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 § 112
The rejection of claims 1-4 under 35 USC 112(b) is withdrawn in view of the amended claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-4 have been considered but are
moot because the new ground of rejection now addresses the newly-amended claims, as set forth
below.
With particular regard to page 10, paragraph 1 of Applicant’s remarks, Applicant argues that Fig. 11 of Okada (WO 2017130706) fails to show a busbar holder (20/20A) that extends between the battery stack and the fixed portion of the busbar (40). In Applicant’s view, a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 11 (see Illustration 1 below) represents a line that illustrates the curvature of the busbar (40), which, Applicant notes, is a common feature of CAD modeling.
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Illustration 1: Reproduction with annotation of Fig. 11 of Okada, identifying the portion at issue.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees, and submits that the feature shown in Fig. 11 appears to represent a portion of the busbar holder (20) that extends beneath the curved portion of the busbar from the bottom of the image to the center-right of the image. The Examiner further notes that paragraph [0048] of Okada states
“Bus bars 40 are disposed at the fixed location by bus bar holders 20 shown in FIG. 1, and guide projecting portions 2A of electrode terminal 2 into open windows 62. Bus bar holder 20 is molded and made of insulating material of plastic or the like, and disposes bus bars 40 at the fixed location. Bus bar holder 20 is coupled to battery block 16, and disposes bus bars 40 at the fixed location.”
and
“Holder body 20A is disposed on the upper surface of battery block 16 in a state where the plurality of bus bars 40 are disposed at the fixed location.”
The Office’s position is that paragraph [0048] establishes that busbar holder (20) is disposed on the top surface of the battery block, and that busbar (40) is disposed on busbar holder (20). This would necessarily mean that the busbar holder (20) is positioned between the busbar (40) and the battery block. While Figures 2-3 of Okada only show the busbar and the battery block and do not show the busbar holder, the Examiner maintains that, in light of paragraph [0048] one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the busbar feature was omitted from these figures for clarity, but is nonetheless present in the invention, because paragraph [0048] requires that the busbar holder disposes the busbars. Fig. 11 more clearly shows the arrangement in which the busbar holder (20) disposes the busbars (40), and extends beneath the busbar (40).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-4, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okada (JPWO 2017130706, as read via English equivalent, US 2021/0210821).
Regarding claim 1, Okada discloses a battery pack comprising a battery stack composed of a stack of multiple battery cells (1) and a bus bar module (bus bar holders 20) fixed to the battery stack ([0048], Figs. 1 and 11). Electrodes (electrode terminals 2 and bus bars 40) in Okada’s battery pack are provided on a surface of each of the battery cells (i.e., on the top surface of cells 1, see Fig. 2), and the battery stack has a surface composed of the surface of each of the multiple battery cells (i.e., the top surface of each of the cells 1, see Figs. 1-2). Okada’s bus bar module (20/40) includes a base member (holder body 20A) fixed on the surface of the battery stack (20A is fixed to battery block 16, [0048] and Figs. 1 and 11), and a bus bar (40) that includes a fixed portion and a first extending portion extending from the fixed portion to a first electrode (2) of the electrodes of each of the multiple battery cells ([0048], Figs. 2 and 4 and see Illustration 2 below. Components 20 and 40 are coupled together to form the battery pack and are therefore fixed to each other).
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Examiner’s Illustration 2: Reproduction with modification of Fig. 4 of Okada.
Okada’s base member (20) comprises a support portion extending between the battery stack (16) and the fixed portion of the bus bar (40) ([0048], Illustration 3 below, and see the remarks in the Response to Arguments presented above).
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Illustration 3: Reproduction with annotation of Fig. 11 of Okada, identifying the portion at issue.
Okada’s busbars (40) are disposed on the base member (20), and Okada’s base member (20) is fixed to (coupled to) the battery stack (16, [0048]). The busbar (40) of Okada is welded to the terminal of the battery stack ([0048]). As such, the fixed portion of Okada’s bus bar (40) can reasonably be said to be disposed on and fixed to the support portion of the base member (20).
Further regarding claim 1, the first extending portion of Okada’s bus bar (40) is welded to the first electrode (2) in a state where downward pressure is applied to the first extending portion via jig JG in a manner that is analogous to the instantly-claimed invention (Okada: [0048], [0062]-[0063], and Fig. 8. See also [0030]-[0031] and Fig. 8 of the Instant Specification). As the bus bar (40) is made of metal ([0049]), when it is pressed downward by the jig and welded, an upward elastic restoring force is necessarily present in the bus bar after welding, resulting in a bus bar in a state where a stress (the elastic restorative force) is applied to the first extending portion in a direction away from the first electrode in a manner that reads on the instantly-claimed bus bar.
