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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Kado et al. (US20120115022).
As to claim 1, Kado et al. discloses an electricity storage device (figure 1) comprising: an electrode body (20) including a positive electrode and a negative electrode; an exterior body (30) having an opening and housing the electrode body therein; a closing plate (32) having a terminal insertion hole and closing the opening; an electrode terminal (figure 2 number 41) having one end electrically connected to the electrode body inside the exterior body and another end inserted into the terminal insertion hole and exposed outside the closing plate; and an insulating member (50) made of resin and insulating the electrode terminal from an outer surface of the closing plate (32), wherein the closing plate, the electrode terminal (34a), and the insulating member are insert-molded, the closing plate has a groove (34a) at a boundary portion with the insulating member on the outer surface side, and the groove is provided over an entire periphery of the electrode terminal.
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.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kado et al. (US20120115022)..
Kado et al. discloses the electricity storage device described above. Kado et al. fail to disclose wherein, when a groove width is X mm and a groove depth is Y mm, the groove has a sum of the groove width X and the groove depth Y of 1 mm or more and wherein, the groove depth Y is 0.1 mm or more. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Kado et al. with wherein, when a groove width is X mm and a groove depth is Y mm, the groove has a sum of the groove width X and the groove depth Y of 1 mm or more and wherein, the groove depth Y is 0.1 mm or more in order to provide optimal results in absence of unexpected results.
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kado et al. in view of Kohno et al. (US20130260212).
Kado et al. discloses the electricity storage device described above. Kado et al. fail to disclose wherein the closing plate has a roughened portion in at least a part of the boundary portion with the insulating member and wherein the electrode terminal has a roughened portion in at least a part of a boundary portion with the insulating member. Kohno et al. teaches wherein the closing plate has a roughened portion in at least a part of the boundary portion with the insulating member and wherein the electrode terminal has a roughened portion in at least a part of a boundary portion with the insulating member for the purpose of ensuring closer contact with the insulating base material (paragraph 0105).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to Kado et al. with wherein the closing plate has a roughened portion in at least a part of the boundary portion with the insulating member and wherein the electrode terminal has a roughened portion in at least a part of a boundary portion with the insulating member for the purpose of ensuring closer contact with the insulating base material (paragraph 0105).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JANE J RHEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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