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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Here, the applicant asserts that the prior art of record fails to teach the structure of the amended claim 1. This argument has been fully considered but has not been found to be persuasive. The rejection of the amended features is presented below.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 02/05/2026. These drawings are not acceptable. The drawings are not acceptable as they are not in compliance with 37. C.F.R 1.84 (p)(1), which requires that view numbers must not be used in association with brackets. Additionally, the replacement sheet submitted on 02/05/2026 is missing the indication on the drawing for figure 1 that it represents an embodiment of conventional art, as was included in the drawing submitted on 06/03/2022.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 and 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the tabs formed at the front and rear of each of the side plates" in line 21 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 provides antecedent basis for “the tabs extending outwardly at a front end and a rear end of each of the side plates”.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the side plates configured to abut a corresponding one of the upper plate and the lower plate" in the second to last paragraph of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the time of fastening" in the last paragraph of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recited the limitation “the side plates of immediately adjacent cell module assemblies” in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-7, 9-13, and 15-16 are indefinite as a result of their dependence on an indefinite claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, and 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180138564 A1) in view of Ju (US 20190260099 A1), and in further view of Hughes (US 20160329538 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim is an analogous art to the instant application, disclosing structure which comprises a battery module (Abstract, “A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules”) comprising a plurality of cell module assemblies (Paragraph 0031, “A battery pack P may include a pair of end plates 400 and a plurality of battery modules 100 disposed between the end plates 400.”), and a pair of module plates (Paragraph 0132, “The battery pack P may further include connection board assemblies 500 and 600 disposed”; Paragraph 0133, “The connection board assemblies 500 may be disposed between any one of the brackets nand the battery modules 100.”), wherein each of the plurality of cell module assemblies comprises a plurality of battery cells (Paragraph 0038, “A plurality of battery cells 110 may be seated inside the seat 121 and a shock-absorbing member 160 may be disposed between a pair of battery cells 110.”) having electrode leads (Paragraph 0040, “The battery cell 110 has a body 111 and cell leads 112 connected to the body 111.”), and an individual housing configured to receive the plurality of battery cells, depicted in Kim’s figure 6, where the housing receives two battery cells 110.
However, in regards to the limitation which requires structure wherein each of the plurality of battery cells have an individual busbar electrically connected to the electrode leads, Kim fails to disclose this structure, instead disclosing structure which comprises a connection board 500 that includes a bus bars 402 as shown in Kim’s figure 3, which are in contact with a plurality of cells’ leads, being a single bus bar for a plurality of the module assemblies, rather than an individual busbar for each module assembly. Therefore, we look to Ju, which is an analogous art to the instant application, directed towards a battery module that includes a cell assembly having a plurality of secondary batteries, as well as having electrode leads (Abstract, “A battery module including a cell assembly having a plurality of secondary batteries stacked in at least one direction and configured so that electrode leads of the secondary batteries protrude in at least one direction”), as well as a bus bar which contacts the electrode leads (Abstract, “and having a bus bar made of an electrically conductive material and contacting the electrode leads of the secondary batteries”).
Here, Ju discloses a bus bar configuration where their bus bar 310 is in direct contact with the electrode lead of the secondary battery 110 (Paragraph 0068, “The sensing block 300 may include a bus bar 310. The bus bar 310 may be in direct contact with the electrode lead of the secondary battery 110 provided at the cell assembly 100”), where the leads and the bus bar are connected to a sensing block 300. Here, Ju discloses structure, as depicted in their figure 2, where the leads of a pair of adjacent cells are joined together as a single lead, which is analogous to the structure of Kim, as shown in Kim’s figure 9, where each battery module comprises a pair of cells, who’s leads 112a and 112b are joined together into a single lead. Further, Ju depicts structure where this single lead 111 is connected to a single busbar 310, as shown in their figure 6. Additionally, Ju discloses that their busbars are sensing busbars which allow for the sensing of a voltage of a secondary battery through contact with the electrode lead (Paragraph 0068, “In addition, the bus bar 310 may be a sensing bus bar for sensing a voltage of the secondary battery 110 through the contact with the electrode lead.”). Here, based on this benefit structure, where the analysis of a voltage state of a given battery module assembly would allow for an understanding of each assembly, and where each bus bar would be connected to a single assembly, it would therefore be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art to make use of the bus bar structure of Ju. Accordingly, where this results in structure where the batteries cells’ leads of a battery module of Kim are connected to an individual sensing bus bar, the combination of Kim and Ju therefore reads upon the limitation which requires structure where individual busbars are electrically connected to the electrode leads.
Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein each individual housing comprises an upper plate located at an upper part of the battery cells (Paragraph 0037, “The seat 121 may serve as a cartridge body surrounding a portion of the battery cell 110.”), a lower plate located at a lower part of the plurality of battery cells (Paragraph 0061, “In some implementations, the battery pack P may further include a thermal pad 150”), and a single side plate located at an inner side surface of the plurality of battery cells (Paragraph 0038, “and a shock-absorbing member 160 may be disposed between a pair of battery cells 110”), further depicted in Kim’s figure 6. Here, Kim fails to disclose structure which comprises a plurality of side plates located at opposite side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells, instead disclosing a single side plate located at the same center surface of the plurality of battery cells. Therefore, we look to Hughes, which is an analogous art to the instant application, disclosing structure which comprises a prismatic battery module which contains multiple stacked prismatic battery cells (Abstract, “The vehicle battery may be a Lithium-ion battery, and may comprise a plurality of prismatic shaped battery cells, arranged and stacked to form a series of battery cell groups”). Additionally, Hughes discloses structure wherein a protective casing or partitioned chamber surrounds and encloses each battery cell group (Abstract, “The protective casing may be configured to absorb a threshold compressive force without resulting in deformation of the battery cell groups.”) so as to absorb compressive force without resulting in deformation of the battery cell groups (Abstract, “The protective casing may be configured to absorb a threshold compressive force without resulting in deformation of the battery cell groups.”). Here, where Hughes further discloses that the protective casing comprises wall-shaped plates (Paragraph 0033, “In one embodiment, a wall face of protective case 106,”), it would therefore be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art to apply the teaching of the invention of Hughes to the invention of Kim, resulting in structure which comprises wall shaped protective plates which surround the exterior faces of the battery cell group as depicted in figure 6 of Kim, thereby reading upon and making obvious structure which comprises two side plates located at opposite side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells.
Additionally, in regards to the limitation which requires structure of tabs extending outwards at a front end and a rear end of each of the side plates, it is noted that this limitation does not require structure where the tabs are tabs of the side plates, instead requiring that the tabs are tabs of the individual housing, thereby permitting a portion of the individual housing which is a tab to be mapped to the tabs of this limitation, further supported by the phrasing used later in the claim “the tabs of the individual housings”.
Here, Kim discloses structure which comprises tabs that extend out from the upper plate 120, the outer flanges which do not contact the seat 121 being tabs which are distinct from the upper plate, shown in Kim’s figure 4, where the tabs extend along a full length of the side plates 160 as a result of their proximity, and are therefore extending outwards at a front end and a rear end of each of the side plates, where the multiple side plate structure is made obvious by Hughes, as discussed above.
Additionally, where Hughes makes obvious structure which covers and protects the battery cells, said side plates would additionally connect to the upper and lower plates, and therefore connect the upper and lower plates to each other, so as to deform without directly releasing force into the battery cells which they protect as would be the case if the protective plates were only covering the faces of the battery cells.
Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein the center plate and side plates do act to cover the front and rear of the plurality cells as depicted in their figure 3, where the front and rear of the battery cells have electrode leads which protrude in the direction of the module plates (Paragraph 0042, “The cell leads 112 may protrude forward from the front side of the body 11 or protrude rearward from the rear side of the body 111.”; Paragraph 0132, “The battery pack P may further include connection board assemblies 500 and 600 disposed between the cartridges 120 and the brackets 700 and connected with the cells. The connection board assemblies 500 and 600 can be connected with the cell leads 112.”).
Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein each of the pair of module plates has a size that covers a corresponding one of the front and the rear of the plurality of cell module assemblies from which electrode leads protrude (Paragraph 0132, The battery pack P may further include connection board assemblies 500 and 600 disposed between the cartridges 120 and the brackets 700 and connected with the cells. The connection board assemblies 500 and 600 can be connected with the cell leads 112.”) as depicted in Kim’s figures 1 and 2, where the pair of module plates are located respectively at the front and the rear of the plurality of cell module assemblies so as to be fastened to the plurality of cell module assemblies, thereby being transitively fastened to the tabs of the individual housings, through the interconnection of the whole battery module, as well as resulting in structure where the module plates are present at an external portion of the battery module and thereby form an external surface of the battery module.
