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 § 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.
Claims 1-9, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chao et al. (CN-108232051-A, see machine translation) in view of Haitao et al. (CN-112786973-A, see machine translation), hereafter referred to as Chao and Haitao, respectively.
Regarding Claim 1, Chao teaches a button-type secondary battery having a diameter greater than a height thereof (“This invention relates to a battery, and more specifically, to a button cell battery,” paragraph 2), the button type battery comprising: a can body defining an accommodation space therein and having an opened upper end (“The housing 1 includes a lower shell 11 with an opening at the top,” paragraph 26; 1 in Fig. 1); an electrode assembly accommodated in the accommodation space of the can body (“The electrode isolation assembly 2 is disposed in the housing 1,” paragraph 26; 2 in Fig. 1); and a top cap assembly configured to cover the upper end of the can body and coupled to the can body (“an opening at the top and a matching top cover 12,” paragraph 26; 12 in Fig. 1), wherein the top cap assembly comprises: a base plate having a flat plate shape and bent upward from a circumferential area thereof (“The top cover 12 includes a bottom wall 121 and a folded portion 122 formed by folding the periphery of the bottom wall 121 upward,” paragraph 26; 121/122 in Fig. 1); an electrode terminal having a flat plate shape to be seated on an upper portion of the base plate, wherein the electrode terminal comprises a protrusion protruding downward from a central area thereof (4 in Fig. 1), and an insulating member between the base plate and the electrode terminal (3 in Fig. 1).
Chao does not specifically teach that the button-type battery is a secondary one. However, Haitao teaches a button-type secondary battery (“This invention relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically to a stacked button lithium-ion battery,” paragraph 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to take the button-type battery design taught by Chao, which is agnostic to whether the battery is primary or secondary, and apply it specifically to a secondary button-type battery, as taught by Haitao.
Regarding Claim 2, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises: a seating part on which the electrode terminal is seated (4 in Fig. 1); an insertion hole vertically passing through a central area of the seating part (123 in Fig. 1); and a bent part bent upward from a circumferential area of the seating part (122 in Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 2, wherein the protrusion protrudes into the insertion hole (3/4 in Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 4, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 2, wherein the top cap assembly is inside an upper end of the can body, and wherein an upper end of the bent part has a same height as the upper end of the can body (121/122 in Fig. 1 represent the top cap assembly, which shows the top cap assembly is inside the can 1, and the bent part 122 rises up to be the same height as the upper end of the can).
Regarding Claim 5, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 4, wherein the top cap assembly is welded to the can body, and wherein the upper end of the can body and the upper end of the bent part are welded to each other at a point at which the upper end of the can body and the upper end of the bent part have the same height (“the edge of the folded edge 1222 is sealed together with the opening edge of the lower shell 11 by laser welding, and the welding point 13 is shown in FIG1,” paragraph 27; 1222, 13, and 11 in Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 4, wherein the upper end of the bent part has a same height as a top surface of the electrode terminal (“The positive electrode 21 of the electrode isolator 2 is electrically connected to the top cover 12,” paragraph 28; Fig. 1 shows that the bent part and base plate are a single unit, so the bent part serves as part of the electrode terminal and is thus at the same height; 4 in Fig. 1 also protrudes upward to be at the same height as the upper end of the bent part).
Regarding Claim 7, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 2, wherein the bent part surrounds a circumferential area of the electrode terminal from the outside, wherein the bent part is spaced a predetermined distance from the electrode terminal (4 in Fig. 1 shows to be surrounded by the bent part 122 circumferentially from the outside at a predetermined distance from electrode terminal 4).
Regarding Claim 8, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein the top cap assembly further comprises a ring gasket below the base plate (“insulating seal 3 can be made of materials such as insulating adhesive, ceramic with a coating, or glass with a coating,” paragraph 29; 3 in Fig. 1 is shown to be located both above and below the base plate).
Regarding Claim 9, Chao further teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a separator, a negative electrode, and a separator alternately disposed (“at least one positive electrode 21 and at least one negative electrode 22, and an insulator 23 located between the positive electrode 21 and the negative electrode 22,” paragraph 26), wherein the electrode terminal is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the electrode assembly, and wherein the can body and the base plate are electrically connected to the negative electrode of the electrode assembly (“the negative electrode 22 may be electrically connected to the top cover 12, and the positive electrode 21 may be electrically connected to the conductor 4,” paragraph 28).
Regarding Claim 11, Chao teaches a top cap assembly for a button-type battery having a diameter greater than a height thereof (“This invention relates to a battery, and more specifically, to a button cell battery,” paragraph 2), the top cap assembly comprising: a base plate having a flat plate shape and bent upward from a circumferential area thereof (“The top cover 12 includes a bottom wall 121 and a folded portion 122 formed by folding the periphery of the bottom wall 121 upward,” paragraph 26; 121/122 in Fig. 1); an electrode terminal having a flat plate shape to be seated on an upper portion of the base plate, wherein the electrode terminal comprises a protrusion protruding downward from a central area thereof (4 in Fig. 1); and an insulating member provided between the base plate and the electrode terminal (3 in Fig. 1). Chao does not specifically teach that the button-type battery is a secondary one. However, Haitao teaches a button-type secondary battery (“This invention relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically to a stacked button lithium-ion battery,” paragraph 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to take the button-type battery design taught by Chao, which is agnostic to whether the battery is primary or secondary, and apply it specifically to a secondary button-type battery, as taught by Haitao.
Regarding Claim 12, Chao further teaches the top cap assembly of claim 11, wherein the base plate comprises: a seating part on which the electrode terminal is seated (4 in Fig. 1); an insertion hole vertically passing through a central area of the seating part (123 in Fig. 1); and a bent part bent upward from a circumferential area of the seating part (122 in Fig. 1).
Claims 10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chao in view of Haitao and further in view of Shimizu et al. (US-20220102789-A1), hereafter referred to simply as Shimizu.
Regarding Claim 10, Chao in view of Haitao teach the button-type battery of claim 2, but not specifically one wherein the bent part has a notch groove having a shape that is recessed in a direction away from a center of the seating part. However, Shimizu teaches a button-type secondary battery (“an exemplary description of the configuration of the electrode body 200 will be given by taking a lithium ion secondary battery as an example,” paragraph 138; Fig. 4 shows that the battery is button-type where the diameter is greater than the height). Shimizu also teaches a top cap assembly where the bent part has a notch groove having a shape that is recessed in a direction away from a center of the seating part (413 in Fig. 1B is shown to be a notch groove where the extending portion of the bent part 414 is in a direction away from the center).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to take the button-type battery design taught by Chao in view of Haitao, further configured with the configuration of Shimizu for the purpose of affixing the lid to the opening edge of the can.
Regarding Claim 13, Chao as modified by Haitao teaches the button-type battery of claim 12, but not one wherein the bent part has a notch groove having a shape that is recessed in a direction away from a center of the seating part. However, Shimizu teaches a button-type secondary battery (“an exemplary description of the configuration of the electrode body 200 will be given by taking a lithium ion secondary battery as an example,” paragraph 138; Fig. 4 shows that the battery is button-type where the diameter is greater than the height). Shimizu also teaches a top cap assembly where the bent part has a notch groove having a shape that is recessed in a direction away from a center of the seating part (413 in Fig. 1B is shown to be a notch groove where the extending portion of the bent part 414 is in a direction away from the center).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to take the button-type battery design taught by Chao in view of Haitao, further configured with the configuration of Shimizu for the purpose of affixing the lid to the opening edge of the can.
Conclusion
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/JORDAN P WILKERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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