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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 June 9, 2026 has been entered.
Summary
The Applicant’s arguments and claim amendments received May 11, 2026 have been entered into the file. Currently, claim 1 is amended; claims 5 and 7 are cancelled; and claims 10-14 are withdrawn; resulting in claims 1-4, 6 and 8-9 pending for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed April 30, 2026 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.98(a)(4) because it lacks the appropriate size fee assertion. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits.
Claim Interpretation
It is noted that amended claim 1 includes “a vehicle frame” and a “mounting portion,” however, the vehicle frame and mounting portion do not further limit the battery pack case. The claim is drawn to a vehicle battery pack case, which is detachable from the vehicle and does not include the vehicle. For the purposes of examination, a combination of a bolt, first nut, and second nut that is capable of performing the intended use in relationship to a vehicle frame is considered to meet the limitations of the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1, and by dependency claims 2-4, 6, and 8-9, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the limitations that the vehicle battery pack case comprises “a vehicle frame” and “a mounting portion provided in a lateral side of the battery pack case,” and that the battery bolt connects “the lateral side of the vehicle frame and the mounting portion” are new matter that are not supported by the original specification. In looking to the instant specification, paragraph [0009] discloses that the battery pack case includes a battery bolt, a first nut, and a second nut, without providing additional components. Paragraph [0043] adds that a plurality of battery bolts are provided at regular intervals in a mounting portion, on which a battery pack case is accommodated, of the lateral side of the vehicle frame. Paragraph [0043] also includes that the plurality of battery bolts stably support the battery pack when the battery pack is attached to or detached from the vehicle frame. Therefore, the original disclosure teaches that the mounting portion is the lateral side of the vehicle frame, from which the battery pack is attached to or detached from, and not that the vehicle frame is a component of the battery pack case, or that the battery pack case includes a mounting portion in its lateral side which is connected to a lateral side of the vehicle frame using the battery bolt.
Regarding claims 2-4, 6, and 8-9, these claims are rejected based on their dependency on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, 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 was described 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 was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoon, et al. (US 2019/0271351 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yoon teaches a bolt assembly including a bolt (100) and an anti-loosening nut (200), wherein the anti-loosening nut (200) includes a first nut (210), and a second nut (220) (Fig. 1; ¶ [0051], Ln. 1-3). Yoon teaches that bolts and nuts are widely used in fields such as the assembly of automobile parts to fasten two or more separate objects to a single body (¶ [0002], Ln. 1-4). In this case, the separate object is interpreted as a battery pack case and the single body is interpreted as a vehicle frame. Yoon teaches that the bolt (100) is fastened to the anti-loosening nut (200) to fix a fastening target (mounting portion) (¶ [0041], Ln. 1-2). The first nut (210) includes a first female thread formed at a center thereof for fastening to the bolt (internal screw thread is one of a right-handed screw of left-handed screw) and a second male thread formed at an outer circumferential surface (external screw thread is another of the right-handed screw or the left-handed screw) (¶ [0052], Ln. 1-6). The first female thread corresponds the first male thread of the bolt (¶ [0053], Ln. 1-5). The second male thread is formed for screw-fastening to the second nut (220), and the thread forming direction thereof is formed in a direction opposite to the screw forming direction of the first male thread (¶ [0054], Ln. 1-4). Shown in Figure 3, the first nut (210) is provided outside the bolt (100), and the second nut (220) is provided outside the first nut and the battery bolt.
Also shown in Figure 3, the lower end portion of the first nut (210) includes a flange on the end of the first nut facing the head of the bolt and extending outward. Given the positioning of the flange, a vehicle frame would be capable of being positioned between the lower end of the second nut and the flange of the first nut. Based on the orientation shown in Figure 3, the right end of the nut is the lower end portion.
While it is acknowledged that Yoon does not teach the use of the bolt and nut specifically for fastening a vehicle battery pack case to a vehicle frame, Yoon teaches that bolts and nuts are widely used in fields such as the assembly of automobile parts to fasten two or more separate objects to a single body (¶ [0002], Ln. 1-4), which may include any component of an automobile including a battery pack case. In this case, the preamble recitation of a vehicle battery pack case is considered intended use of the structural components of the body of the claim, which include a bolt, first nut, and second nut. Thus, the preamble is not considered to provide structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art, and as the bolt and nut of Yoon is capable of performing the intended use in relationship to a vehicle frame, it is considered to meet the limitations of the claim (MPEP 2111.02(II)).
Regarding claim 2, Yoon teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above, including a flange on the end of the first nut facing the head of the bolt and extending outward and capable of having a vehicle frame positioned between the lower end of the second nut and the flange of the first nut. Thus, the lower end of the battery bolt would be vertically supported on the vehicle frame and fastened to the first nut in an upwards and downward direction. Based on the orientation shown in Figure 3, the left side of the bolt head is the lower end portion of the bolt.