Additionally, in regards to the limitation of the claim which requires that each of the pair of module plates has a plurality of assembly portions, shown in figure 3, where the bar portions that the busbars 402 attach to are each assembly portions, being portions on which the busbar is attached during assembly. Additionally, Kim discloses that the tabs formed at the front and read of each of the side plates are directly coupled to one of the plurality of assembly portions, as depicted in figure 1, which shows the assembled battery module, where the bar portions which are the plurality of assembly portions are directly coupled to edges of the tabs formed at the front and rear of each of the side plates. Additionally, the distal end portions of each of the side plates configured to abut a corresponding one of the upper plate and the lower plate at the time of fastening, shown in figure 6, where the side plate comprises plate 160 and the attached heat dissipation part 122. As shown in figure 1 where the overlapping structure of the side plates and upper plates extends along the length of the plurality of battery cells, there are therefore centrally located distal end portions of each of the side plates that are configured to abut a corresponding one of the upper plate and the lower plate at a time of fastening, where the side plate portion 122 has a bend, and the distal portion which comprises the bend overlap a distal end portion of the corresponding one of the upper plate and the lower plate
Regarding Claim 2, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein the busbar unit is located between the plurality of battery cells of each of the cell module assemblies and each of the pair of module plates (Paragraph 0132, “The connection board assemblies 500 and 600 may include connection boards 500 that include a bus bar 402 being in contact with the cell leads 112”), and where the busbar made obvious by Ju would be connected to the electrode leads of Kim’s invention, where the leads are positioned to be bent towards a center between the plurality of battery cells of a module assembly, as shown in Kim’s figure 4, which shows the orientations of the battery cell leads.
Regarding Claim 3, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein each of the upper plate the lower plate and the side plates is provided with tabs for coupling with the other plates, depicted in Kim’s figure 6, which depicts regions of each of the plates that are engaged and positioned against the other plates, and are therefore fastened together in a coupling manner.
Regarding Claim 7, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein the upper plate and the lower plate of the individual housing are coupled to the side plates by mechanical fastening or welding, as depicted in Kim’s figure 6 which depicts the coupling of the side plate to the upper and lower plates. Here, Kim discloses that their side wall is fastened by means of seating (Paragraph 0036, “The cartridge 120 may have a seat 121 where the battery cell 110 is seated and a heat dissipation part 122 that absorbs heat from the battery cell 110.”), where seating is a pressure-based means of mechanical fastening, coupling the upper, lower, and side plates together.
Regarding Claim 10, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein each of the module plates is coupled to the plurality of cell module assemblies by mechanical fastening (Paragraph 0125, “The brackets 700 may have separator fastening portions 710 that are fixed to the separator 200. The separator 200 may have first bracket fastening portions 230 to which the brackets 700 are fixed. The brackets 700 and the separator 200 can be fixed by fasteners S1 that pass through the separator fastening portions 710 and the first bracket fastening portions 230.”).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure where the individual housing is made of a metal material (Paragraph 0038, “For example, the heat dissipation part 122 may be made of metal having high thermal conductivity.”).
Regarding Claim 12, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Kim discloses structure which comprises a battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1 (Abstract, “A battery pack”), where said battery module is made obvious by Kim and Hughes.
Regarding Claim 13, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein the tabs 120, which extend outward away from the upper plate 121, extending in the same direction as the module plates 500/700, thereby resulting in structure wherein the tabs extend parallel, and therefore are parallel to the pair of module plates.
Regarding Claim 14, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure shown in their claim 6 wherein the battery modules are not flush with the side plates, and accordingly these gaps are space portions located between side plates of immediately adjacent cell module assemblies of the plurality of cell module assemblies. Further, the wall-shaped plates of Hughes have space portions located In between them as shown in figure 7.
Regarding Claim 15, modified Kim teaches all of the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses that each of the plurality of assembly portions comprise a plurality of apertures, located at top ends of the assembly portions, as shown in figure 3. Additionally, in regards to the limitation which requires that threaded fasteners mechanically couple the plurality of assembly portions to the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies, Kim discloses structure where screws S mechanically couple the module plates 700 to the separators 200, as well as pressing together and mechanically coupling the components located in between the module plates and separators. Here, this includes the assembly portions and the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies. As the instant claim only requires threaded fasteners which mechanically couple, it is not required that the mechanical coupling be directly the result of the fastener bridging between the two coupled components. Instead, as presented by Kim, where the threaded fasteners act to hold together the plurality of assembly portions to the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies, this constitutes the required mechanical coupling by threaded fasteners.
Regarding Claim 16, modified Kim teaches all of the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, in regards to the limitation which requires that threaded fasteners mechanically couple the plurality of assembly portions to the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies, Kim discloses structure where screws S mechanically couple the module plates 700 to the separators 200, as well as pressing together and mechanically coupling the components located in between the module plates and separators. Here, this includes the assembly portions and the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies. As the instant claim only requires threaded fasteners which mechanically couple, it is not required that the mechanical coupling be directly the result of the fastener bridging between the two coupled components. Instead, as presented by Kim, where the threaded fasteners act to hold together the plurality of assembly portions to the tabs of each of the plurality of cell module assemblies, this constitutes the required mechanical coupling by threaded fasteners.