Regarding claim 2, Okada discloses a battery pack wherein the first extending portion (see Illustration 2 above) includes a welded portion (thin area 61) welded to the first electrode (2) and a connecting portion connecting the welded portion and the fixed portion ([0060], Fig. 4, and see Illustration 3 below).
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Examiner’s Illustration 3: Reproduction with modification of Fig. 4 of Okada.
The welded portion (61) of Okada’s bus bar (40) is welded to the first electrode (2) in a state where downward pressure is applied to the first extending portion via jig JG in a manner that is analogous to the instantly-claimed invention (Okada: [0048], [0062]-[0063], and Fig. 8. See also [0030]-[0031] and Fig. 8 of the Instant Specification). As the connecting portion of the bus bar (40) is made of metal ([0049]), when it is pressed downward by the jig and welded, the connecting portion is elastically deformed such that the welded portion approaches the first electrode ([0062]-[0063], Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 3, Okada discloses a battery pack wherein height from the surface of the battery stack to the fixed portion is higher than a height from the surface of the battery stack to the welded portion (Figs. 2 and 8 and Illustrations 2-3 above. The fixed portion is higher from the top surface of battery cell 1 than the welding portion).
Regarding claim 4, Okada discloses a battery pack wherein the bus bar (40) includes a second extending portion extending from the fixed portion to an area above a second electrode (2) of the electrodes of each of the multiple battery cells (Fig. 2 and see Illustration 2 above). The second extending portion of Okada’s bus bar (40) is welded to the first electrode (2) in a state where downward pressure is applied to the second extending portion via jig JG in a manner that is analogous to the instantly-claimed invention (Okada: [0048], [0062]-[0063], and Fig. 8. See also [0030]-[0031] and Fig. 8 of the Instant Specification). As the bus bar (40) is made of metal ([0049]), when it is pressed downward by the jig and welded, an upward elastic restoring force is necessarily present in the bus bar after welding, resulting in a bus bar in a state where a stress (the elastic restorative force) is applied to the second extending portion in a direction away from the second electrode in a manner that reads on the instantly-claimed bus bar.
Regarding claim 9, Okada discloses a battery pack comprising a frame fixed to a side surface of the battery stack (16) and connecting together the battery cells of the battery stack (Fig. 1 and see Illustration 4 below. Okada’s frame appears to be fixed via fasteners, and can reasonably be said to connect together the cells of battery stack 16).
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Examiner’s Illustration 4: Reproduction with annotation of Fig. 1 of Okada.
Regarding claim 11, Okada discloses a battery pack comprising a base member (20) that includes an intermediate partition wall disposed between the first extending portion and the second extending portion of the busbar (40, Fig. and Illustration 5 below. Note that while Fig. 11 only depicts a first extending portion, it is clear from Fig. 4 and Illustration 2 that Okada’s busbars also comprise a second extending portion positioned outside the frame of the figure).
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Examiner’s Illustration 5: Reproduction with annotation of Fig. 11 of Okada.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada (JPWO 2017130706, as read via English equivalent, US 2021/0210821) as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Wu (CN 112585807A, as read via machine translation).
Regarding claim 10, Okada discloses a battery pack comprising a base member (20) fixed to the top surface of a battery stack (16) and a frame fixed to a side surface of the battery stack ([0048], Fig. 1, and see Illustration 4 above). Okada does not disclose a base member that includes a clip, nor does Okada disclose a frame that includes a protruding portion engaged with the clip to fix the base member to the frame.
Wu, also working in the field of battery packs discloses a battery pack comprising an analogous base member (busbar bracket 7) upon which busbars (connection bar 4) are disposed and a frame (side plate 10) fixed to the side surface of a battery stack ([0067], Fig. 1). Wu’s base member (7) includes a clip (fixing groove 21) and Wu’s frame (10) includes a protruding portion (groove 22) that engages with said clip (21, [0074] and Fig. 6). Wu teaches that this arrangement locks the base member (7) in place, and allows for the manual assembly and disassembly of the structure ([0074]).
It would therefore have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the claimed invention to provide the battery pack of Okada with a similar fastening structure, such that the base member includes a clip and the frame includes a protruding portion that engages with the clip to fix the base member to the frame, as taught by Wu. Said artisan would have motivated to modify Okada’s structure in this way because Wu teaches that clip and protruding portion assembly engages the base member in place and facilitates the manual assembly/disassembly of the battery structure.
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 ALBERT HILTON whose telephone number is (571)272-4068. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Milton Cano can be reached at (313) 446-4937. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.M.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1723
/MILTON I CANO/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1723