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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on September 26, 2025 has been entered.
Status of Application
Claims 1 and 5 are amended, submitted on 9/26/2025. Claims 1-3, 5, and 7 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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.
2. The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-3, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ding (CN 110233229 A, see machine translation for citation), in view of Ogasawara (CN203596381 U, see machine translation for citation), and further in view of Stanchfield (US 20040216418 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ding discloses a battery module ([0017] and FIG. 1) comprising: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells (11, [0029]) are stacked adjacent to one another along a stacking direction (from left to right direction, FIG. 1), each of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead extending from a front or a rear surface of the battery cell stack in a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction (FIG. 1), a module frame (1 upper cover, [0026]) housing the battery cell stack therein (FIG. 1), and a busbar frame (7 and 8, [0029]) covering the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack (FIG. 1).
Ding discloses the desire to solve the problem of difficulty in assembling the soft-pack battery module and connecting the soft-pack battery module to the busbar ([0006]). While Ding discloses it is simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module as a whole and by adding a number of soft-pack battery modules, series and parallel connections of different needs can be achieved by connecting the soft-pack battery modules by plugging and fixing them through the pin body 21 and the pin body 22 ([0042]), Ding does not explicitly disclose the busbar frame includes a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame coupled to each other and disposed adjacent to one another along the stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and wherein a protrusion part is formed on one side of the first busbar frame, a groove part is formed on one side of the second busbar frame, and the protrusion part is coupled to the groove part, so that the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame are connected, wherein the protrusion part of the first busbar frame and the groove part of the second busbar frame extends, respectively, along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other along the vertical direction, and wherein the front or rear surface of the battery cell stack extends along a first plane, the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame together extend along an entirety of the first plane, the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet.
Ogasawara teaches conventionally it is necessary to manufacture resin plates corresponding to the increased or decreased number of batteries; however, since the resin plate can be divided, this can be achieved by preparing a plurality of resin plates with different sizes (such as the number of accommodating portions) in advance and combining these resin plates to cope with the increase or decrease in the number of batteries ([0019]); and in the divided resin plates, a convex portion may be formed on the surface of one resin plate facing the other resin plate, and a concave portion capable of locking the convex portion may be formed on the surface of the other resin plate facing the one resin plate so that the resin plates can be attached and detached with a simple and compact structure ([0020] and FIGs. 1-2) coupled to each other and disposed adjacent to one another along a stacking direction of the battery cell stack (5, FIG.3), which reads on the claimed “the busbar frame includes a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame coupled to each other and disposed adjacent to one another along a stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and wherein a protrusion part is formed on one side of the first busbar frame, a groove part is formed on one side of the second busbar frame, and the protrusion part is coupled to the groove part, so that the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame are connected” because resin plates of Ogasawara corresponds to busbar frames of the instant application; and a convex portion and a concave portion of Ogasawara correspond to a protrusion part and a groove part of the instant claim, respectively.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for an ordinary skilled artisan to make the busbar frame of Ding include a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame coupled to each other and disposed adjacent to one another along a stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and wherein a protrusion part is formed on one side of the first busbar frame, a groove part is formed on one side of the second busbar frame, and the protrusion part is coupled to the groove part, so that the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame are connected, as taught by Ogasawara, to make it simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries in order to satisfy series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Since modified Ding has included two busbar frame coupled side by side as established above, modified Ding has necessarily and inherently included the front or rear surface of the battery cell stack extends along a first plane (the plane of busbar frame 7, FIG. 1), the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame together extend along an entirety of the first plane.
However, since Ogasawara teaches the protrusion part of the first busbar frame and the groove part of the second busbar frame extends along the stacking direction, not along a vertical direction as in the claim, modified Ding in view of Ogasawara does not explicitly disclose the limitation “the protrusion part of the first busbar frame and the groove part of the second busbar frame extends, respectively, along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other along the vertical direction, and the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet.”
