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 § 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 1-10, 13, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su et al. (CN 214898799 U) in view of Kishimoto (JP 2004063231 A). It is noted that the disclosures of Su et al. and Kishimoto are based on a machine translation of the reference included with this action.
Regarding claim 1:
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Su et al. teaches in Figure 7 above, a cover, i.e. end cover assembly, for closing the opening on a battery cell, and a pressure relief mechanism located on the cover (n0067). The pressure relief mechanism 132 can take the form of an explosion-proof valve, a gas valve, a pressure relief valve, or a safety valve, and can specifically adopt pressure-sensitive or temperature-sensitive elements or structures (n0067). That is, when the internal pressure or temperature of a battery cell reaches a predetermined threshold, the pressure relief mechanism performs an action or the weak structure in the pressure relief mechanism is destroyed, thereby forming a through port or channel for the internal pressure or temperature to be released (n0051, n0067).
Su et al. also teaches an electrode terminal 1351 is connected to an adapter 138, i.e. current collecting member, which is located between a cover plate 131 and electrode assembly 12, and is used to make the electrode assembly 12 and electrode terminal 1351 electrically connected (n0078). The adapter 138 includes a first adapter portion 1381, i.e. assembling portion, and a second adapter portion 1382, i.e. current collecting portion. The first adapter portion 1381 is stacked on the second adapter portion 1382. The first adapter portion 1381 is used to connect an electrode 1351, and the second adapter portion 1382 is used to connect a tab 121 (n0110). The adapter 138 is also provided with a second channel 1383, which is used to ensure that the gas generated between the electrodes can be effectively released (n0111).
However, Su et al. does not teach wherein first supporting members and a second supporting member are separately arranged on two side surfaces, facing each other, of the end cover and the current collecting portion and projections of the first supporting members and a projection of the second supporting member are intersected in a thickness direction of the end cover, so as to ensure that a pressure relief space in which the fluid flows from the pressure relief hole to the pressure relief structure always exists between the end cover and the current collecting portion.
Kishimoto teaches in Figure 3 above, two cover-side protrusions 44, i.e. first supporting member, of the cover 42 is extended toward the positive electrode current collector plate 41, and two protrusions 43 of a positive electrode current collector 41, i.e. second supporting member, is joined to the tip of the outer peripheral wall 45 of the cover protrusion 44 and electrically connected to the positive electrode current collector plate 41 (0033). The outer peripheral wall 45 of the lid-side projection 44 can be positioned so as to pass through the shortest distance between the positive electrode current collector plate 41 and the lid portion 42. This allows the current path to be shortened, reducing resistance and increasing output (0034).
In light of the motivation for using a cover-side protrusion and a protrusion of a positive electrode current collector disclosed by Kishimoto as set forth above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a cover-side protrusion and a protrusion of a positive electrode current collector in the battery cell of Su et al. in order to reduce resistance and increase output.
Regarding claim 2:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Given that Su et al. discloses the pressure relief hole and a projection of the pressure relief mechanism are on different plates, the pressure relief hole and the projection of the pressure relief mechanism would necessarily inherently be staggered.
Regarding claim 3:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Given that the first members of Kishimoto are placed on the cover of Su as shown in annotated Figure 7 of Su et al., it is clear that the projections of the cover-side protrusions and the protrusion of the positive electrode current collector of the pressure relief mechanism will not intersect.
Regarding claim 4:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Given that the first members of Kishimoto are placed on the cover of Su as shown in Figure 7 of Su et al., it is clear that all the cover-side protrusions are spaced apart from each other around the pressure relief mechanism.
Regarding claim 5:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Given that the first members of Kishimoto are placed on the cover of Su as shown in Figure 7 of Su et al., it is clear that in the thickness direction of the cover, the projections of the cover-side protrusions will be within a projection range of the protrusion of the positive electrode current collector.
Regarding claim 6:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Given that the first members of Kishimoto are placed on the cover of Su as shown in Figure 7 of Su et al., it is clear that in the thickness direction of the cover, the projection of the protrusion of the positive electrode current collector and a projection of the pressure relief mechanism will intersect.
