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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/975,556
`
`08/25/2020
`
`Yukio Harima
`
`P200785US00
`
`6824
`
`WHDA, LLP
`8500 LEESBURG PIKE
`SUITE 7500
`TYSONS, VA 22182
`
`GREENE, PATRICK MARSHALL
`
`1724
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`07/22/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`patentmail @ whda.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-5 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)( The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 08/25/2020 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b){(.) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.4.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1) ([] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 09/21/2020.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20220715
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/975,556
`Harimaetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`PATRICK M GREENE
`1724
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 08/25/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/975,556
`Art Unit: 1724
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventorto file provisions of the AJA.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`2.
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`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C.
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`102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the
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`statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art
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`relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same undereither status.
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`3.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphsof 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the
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`basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
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`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(a)(1) the claimed invention waspatented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale,
`or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`(a)(2) the claimed invention wasdescribed 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 waseffectively filed before the effective filing date of the
`claimed invention.
`
`4.
`
`Claims1 - 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kojima,
`
`JP2016046158A (in IDS)(see attached PDFforcitations)(see original documentfor figures).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Kojima teaches a sealed battery (battery (100))[fig. 1] comprising:
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`a case including an opening portion (can (12) closed bylid (11))[fig. 1][fig. 2];
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`an electrode body housedin the case (electrode group (40))[fig. 2][0019];
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`a lid memberthat seals the opening portion of the case (lid (11))[fig. 2];
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`an external terminal provided on an outer surface of the lid member (terminals
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`(20a)(20b)[fig. 2]);
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/975,556
`Art Unit: 1724
`
`Page 3
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`a collector member(collector (30a)(30b))[fig. 2] in whichafirst end thereofis
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`electrically connected to an electrode tab (joint portions (41d)(42d)))[fig. 2] extended out from
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`the electrode body (40) and
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`in which a second end (connection plate (33))[fig. 2] thereof is electrically connected to a
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`current breaking mechanism (current interrupting mechanism (50))[fig. 2] provided inside the
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`battery; and
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`a conductor member (connection part (22A))[fig. 2] provided so as to penetrate through
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`the lid member(11) in an airtight state (sealed case)[0016][0023], in which,inside the battery,
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`the conductor memberis electrically connected to the current breaking mechanism (50), and
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`outside the battery, the conductor memberis electrically connected to the external terminal(plate
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`like portion (21a) of (20a))[fig. 2],
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`wherein the current breaking mechanism (50) includes a thin plate-like conductive plate
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`(diaphragm (5))[fig. 2] in which an outer peripheral portion (5b)[fig. 2][0084] thereofis
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`connected to the collector member (30a) and in which an innerperipheral portion (5a) thereofis
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`connected to the conductor member (22A)[0049],
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`the inner peripheral portion of the conductive plate is formed in a shape protruding from
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`a surface of the collector member (extends upwards from recessed accommodating portion
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`(33b))[fig. 2][0057],
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`the conductive plate (5) is, upon an increase in pressure inside the battery, capable of
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`having the inner peripheral portion become displaced so as to become separated from the
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`conductor member(33)[0018][0019[0073], and
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`an accommodating recess (33b) that receives the inner peripheral portion of the
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`conductive plate separated and displaced from the conductor memberis formed in the collector
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/975,556
`Art Unit: 1724
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`Page 4
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`memberandin a thickness direction of the collector member (accommodating portion
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`(33b)) [0084] [fig. 2].
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`Regarding claim 2, Kojima teaches the sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein the
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`accommodating recess is formed in a shape including a flat columnar-shaped spaceora flat
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`truncated cone-shaped space (33b)[fig. 2].
`
`Regarding claim 3, Kojima teaches the sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein the
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`conductor member (22A) includes a conductive cylindrical member (22a) and a conductive
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`columnar member(22b)(22c) disposed inside the cylindrical member[fig. 2],
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`the inner peripheral portion of the conductive plate (5) is coupled to an end portion of the
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`columnar member(bottom of (22A))[fig. 5] on a first side through a braking plate (33f) that
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`includes a thin-walled fragile portion (33h)[fig. 11].
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`Regarding claim 4, Kojima teaches the sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein a gasket
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`(gasket (4)) that seals an inside of the battery and an outside of the battery from each other in an
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`airtight state is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member[fig. 2].
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`Regarding claim 5, Kojima teaches the sealed battery according to claim 3, wherein the
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`electrode tab (41d)(42d) extended out from the electrode bodyis joinedto a first end portion
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`(connection portion (32a))[fig. 2] of the collector member (30a),
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`the outer peripheral portion of the conductive plate (5) is joined to a peripheral portion of
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`the accommodating recess formed in a second end portion of the collector member(30a),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/975,556
`Art Unit: 1724
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`Page 5
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`the inner peripheral portion of the conductive plate (5) is joined to the fragile portion
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`positioned at a center area of the braking plate (33f)[fig. 11],
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`a portion in the braking plate positioned on an outer peripheral side of the fragile portion
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`(33b) is joined to an end portion of the columnar member(22b)(22c) on a first side (both (22A)
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`and (33b) connected to (31a) by (34) connected though attachment(3A)) [fig. 5] to, and
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`an end portion of the columnar member (22b)(22c) on a secondsideis joined to the
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`cylindrical member(22a) at a portion outside the battery (outside of case (12))[fig. 2].
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`Conclusion
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`5.
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to PATRICK M GREENEwhosetelephone numberis (571)270-
`
`1340. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
`
`Examinerinterviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using
`
`a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicantis
`
`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached on (571)270-5256. The fax phone numberfor the
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`organization wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be
`
`obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/975,556
`Art Unit: 1724
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`Page 6
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`information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about
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`Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/PATRICK MARSHALL GREENE/
`Examiner, Art Unit 1724
`/BRIAN R OHARA/
`Examiner, Art Unit 1724
`
`