Stanchfield teaches a method of assembling a planar surface from interlockable panels (panels 10 and 10’ [0044] and FIG. 4) placing the first surfaces of adjacent panels within a common plane ([0013]), which are formed to fit together such that when a first surface of a first panel abuts a first surface of the adjacent panel, there remains no gap therebetween when the panels are in an installed condition ([0012-0013]) via a sliding method of assembly (FIGs. 4 and 6), such that the panels become engaged with relative sliding movement along the engaged edges 16, 18’ being allowed ([0046]); and the edges may include male edges and/or female edges ([0006]). The male and /or female edges of Stanchfield corresponds to a protrusion part and/or a groove part of the engaged panels.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to an ordinary skilled artisan to modify the connection method of the first and second busbar frames of modified Ding to be along the vertical direction in the same fashion as assembling panels 10 and 10’ as taught by Stanchfield, thus arriving at the claimed “the protrusion part of the first busbar frame and the groove part of the second busbar frame extends, respectively, along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other along the vertical direction and wherein the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane”, in order to make the busbar frames assembly simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries satisfying series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Further, since Stanfield mentions no gap therebetween when the panels are in an installed condition ([0012-0013]) via a sliding method of assembly (FIGs. 4 and 6) such as in the direction shown, until the panel is in a preselected position ([0047] and FIG. 6), a skilled artisan would reasonably envisage arriving at the claimed “and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet” without undue experimentation.
Regarding claim 2, modified Ding discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Ding does not explicitly disclose the protrusion part of the first busbar frame includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width, and the second width is larger than the first width.
However, Stanchfield further teaches in the joined condition, the male edge 16 has a tongue 20 which engages and fits within the groove 22 of the female edge 18, and the protrusion 24 engages and fits within the void 21 ([0039-0040] and FIG. 3) and the protrusion 24 has an enlarged bulbous end 40 ([0040] and FIG. 3), which teaches the protrusion part (24, FIG. 3) of the first panel 10 including a first portion having a first width (the narrower portion of 24, FIG. 3) and a second portion having a second width (bulbous portion 40, FIG. 3), and the second width is larger than the first width (FIG. 3).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for an ordinary skilled artisan to make the busbar frame of Ding with the protrusion part of the first busbar frame including a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width, and the second width being larger than the first width, as the first panel 10 in FIG. 3 taught by Stanchfield, to make it simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries in order to satisfy series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Regarding claim 3, modified Ding discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Ding does not explicitly disclose the groove part of the second busbar frame includes a first region having a first distance between first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part and a second region having a second distance between the first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part, and the second distance is wider than the first distance, the first portion is inserted into the first region, and the second portion is inserted into the second region.
However, Stanchfield further teaches in order to snap-fit the protrusion 24 into the void 21 ([0042]) the groove part (void 21, FIG. 3) of the second panel 10 including a first region (narrower portion of 21, FIG. 3) having a first distance between first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part and a second region (enlarged bight 32, FIG. 3) having a second distance between the first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part, and the second distance being wider than the first distance, the first portion inserted into the first region, and the second portion inserted into the second region ([0041] and FIG. 3).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for an ordinary skilled artisan to prepare the busbar frames of Ding with the groove part of the second busbar frame including a first region having a first distance between first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part and a second region having a second distance between the first and second opposite surfaces of the groove part, and the second distance being wider than the first distance, the first portion inserted into the first region, and the second portion inserted into the second region, as taught by Stanchfield, to make it simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries in order to satisfy series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Regarding claim 5, Ding discloses a method for manufacturing a battery module ([0041]), the method comprising: (4) placing a soft-pack battery cell 11 in the soft-pack battery cell carrier to form a soft-pack battery module; (5) connecting each soft-pack battery module to form a soft-pack battery module as a whole ([0041] and FIG. 1), which discloses placing a battery cell stack into a module frame, and the battery cell stack having a plurality of battery cells (11, [0029]) stacked adjacent to one another along a stacking direction (from left to right direction, FIG. 1) , each of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead extending from a front or a rear surface of the battery cell stack in a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction (FIG. 1);
and (9) fixing the front bus assembly 7 and the rear bus assembly 8 to the front and rear ends of the soft-pack battery module as a whole ([0041] and FIG. 1), which discloses assembling two busbar frames; and assembling the two busbar frames to front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, respectively, wherein the front surface of the battery cell stack extends a long a first plane.