Regarding claim 6, Yoon teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the pitch of the second male thread (211) is smaller than the pitch of the first male thread (121) of the bolt (Fig. 3; ¶ [0059], Ln. 1-3). Thus, as the pitch of the thread between first nut and second nut is smaller than the pitch of the thread between the first nut and the bolt, the tightening torque between the first nut and second nut is greater than the tightening torque between the first nut and the bolt.
Regarding claim 8, Yoon teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the second nut has an external diameter longer than the external diameter of the first nut, shown in Figure 3 as the second nut is positioned radially outside the first nut.
Regarding claim 9, Yoon teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the second nut has an external diameter longer than the external diameter of the bolt, shown in Figure 3 as the second nut is positioned radially outside the bolt.
Claims 1-2 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ozawa, et al. (US 6,789,993 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Ozawa teaches a fastener for members (M1, M2) to be clamped with spacing in between including a bolt (40), a movable collar (20; first nut), and a nut (10; second nut) (Col. 1, Ln. 36-39; Col. 2, Ln. 22-32; Fig. 1). In this case, the member (M2) is interpreted as the mounting portion, which is capable of being provided in the lateral side of a battery case. Ozawa teaches that the nut includes a left-handed internal thread (14) and the movable collar includes a left-handed external thread (21) capable of threading onto the left-handed internal thread of the nut (Col. 2, Ln. 22-34). Additionally, the bolt includes external threads (421) and the movable collar includes an internal thread (22) capable of threading onto the external threads of the bolt (Col. 1, Ln. 60-64). Ozawa teaches that the external threads of the bolt are right-handed, and therefore the internal threads of the movable collar, which threads onto the external threads of the bolt, are also right-handed, meaning the internal and external threads of the movable collar are opposite each other.
Ozawa further teaches that the movable collar of the first embodiment has a flange on an end surface of a body toward the bolt (lower end) (Col. 2, Ln. 65-66; Fig. 1). Given the positioning of the flange, a vehicle frame would be capable of being positioned between the lower end of the nut and the flange of the movable collar. Based on the orientation shown in Figure 1, the right end of the nut is the lower end.
While it is acknowledged that Ozawa does not teach the use of the fastener specifically for fastening a vehicle battery pack case to a vehicle frame, Ozawa teaches that the fastener may be used for the inner panel of an automobile (Col. 4, Ln. 52-57), which may include any component of an automobile including a battery pack case. In this case, the preamble recitation of a vehicle battery pack case is considered intended use of the structural components of the body of the claim, which include a bolt, first nut, and second nut. Thus, the preamble is not considered to provide structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art, and as the fastener of Ozawa is capable of performing the intended use in relationship to a vehicle frame, it is considered to meet the limitations of the claim (MPEP 2111.02(II)).
Regarding claim 2, Ozawa teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the lower end of the bolt (40) is supported on a member (M2) as shown in Figure 5.3. Based on the orientation shown in Figure 5, the left side of the bolt head is the lower end portion. As the fastener may be used for the inner panel of an automobile, the bolt is capable of being vertically supported on a vehicle frame, wherein the bolt is fastened to the movable collar (20) in an upward and downward direction.
Regarding claim 8, Ozawa teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the nut (10) includes an external diameter longer than an external diameter of the movable collar (20), as shown in Figure 1.
Regarding claim 9, Ozawa teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the nut (10) includes an external diameter longer than an external diameter of the bolt (40), as shown in Figure 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa, et al. (US 6,789,993 B2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sung, et al. (KR 20190119403 A), cited on IDS.
Regarding claim 3, Ozawa teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above. Ozawa does not expressly teach that the movable collar (20; first nut) includes a groove formed on a bottom portion thereof, which may be used to fasten or remove the movable collar.
Sung teaches a two-way fastening bolt (10) in which a nut (30) and bolt (20) are formed on one side and other side, respectively (¶ [0037], Ln. 1-4; Fig. 2). As shown in Figure 2, the two-way fastening bolt (10) includes a bolt portion (100) with an external screw thread configured to fasten with a nut (30), and a nut portion (200) with an internal screw thread configured to fasten with a bolt (20). Sung teaches that the two-way fastening bolt includes a tool groove (230) formed on one side of the outer body in order to fasten or loosen the two-way fastening bolt using a flat-head screwdriver, cross-head screwdriver, or the like (¶ [0051], Ln. 1-3). Sung teaches that the tool groove makes it easier to fasten the two-way fastening bolt when the fastening space is narrow, by allowing the use of small screwdrivers or other tools (¶ [0058], Ln. 1-5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the movable collar of Ozawa to include a tool groove on the bottom portion as taught by Sung. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to include a groove on the movable collar in order to allow the movable collar to be easily fastened or removed using a tool such as a screwdriver. This modification would make fastening and removing the movable collar easier and allow for the fastening and removing in narrow work spaces.