Claim(s) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180138564 A1) in view of Ju (US 20190260099 A1), and in further view of Hughes (US 20160329538 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamufuku (US 20170092901 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, in regards to the limitation of the instant claim which requires structure wherein a space is formed between each of the side plates on a first cell module assembly of the plurality of cell module assemblies and a second cell module assembly of the plurality of cell module assemblies, Kim and Hughes fail to disclose said structure, instead disclosing structure wherein the adjacent cell module assemblies are directly adjacent. Accordingly, we look to Yamufuku, which is an analogous art to the instant application, disclosing structure which comprises an energy storage device including a metal case which houses an electrode assembly therein, and an insulation sheet mounted on a portion of the outer surface of the case (Abstract, “An energy storage device includes a metal case which houses an electrode assembly therein, and an insulation sheet mounted on a portion of an outer surface of the case.”).
Here, Yamufuku further discloses that their insulation layer has thermal insulation and flame resistance attributes (Paragraph 0038, “The insulation sheet 7 has insulating property, and may additionally have flame retardancy. The insulation sheet 7 is formed of a resin sheet and has resiliency.”), which results in structure which prevents heat transfer between battery cells, and minimizes the risk of flames that result from the rupture of one cell from damaging adjacent cells.
Accordingly, based on this teaching of the benefits of the insulation layer of Yamufuku, it would be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art to surround the side plates of the combination of Kim and Hughes with said insulation layer, where the insulation layer would confer flame and heat resistance, and the space that the insulation layer would occupy would be a space formed between each of the side plates of an first cell module assembly of the plurality of cell module assemblies and a side plate of a neighboring second cell module assembly of the plurality of cell module assemblies, thereby reading upon and making obvious the limitation of the instant claim.
Regarding Claim 5, modified Kim makes obvious the invention of claim 4. Additionally, as discussed above, Yamufuku discloses structure where an insulating material configured to inhibit heat transfer between the plurality of cell module assemblies is further added to the space (Paragraph 0038, “The insulation sheet 7 has insulating property, and may additionally have flame retardancy. The insulation sheet 7 is formed of a resin sheet and has resiliency.”).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, as discussed above, Yamufuku discloses structure where a flame retardant material configured to inhibit flame transfer between the plurality of cell module assemblies is further added to the space (Paragraph 0038, “The insulation sheet 7 has insulating property, and may additionally have flame retardancy. The insulation sheet 7 is formed of a resin sheet and has resiliency.”).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180138564 A1) in view of Ju (US 20190260099 A1), and in further view of Hughes (US 20160329538 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Harris (US 10305078 B1).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Kim teaches all the claim limitations set forth above. Additionally, Kim discloses structure wherein each of the module plates comprises a tab for coupling with the individual housing (Paragraph 0125, “The brackets 700 may have separator fastening portions 710 that are fixed to the separator 200. The separator 200 may have first bracket fastening portions 230 to which the brackets 700 are fixed. The brackets 700 and the separator 200 can be fixed by fasteners S1 that pass through the separator fastening portions 710 and the first bracket fastening portions 230.”).
However, Kim fails to disclose structure where the module plates comprise a venting portion configured to discharge venting gas. Therefore, we look to Harris, which is an analogous art to the instant application, disclosing structure which comprises a modular clip for an electric battery, where said clip receives a plurality of battery cells (Abstract, “Aspects of a modular clip for an electric battery, a battery module comprising multiple of such modular clips, and a battery pack comprising multiple battery modules are provided. The modular clip is configured to receive a plurality of battery cells and includes a base portion and a first and second wall extending from the base portion along a length of the modular clip.”). Here, Harris discloses structure wherein their modular clip comprises a plurality of openings which allow for a venting of heat and gas from within the battery (Abstract, “A plurality of openings may be formed in the base portion of the modular clip, each opening being configured to extend around a bottom vent of a battery cell. Channels may also be formed in the base portion and/or base plate that are configured to enable heat or gas escaping from the bottom vent of the battery cell to vent away from an interior of the modular clip.”).
Here, Harris further discloses that a ruptured or improperly vented battery cell can lead to a thermal runaway, which can cause a cascading failure in additional battery cells (Column 1 limes 55-67, “The battery cell may go into thermal runaway in which temperature of the battery cell rises until the exterior of the battery cell ruptures. The rupture of the battery cell may release flame and hot gas at a very high temperature, e.g., up to and even above a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the effect of one battery cell rupturing may cause damage to other battery cells, which may lead to similar thermal runaway and rupture in additional battery cells. This can create a chain reaction of damaged and rupturing battery cells that quickly engulfs the entire battery pack. An important safety feature for such battery packs is to improve the Passive Propagation Resistance.”). Accordingly, where facilitating proper venting to minimize the risk of thermal runaway is a desirable outcome, it would therefore be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art to apply the vent of Harris to the module plates of Kim, thereby reading upon and making obvious structure wherein each of the module plates comprises a venting portion configured to discharge venting gas.
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 JONATHAN W ESTES whose telephone number is (571)272-4820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia Ridley can be reached at 5712721453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.W.E./Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/BASIA A RIDLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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