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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 9-12, & 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Darbandi et al. (US 2024/0274990 A1, priority date of 07/12/2021).
Regarding claim 1, Darbandi teaches a terminal rivet (step-shape structure 201; Abstract) for a cylindrical secondary cell (cylindrical battery cell 100) comprising: a shaft (rivet portion 2012) configured to extend axially through a casing (cell housing 101; Fig. 13, Par. 0009, the rivet portion 2012 extends down into the opening of the secondary cell) of the secondary cell to thereby electrically contact a current collecting plate (current collector 202) of the secondary cell at a first end of the shaft (Par. 0006, the current collector is welded to a terminal at the bottom; Par. 0009, the terminal comprises the step-shape structure, which comprises the rivet portion; the shaft/rivet portion 2012 is thus electrically connected to the current collector 202); and a head arranged at a second end of the shaft (substrate portion 2011 is located at the top of the terminal), configured to form an external terminal for the cylindrical secondary cell (terminal 1031; Par. 0009, the rivet portion 2012 and substrate portion 2011 form the terminal); wherein: the head comprises a central region (Fig. 12, 13; substrate portion around injection hole 405) and a first welding region arranged around said central region (Fig. 12-13, third groove portion 1201), wherein the first welding region is recessed relative to said central region (Fig. 12-13); and the first end of the shaft comprises a second welding region (space 406), aligned along the axis of the shaft with the first welding region (Fig. 13, the inner sides of the welding region rings are aligned), and recessed towards the first welding region (Fig. 13; space 406 is recessed towards the third groove portion 1201 around the central region).
Regarding claim 2, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein: the shaft is cylindrical (Fig. 13, rivet portion 2012; Par. 0093, the rivet portion 2012 is ring-shaped, which is cylindrical) and configured to extend axially through a circular opening in the casing of the cylindrical secondary cell (Fig. 13, the circular cap 1033 has an opening, through which the rivet portion 2012 passes); and the head is substantially disc shaped (Fig. 13, substrate portion 2012 is denoted as terminal 1031, which is disc shaped), configured to close the circular opening in the casing of the cylindrical secondary cell (Fig. 13, the terminal/substrate portion completely covers the opening in the cap).
Regarding claim 3, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein: the first end of the shaft comprises a central region and the second welding region is arranged around said central region of the first end of the shaft (Fig. 13; the space 406 is arranged around the portion of the rivet surrounding the injection hole 405).
Regarding claim 4, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein: the second welding region corresponds in its shape to the first welding region (Fig. 13; both the third groove portion 1201 and space 406 are ring-shaped).
Regarding claim 5, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein: the first welding region is a continuous region surrounding the central region (Par. 0113; “The third groove portion 1201 may be continuous in the whole circumference”).
Regarding claim 6, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 5, wherein: the central region is circular (Fig. 13) and the first welding region is annular and concentric with the central region (Fig. 12, Par. 0110; “the third groove portion 1201 is around the injection hole 405 in the circumference region”).
Regarding claim 7, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein: the head further comprises a peripheral region arranged around the first welding region (terminal 1031 surrounds the third groove portion 1201), and the first welding region is recessed relative to said peripheral region (Fig. 13).
Regarding claim 9, Darbandi teaches the terminal rivet of claim 1, wherein the first end of the shaft further comprises a riveting region (Fig. 13, the riveting region is located at the rivet portion 2012) arranged around the second welding region (Fig. 13), configured to deform under riveting of the terminal rivet (Par. 0090, the terminal comprising the rivet parts is made of aluminum, which is the same material as that of the present application; thus, the riveting portion will deform like that of the present application).
Regarding claim 10, Darbandi teaches a cylindrical secondary cell (cylindrical battery cell 100), comprising: an electrode roll (jellyroll structure 102; Par. 0074, the jellyroll structure includes a rolled cathode foil and rolled anode foil) housed in a cylindrical casing (cell housing 101); the terminal rivet of any preceding claim, arranged at a first end of the cylindrical casing (Fig. 13); and a current collecting plate (current collector 202) in direct electrical contact with the electrode roll (Par. 0017; the jellyroll structure is welded to the current collector), wherein the first end of the shaft of the terminal rivet is in direct electrical contact with the current collecting plate (Par. 0017; the current collector is connected to the terminal, which includes the shaft/rivet portion 2012).
