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 .
Status of Application
Claims 1-4, 6-8, and 11-12 are amended, claims 13-14 are new, submitted on 1/9/2026. Claims 1-14 are presented for examination.
Claim Objections
1. Claim 1 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities.
In claim 1, Ln 1-2, the recitation “and a centerline between the pair of end surfaces;” should read “and a centerline of the case between the pair of end surfaces;” for consistency with the following recitations of “the centerline of the case” shown in Ln 10-13 of the claim.
In claim 1, Ln 14, the recitation ”each comprising a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal” is suggested to read “each of the connection terminal comprising a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal” to clarify the term “each” refers to “each of the connection terminal”, based on the description para [14] and [21] and FIGs. 1-4 and 10. Otherwise, the term “each” could be interpreted as “each pair of connection terminal” which would result in a potential new matter 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) rejection to the recitation of “being disposed at the opposite side surface of the case” in Ln 6-7 of the claim, because in this case, each pair of connection terminals means a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal, while the instant disclosure and FIGs. 1-10 only support the pair of connection terminals (i.e., the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal) being disposed on the same side surface of the case, contrary to “being disposed at the opposite side surface of the case” as recited in the claim Ln 6-7.
Similarly, for clarity purpose, claim 1 Ln 15-16, the recitation “wherein the centers of the pair of connection terminals are located on opposite side of the centerline of the case” is suggested to read “wherein the centers of respective pair of connection terminals are located on opposite side of the centerline of the case” as supported by FIG. 1 of the instant disclosure.
In claim 7, Ln 4 “are configured to be engagable with” should read “are configured to be engageable with”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
2. Claim 1 in Ln 4-5, the recitation “each comprising a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal and…” is broadly and reasonably interpreted in light of the special definition in the instant specification at para [56], noting that “The first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are electrode terminals having opposite electrical properties.”
The same claim interpretation applies to dependent claims 2-14, respectively.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-10 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20120064387 A1, IDS of 1/6/2025).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a battery module (battery 100 [0063] and FIGs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6A-6B, and 7) comprising: a case (110, [0063] and FIG. 1) having a pair of opposite side surfaces, a pair of end surfaces and a centerline between the pair of end surfaces; and a pair of connection terminals (133b/153b and 153a/133a,) each comprising a first electrode terminal (153a or 133b, FIG. 2) and a second electrode terminal (133a or 153b, Annotated FIG. 2), the pair of connection terminals being disposed at the opposite side surfaces of the case (Annotated FIG. 2), wherein each of the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal protrudes outwards (FIG. 2).
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Kim’s FIG. 2 appears to have a symmetric positioning of the pair of connection terminals 153b/133b and 153a/133a, thus discloses the center of each of the pair of connection terminals is on the centerline of the case, thus not being spaced from the centerline; and the center of the pair of connection terminals are located right on the center line of the case, thus not being on opposite sides of the centerline.
Kim further discloses the desire of a combination of series and parallel connections of plurality of battery modules ([0023]); and in the embodiment of FIG. 10A the first terminal region 433 a/433b and the second terminal region 453a/453b may have different shapes and may be located at different positions ([0112-0113] [0017] and [0126]). A skilled artisan would reasonably envisage Kim’s center of each of the pair of connection terminals would be flexible to relocate according to real battery module application needs adaptive to various battery modules shapes ([0005]) and power or capacity output requirements ([0006]).
Since Kim teaches flexibility in shapes and locations, it broadly encompasses the scope of symmetric and asymmetric arrangements of the electrode terminals as obvious equivalent variants, in that, slight adjustments to the terminals to be slightly asymmetric seems to amount to no unexpected results over a symmetric design. It would have been obvious to a skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to be adaptive to battery modules of various shapes and power or capacity requirements, rearranging the parts of Kim (electrode terminals) with variations in shapes and positions and shifting the centers of the respective pair of connection terminal from symmetric to an asymmetric offsetting position from the centerline of the case, thus arriving at the claimed “the center of each of the pair of connection terminals is spaced from the centerline of the case, and the center of the pair of connection terminals are located on opposite sides of the centerline of the case” without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success in achieving the goal of a combination of series and parallel connections of plurality of battery modules with variation in shapes and capacity requirements. [MPEP 2144.04 VI. (c)].
Regarding claim 2, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses a width of a protruding portion of each of the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal is less than a gap between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal (width of 153b and 133b being less than W, Annotated FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 3, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses the second electrode terminal of the pair of connection terminals are diagonally symmetric to each other with respect to the center point A of the centerline of the case (153a/133b or 153b/133a are symmetric pairs, Annotated FIG. 2), thus not being symmetric to each other with respect to the centerline of the case.
