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 .
Response to Amendment
Upon consideration, the previous rejection of record was withdrawn in light of new amendments. However new rejection is applied to the amended claims. All changes made in the rejection are necessitated by the amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 11 and 13-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 11 and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1 in the Drawings filed 01-22-2025] in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2014/0315069 hereinafter Kim, U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2012/0312614 hereinafter Fujiwara, and CN 209320718 U hereinafter Wang.
Regarding Claim 11, Figure 1 of Applicant’s drawings disclose an electrical power supply assembly [10] for a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: a casing [12] having a bottom [14] and at least two lateral walls [20, 22] that are opposite one another and protrude upright from the bottom; and a set of accumulator battery modules [30, 32], each of the modules having an accumulator battery [34] having two opposite ends [36, 38], and two opposite flanges [40, 42] respectively covering the ends, the modules of the set being installed inside the casing on the bottom in a plurality of contiguous rows of n modules situated coaxially in an extension of one another and substantially parallel to the lateral walls, wherein the contiguous rows are arranged such that the flanges of the modules of the rows are respectively aligned edge to edge in a direction substantially perpendicular to the opposite lateral walls (paragraphs 21-27 of Applicant’s Specification as filed).
Figure 1 shows a crossmember [46] separating the first modules [30] and the second modules [32] and extending from one lateral wall [20] to the other [22] and over the entire height of the casing. The crossmember makes it possible to reinforce the casing and provide better resistance to deformation inside the assembly.
However, the crossmember makes it necessary to reserve a space that is then a wasted space for the accumulator batteries and consequently for the energy storage capacities of the electrical power supply assembly.
Kim teaches a battery pack [700] comprising a plurality of battery modules [100] accommodated in a housing [500] (see figure 3), wherein the battery modules [100] are arranged in a row on the bottom of the housing and one guide member (flange) [550] is formed between two battery modules (see annotated figure 4 below). Kim further teaches that the guide member [550] may be provided between the respective battery modules [100] accommodated in the housing [500] (paragraph 48).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form such guide member (flange) [550] between two battery modules before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Kim discloses that such configuration can effectively perform the alignment of the plurality of battery modules [100], thereby improving the production efficiency of the battery pack [700] (paragraph 49).
The combination teaches that the crossmember makes it possible to reinforce the casing and provide better resistance to deformation inside the assembly (paragraph 26 of Applicant’s Specification as filed) and it is therefore reasonable to conclude that the guide members (flanges) are secured to the bottom of the casing (housing).
Alternatively, Fujiwara teaches a power supply apparatus for a vehicle (paragraph 23), comprising a plurality of battery modules [12] that are formed on a support plate [11], and the battery module including flanges [20] formed on opposite ends of the module, wherein the flanges are secured to the bottom of the casing so as to form rigid crossmembers inside the casing (paragraph 30, see figures 1 and 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form such secured flanges in the battery assembly before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Fujiwara discloses that such configuration can effectively secure the battery modules together.
Wang teaches that multiple cross beams can be disposed between the battery modules in a row (see figures 1 and 5 shown below).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use multiple flanges (cross beams) in the battery assembly before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Wang discloses that such configuration can effectively secure the battery modules together (see Abstract).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination teaches that the modules of each of the rows are connected together in pairs by just a single flange and have just a single length (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination teaches that the casing has a front wall and an opposite rear wall, protruding upright from the bottom and respectively connecting the lateral walls substantially perpendicularly so as to close the casing (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination teaches that each of the flanges has a given thickness and at least one through-orifice made in the thickness so as to allow a fastening screw to pass through (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Regarding Claims 16-17, the combination teaches that the bottom of the casing has tapped portions or collars for receiving the screws for fastening the flanges casing (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Regarding Claim 18, the combination teaches that each of the flanges have recesses in an extension of the through-orifices so as to accommodate the collars (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Regarding Claims 19 and 20, the combination teaches that the flanges have a substantially rectangular parallelepipedal shape and are molded in one piece from aluminum alloy (see Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art [Figure 1] and the combination described above).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752