While Ding discloses the desire to solve the problem of difficulty in assembling the soft-pack battery module and connecting the soft-pack battery module to the busbar ([0006]), and it is simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module as a whole and by adding a number of soft-pack battery modules, series and parallel connections of different needs can be achieved by connecting the soft-pack battery modules by plugging and fixing them through the pin body 21 and the pin body 22 ([0042]), Ding does not explicitly disclose assembling two busbar frames each having a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame slidably coupled to each other along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, such that during the assembling of the two busbar frames, a protrusion part formed on one side of each first busbar frame is slidably couped to a corresponding groove part formed on one side of the respective second busbar frame; and assembling the two busbar frames to front and rear surface of the battery cell stack, respectively, wherein the front surface of the battery cell stack extends along a first plane, the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame of one of the two busbar frames together extend along an entirety of the first plane, the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet.
Ogasawara teaches conventionally it is necessary to manufacture resin plates corresponding to the increased or decreased number of batteries; as a solution, since the resin plate can be divided, this can be achieved by preparing a plurality of resin plates with different sizes (such as the number of accommodating portions) in advance and combining these resin plates to cope with the increase or decrease in the number of batteries ([0019]); and in the divided resin plates, a convex portion may be formed on the surface of one resin plate facing the other resin plate, and a concave portion capable of locking the convex portion may be formed on the surface of the other resin plate facing the one resin plate so that the resin plates can be attached and detached with a simple and compact structure ([0020] and FIGs. 1-2) along a stacking direction of the battery cell stack (5, FIG.3), which teaches the claimed “two busbar frames each having a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame coupled to each other, and assembling the two busbar frames to front and rear surface of the battery cell stack, respectively”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for an ordinary skilled artisan to construct the two busbar frames of Ding each having a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame coupled to each other, and assembling the two busbar frames to front and rear surface of the battery cell stack, respectively, as taught by Ogasawara, to make it simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries in order to satisfy series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Since modified Ding has included two busbar frame coupled side by side as established above, modified Ding has necessarily and inherently included the front surface of the battery cell stack extends along a first plane (the plane of busbar frame 7, FIG. 1), the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame together extend along an entirety of the first plane.
However, modified Ding does not explicitly disclose the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame slidably coupled to each other along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, such that during the assembling of the two busbar frames, a protrusion part formed on one side of each first busbar frame is slidably couped to a corresponding groove part formed on one side of the respective second busbar frame and the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet.”
Stanchfield teaches a method of assembling a planar surface from interlockable panels (panels 10 and 10’ [0044] and FIG. 4) placing the first surfaces of adjacent panels within a common plane ([0013]), which are formed to fit together such that when a first surface of a first panel abuts a first surface of the adjacent panel, there remains no gap therebetween when the panels are in an installed condition ([0012-0013]) via a sliding method of assembly (FIGs. 4 and 6), such that the panels become engaged with relative sliding movement along the engaged edges 16, 18’ being allowed ([0046]); and the edges may include male edges and/or female edges ([0006]). The male and /or female edges of Stanchfield corresponds to a protrusion part and/or a groove part of the engaged panels.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to an ordinary skilled artisan to modify the connection method of the first and second busbar frames of modified Ding to be along the vertical direction in the same fashion as assembling panels 10 and 10’ as taught by Stanchfield, thus arriving at the claimed “the protrusion part of the first busbar frame and the groove part of the second busbar frame extends, respectively, along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the electrode leads extend, and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other along the vertical direction and wherein the protrusion part and the groove part each extend in the vertical direction parallel to the first plane”, in order to make the busbar frames assembly simple and convenient to form a soft-pack battery module with increased or decreased number of batteries satisfying series and parallel connections of different needs, as desired by Ding.
Further, since Stanfield mentions no gap therebetween when the panels are in an installed condition ([0012-0013]) via a sliding method of assembly (FIGs. 4 and 6) such as in the direction shown, until the panel is in a preselected position ([0047] and FIG. 6), a skilled artisan would reasonably envisage arriving at the claimed “and the protrusion part and the groove part are slidably coupled to each other via a slidable coupling extending in the vertical direction along an entirety of where the first busbar frame and the second busbar frame meet” without undue experimentation.
Regarding claim 7, modified Ding discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Ding further discloses a battery pack comprising the battery module ([0029] and FIG.1).
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant’s arguments regarding the amended claim 1 filed on 9/26/2025 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAN LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5753. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:00AM -5:00PM EST.
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/K. L./Examiner, Art Unit 1751
2/3/2026
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 2/5/2026