Regarding claim 11, Darbandi teaches the cylindrical secondary cell of claim 10, wherein: the current collecting plate has a first side for direct electrical contact with the terminal rivet (Fig. 12, 13; all parts of the rivet are above the current collector 202), and a second side for direct electrical contact with the electrode roll (Fig. 12, 13; the jellyroll is below the current collector, on the opposite side from the terminal); and the first side of the current collecting plate comprises a protrusion configured to extend into the recessed second welding region on the first end of the shaft of the terminal rivet (Fig. 13; the current collector 202 extends upward into the space 406).
Regarding claim 12, Darbandi teaches the cylindrical secondary cell of claim 10, wherein: the second side of the current collecting plate comprises a recess (Fig. 13; as the first side of the current collector protrudes upward, the second side of the current collector is recessed).
Regarding claim 14, Darbandi teaches the cylindrical secondary cell of claim 10, wherein the first end of the casing comprises a first electrical contact surface (cap plate 1033) extending in a first plane (Fig. 13, the cap plate extends horizontally and is made of steel, as stated in Par. 0090, thus allowing electrical contact), and the head of the rivet comprises a second electrical contact surface (substrate portion 2011/terminal 1031; Fig. 13, the terminal 1031 comprises the substrate portion 2011, which functions as the rivet head, and it is made of aluminum, as stated in Par. 0090, which allows electrical contact), extending in a second plane axially spaced from the first plane (the terminal 1031 comprising the substrate portion 2011 extends vertically, or axially with respect to the cap plate).
Regarding claim 15, Darbandi teaches a method of manufacturing the cylindrical secondary cell of claim 10, comprising: arranging the terminal rivet and the current collecting plate such that the first end of the shaft of the terminal rivet abuts the current collecting plate (Par. 0113, the current collector 202 and the terminal 1301 are welded together; Fig. 13, the current collector is welded to the terminal underneath, or at the first end); and directing a welding means at the first welding region to thereby weld the terminal rivet to the current collecting plate (Par. 0013; the terminal 1031 and current collector 202 are welded through the third groove portion 1201, which corresponds to the first welding region).
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 8 & 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darbandi (US 2024/0274990 A1), in view of Otsuka et al. (JP 2021057234 A).
Regarding claim 8, Darbandi fails to teach a cap for the terminal rivet with is received in the first welding region.
However, Otsuka teaches a terminal rivet (Fig. 1; rivet terminal 11, shaft portion 12) with a first welding region (Fig. 1, recessed portion 15), which is configured to receive a cap (terminal member 17; Par. 0017, the terminal member 17 is welded into the recessed portion 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the terminal river taught by Darbandi by welding a cap into the first welding region, as taught by Otsuka. This would be done in order to prevent deterioration of the battery’s seal (Par. 0008) while ensuring good electrical contact (Par. 0002), as stated in Otsuka.
Regarding claim 13, Darbandi fails to teach a cap arranged in the first welding region which is configured to present an electrical contact surface for the external terminal.
However, Otsuka teaches a cylindrical cell (Par. 0042, battery has a cylindrical case) comprising a terminal rivet (rivet terminal 11, shaft portion 12), further comprising a cap (terminal member 17; Fig. 1) arranged in the first welding region, configured to present an electrical contact surface for the external terminal (terminal member 17; Par. 0017, the terminal member 17 is welded into the recessed portion 15, which electrically connects the terminal member to the internal battery components).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the terminal river taught by Darbandi by welding a cap into the first welding region, as taught by Otsuka. This would be done in order to prevent deterioration of the battery’s seal (Par. 0008) while ensuring good electrical contact (Par. 0002, 0023), as stated in Otsuka.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMERON M BAIRD whose telephone number is (571)272-9742. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571) 270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CAMERON M BAIRD/ Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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