from the top surface of the battery case 15 while enclosing the positive or negative terminal 21 or 22 so as not to be exposed; an extension terminal 21cb electrically connected to the positive or negative terminal 21 or 22; and a connection terminal 110a facing a thickness direction of the secondary battery on the extension terminal 21cb.
Lee et al. do not specifically teach an extension terminal 21cb electrically connected to the positive or negative terminal 21 or 22 and exposed to any one surface of the terminal body 12ca except its top surface.
However, Kinoshita et al. teach a connection unit 16 and a cover 14 (a terminal body) having a bus bar (act as the extension wire) inside, wherein the bus bar (the extension wire) an extension terminal 21cb electrically connected to the positive or negative terminal 21 or 22, and the top surface of the bus bar (the extension wire) does not expose (Sections [0033]-[0036]; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have modified Lee et al. with the teaching above from Kinoshita et al. with the motivation of having a means such the bus bar or the terminal would be protected from short circuit.
With respect to claim 2, Lee et al. further teach the secondary battery, wherein the secondary battery further comprises the terminal structure 21c also act as an extension wire electrically connecting the extension terminal 21cb to the positive terminal 21.
Lee et al. do not specifically teach the extension wire is not exposed outside the terminal body.
However, Kinoshita et al. teach a connection unit 16 and a cover 14 (a terminal body) having a bus bar (act as the extension wire) inside, wherein the bus bar (the extension wire) is not exposed outside the terminal body (Sections [0033]-[0036]; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have modified Lee et al. with the teaching above from Kinoshita et al. with the motivation of having a means such the bus bar or the terminal would be protected from short circuit.
With respect to claim 3, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein the secondary battery further comprises an extension wire electrically connecting the extension terminal to the positive terminal or the negative terminal.
Lee et al. do not specifically teach the extension wire is insulated from the outside.
However, Kinoshita et al. teach a connection unit 16 and a cover 14 (a terminal body) having a bus bar (act as the extension wire) inside, wherein the bus bar (the extension wire) is insulated from the outside (Sections [0033]-[0036]; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have modified Lee et al. with the teaching above from Kinoshita et al. with the motivation of having a means such the bus bar or the terminal would be protected from short circuit.
With respect to claim 4, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein the terminal body 21ca is coupled to the top surface of the battery case 15 and a side surface extending from the top surface, and the extension terminal 21cb is exposed on the side surface.
With respect to claim 5, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein the terminal structure 21c with a connection member 110a is respectively coupled to the positive 21 and negative terminals 22 one by one.
With respect to claim 6, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein the connection terminal 110a extends in either one or both directions along the thickness direction of the secondary battery.
With respect to claim 7, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein the connection terminal 110a is electrically connected to an extension terminal 21cb of another adjacent secondary battery.
With respect to claim 8, Lee et al. teach the secondary battery, wherein a plurality of the secondary batteries are aligned in the thickness direction, and the connection terminals 110a or 110b provided on each of the secondary batteries are connected in series or parallel to the extension terminals 21cb of another of the secondary batteries adjacent thereto.
With respect to claim 9, Lee et al. do not specifically teach the secondary battery, wherein the connection terminal is integrally formed with the extension terminal.
It would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have modified Lee et al. by making the connection terminal 110a or 110b be integrally formed with the extension terminal 21cb, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make plural parts unitary as a matter of engineering design choice. In re Larson, 144 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1965); In re Lockart 90 USPQ 214 (CCPA 1951).
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 2016/0372793 to Lee et al. in view of US Patent Application Publication 2014/0113494 to Kinoshita et al. in view of US Patent Application Publication 2014/0205888 to Kim et al.
With respect to claim 10, Lee et al. do not specifically teach the secondary battery, wherein an end of the connection terminal forms a slot open in the thickness direction of the secondary battery, wherein the connection terminal of the another adjacent secondary battery is inserted into the slot of the connection terminal of the secondary battery.
However, Kim et al. teach a battery module comprising a positive terminal 11 and a bus bar 30, wherein the positive terminal 11 has a terminal clamp 13 with a slot in between a first elastic piece 13a and a second elastic piece 13b, wherein bands 31 of the bus bar 30 are being inserted into the slot to form electrically connection between two adjacent batteries (Kim et al.: Section [0038]; Figs. 1-3). With the teaching from Kim et al., it would have been obvious as of the effective filing dated of the claimed invention to have modified Lee et al. to have the extension terminal 21cb integral with the connection terminal 110a and an end of the connection terminal 110a forms a slot open in the thickness direction of the secondary battery, wherein the extension terminal (the connection terminal) of the another adjacent secondary battery is inserted into the slot of the connection terminal 110a of the secondary battery, with the motivation of having a means such it is a common connection between two parts in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINGWEN R ZENG whose telephone number is (571)272-6649. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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/LINGWEN R ZENG/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 6/24/2026
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