Regarding claim 7-8:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further, Su et al. teaches in Figure 7 above, that a first insulator 133, i.e. first insulating member, is insulating and mounted to the cover, and is located between the adapter and the cover, so as to insulate the cover from the adapter.
Given that the first members of Kishimoto are placed on the cover of Su as shown in Figure 7 of Su et al. and the first insulator is insulating, it is clear that the cover-side protrusions are configured to be insulated from the second adapter portion.
Regarding claim 9:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further Kishimoto teaches in Figure 3 above, avoidance portions are arranged at positions, corresponding to the cover-side protrusions 44, on the first insulator 133, and the avoidance portions cooperate with the cover-side protrusions 44, to accommodate the cover-side protrusions 44.
Regarding claim 10:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further Kishimoto teaches in Figure 3 above, the avoidance portions are first concave portions formed on a surface of the first insulator facing the cover and sunken in a direction away from the cover, the cover-side protrusions are in concave-convex fit with the first concave portions, so that the cover-side protrusions are accommodated in the first concave portions, and ends of the first concave portions away from the cover are closed to insulate and isolate the cover-side protrusions from the second adapter portion.
Regarding claim 13:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further, Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teaches in Figure 7 above, the cover-side protrusions are arranged on the surface of the cover facing the interior of the battery cell.
Kishimoto also teaches in Figure 3 above, the cover-side protrusions are cylindrical bosses, the protrusion of the positive electrode current collector is arranged on a surface of the second adapter portion facing the cover, the protrusion of the positive electrode current collector is a bump, and in the thickness direction of the cover, projections of the cover-side protrusions are located within a projection of the bump, and the projection of the bump is intersected with the projection of the pressure relief mechanism.
Regarding claim 15:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further, Su et al. teaches a battery cell 1 includes a housing 11, an electrode assembly 12, and an end cap assembly 13 (n0076) where one side of the housing 11 has an opening 111 so that one or more electrode assemblies 12 can be placed inside the housing 11 (n0076), and the end cap assembly 13 covers the opening 111 (n0076).
Regarding claim 16:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further, Su et al. teaches multiple battery cells can be connected in series, parallel, or mixed to form a battery module, and then the multiple battery modules can be connected in series, parallel, or mixed to form a battery (n0073).
Regarding claim 17:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto teach a cover assembly as set forth above.
Further, Su et al. teaches the battery can be used to power a vehicle, i.e. electrical apparatus (n0072).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-12 and 14 are 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 claims 11-12 and 14 would be allowable over the “closest” prior art Su et al. (CN 214898799 U) in view of Kishimoto (JP 2004063231 A) if rewritten in independent form as described above for the following reasons:
Su et al. in view of Kishimoto discloses a cover, for closing the opening on a battery cell, and a pressure relief mechanism located on the cover, an adapter,
However, Su et al. in view of Kishimoto do not disclose or suggest the end cover assembly, wherein the avoidance portions are through holes penetrating through the first insulating member in a thickness direction of the first insulating member, and the first supporting members are plugged into the through holes; the thickness direction of the end cover, a height of each first supporting member is less than a depth of each through hole, so that after the first supporting members are plugged into the through holes, the first supporting members are not in contact with the current collecting portion, as required in present claim 11.
In addition, there is no disclosure or suggestion in Su et al. in view of Kishimoto that in the thickness direction of the end cover, a height of each first supporting member is less than a depth of each through hole, so that after the first supporting members are plugged into the through holes, the first supporting members are not in contact with the current collecting portion, as required in present claim 12.
Further, there is no disclosure or suggestion in Su et al. in view of Kishimoto that the assembling portion comprises an assembling section and a folded section connected with each other, the assembling section is in insulating connection to the end cover, two ends of the folded section are respectively connected to the assembling section and the current collecting portion, and the two ends are separately bent relative to the assembling section and the current collecting portion, and the current collecting portion is located on one side of the assembling section facing away from the end cover as required in claim 14.
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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