Regarding claim 4, Ozawa in view of Sung teaches all of the limitations of claim 3 above and Ozawa further teaches that the nut (10) may be fixed in the member (M1), as shown in Figure 5. Therefore the nut is capable of being fixed in a vehicle frame when the groove is used in fastening or removing the movable collar (20).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozawa, et al. (US 6,789,993 B2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Xu, et al. (CN 209305333 U).
Regarding claim 6, Ozawa teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above. Ozawa does not expressly teach that the tightening torque between the movable collar (20; first nut) and the nut (10; second nut) is greater than a tightening torque between the bolt (40) and the movable collar.
Xu teaches a power battery pack installed in a vehicle body using a quick-change installation structure including a combination nut and a bolt (¶ [0019], Ln. 4-7). The installation end of the power battery pack is arranged below the installation mating surface of the vehicle body (¶ [0019], Ln. 5-7), and as shown in Figure 2, includes the bolts in the lateral side of the vehicle frame. Xu teaches that the combination nut (1) is composed of a welding nut (10) and a quick-change nut (20) (¶ [0019], Ln. 7-8). The quick-change nut includes a double-threaded tube with an internal thread matching the bolt formed on the inner wall of the double-threaded tube and an external thread formed on the outer wall of the double-threaded tube (¶ [0019], Ln. 9-11). The welding nut includes an internally threaded tube provided with an internal thread that matches the external thread of the double-threaded tube of the quick-change nut (¶ [0019], Ln. 12-16). The bolt is fastened with the internal thread of the double-threaded tube of the quick-change nut (¶ [0019], Ln. 21-23), and the quick-change nut is screwed together with the welding nut through the external thread of the double-threaded tube of the quick-change nut (¶ [0020], Ln. 2-3). Xu teaches that the tightening torque of the combination of the welding nut and the quick-change nut is greater than the tightening torque of the combination of the bolt and the quick-change nut, further teaching that this allows the quick-change nut to be quickly changed out when the quick-change nut reaches the end of its service life or is damaged (¶ [0020], Ln. 8-11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the connection between the movable collar and the nut of Ozawa, such that the tightening torque between the movable collar and the nut is greater than the tightening torque between the bolt and the movable collar, based on the teachings of Xu. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the external thread (21) of the movable collar, capable of threading onto the internal thread (14) of the nut could be adjusted in relationship to the external thread (421) of the bolt, capable of threading onto the internal thread (22) of the movable collar, in order to increase the tightening torque between the movable collar and the nut. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to easily change out the movable collar at the end of its service life or if it becomes damaged.
Response to Arguments
Response-Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103
In light of the Applicant’s amendments to claim 1 and cancellation of claim 5 in the response filed May 11, 2026, the previous rejections of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) over Ozawa, et al. (US 6,789,993 B2) have been modified above. Applicant's arguments filed May 11, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant argues that Ozawa does not teach the claimed configuration such that the second nut is fixed to and connected with the vehicle frame and that Xu, et al. (CN 209305333 U) does not disclose the opposite-direction thread configuration that enables the torque-conversion mechanism of the present invention.
With respect to the argument, see pages 5-9 of the remarks, that Ozawa does not teach the claimed configuration such that the second nut is fixed to and connected with the vehicle frame, this argument is not persuasive. As detailed above, the vehicle frame does not further limit the battery pack case of the claimed invention. Thus, the positioning of the vehicle frame in relationship to the claimed bolt, first nut, and second nut, is considered intended use of the fastener, and a bolt, first nut; and a second nut capable of performing the intended use in relationship to a vehicle frame is considered to meet the limitations of the claim. In this case, a vehicle frame would be capable of being positioned between the lower end of the nut and the flange of the movable collar of Ozawa.
With respect to the argument, see page 9 of the remarks, that Xu does not disclose the opposite-direction thread configuration that enables the torque-conversion mechanism of the present invention, this argument is not persuasive. It is noted that Xu is relied upon as a secondary reference to teach modifying the relationship in tightening torque between the movable collar and nut, and the bolt and movable collar. The primary reference, Ozawa, teaches that the external threads of the bolt are right-handed, indicating that the internal threads of the movable collar which thread onto the external threads of the bolt are also right-handed, and additionally teaches that the nut includes a left-handed internal thread and the movable collar includes a left-handed external thread. Therefore, the internal and external threads of the movable collar are opposite each other. In response to Applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH J JACOBSON whose telephone number is (703)756-1647. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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/SARAH J JACOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1785
/MARK RUTHKOSKY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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