However, Kim further teaches the first and second connection formations may be on a same side of the case ([0126]) which means the same type of electrode terminals 153b and 133a can be on the same side of the case and the same type of electrode terminal 153a and 133b can be on the other same side of the case, simply by switching the position of 153a and 153b.
It would have been obvious to a skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the location of the pair of the electrode terminals by switching 153a with 153b at taught by Kim, and arriving at the claimed “the second electrode terminal of the pair of connection terminals are symmetric to each other with respect to the centerline of the case” without undue experimentation and with a reasonable expectation of success in achieving the goal of a combination of series and parallel connections of plurality of battery modules with variation in shapes and capacity requirements.
Regarding claim 4, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses outwardly protruding heights distances of the first electrode terminal (153b, FIG. 2) and the second electrode terminal (133a, FIG.2) from each opposite side surface of the case are equal to each other (FIG.2).
Regarding claim 5, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses each of the opposite side surfaces of the case includes a concave-convex portion (protrusions 153a/b and 133a/b vs. gap portion, Annotated FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 6, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses an insulator (210, [0096] and FIG. 5A and 5C) is disposed outside each of the first electrode terminal (153b, FIG.5C) and the second electrode terminal (133b, FIG. 5C).
Regarding claim 7, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses protruding shapes of the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal and an external shape of the case between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are configured to be engageable with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal of an adjacent battery module (FIGs. 5A-5C).
Regarding claim 8, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses only one pair of terminal mating regions in opposing faces of battery cells to be connected may be coupled ([0096] and FIG. 5A), which anticipates the claimed “only a single pair of the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal is disposed at each of the opposite side surfaces of the case”.
Regarding claim 9, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses a battery pack (300, [0097] FIG. 6A and 6B) comprising at least two battery modules according to claim 1, wherein the battery modules are coupled to each other (FIG. 6B).
Regarding claim 10, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses adjacent battery modules of the at least two battery modules form a coupling portion at which the connection terminals are coupled to each other (133a/b or 153a/b plug-receptacle coupling, [0079] and [0087]) and FIG. 6B).
Regarding claims 13-14, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim does not explicitly disclose the first electrode terminal of each pair of connection terminals extends from the centerline toward one of the pair of end surfaces and a gap extends from the centerline to the second electrode terminal of each pair of connection terminals (claim 13); nor in a first connection terminal of the pair of connection terminals, the first electrode terminal extends towards a first end surface of the pair of end surfaces, and wherein, in a second connection terminals of the pair of connection terminals, the first electrode terminal extends towards a second end surface of the pair of end surface (claim 14).
As set forth in claim 1 rejection, since Kim has the desire of a combination of series and parallel connections of a plurality of battery modules ([0023]), and the first terminal region and second terminal region may have different shapes and may be located at different positions ([0112-0113] and [0017]), Kim encompasses the claimed scenarios of claim 13 and 14 by rearranging the locations of the first and second electrode terminal to be adaptive to battery modules of various shapes and power or capacity requirements.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to envisage the flexibility of positioning the first terminal and the second terminal based on real application needs of connecting a plurality of battery modules adaptive to various battery modules shapes and power or capacity output requirements as taught by Kim, arriving at the claimed limitations by rearrangements of the locations of the first and second electrode terminals accordingly without undue experimentation.
7. Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20120064387 A1, IDS of 1/6/2025), as applied to claim 9, in view of Yang (US 20140038471 A1).
Regarding claims 11-12, modified Kim discloses all of the limitations as set forth above. Modified Kim further discloses the need of both small and large capacity and various shapes of batteries for different application scenarios ([0005-0006]); and as established above, one positive electrode terminal of one of the battery modules of the at least two battery modules and one negative electrode terminal of another battery module of the at least two battery modules closest thereto are electrically connected to each other (the top portion of 100L’ and 100R’ in FIG. 6B). Kim further discloses two terminals not directly connected to each other as the circled portion of FIG. 6B or shown as the two open ends in FIG. 7.
However, modified Kim does not explicitly disclose one first electrode terminal of one of the battery modules of the at least two battery modules and one second electrode terminal of another battery module of the at least two battery modules closest thereto are electrically connected to each other connected via an inter-busbar (claim 11); nor only one first electrode terminal of one of the battery modules of the at least two battery modules and one second electrode terminal of another battery module of the at least two battery modules closest thereto are electrically connected to each other connected via an inter-busbar (claim 12).
Yang teaches battery pack including a plurality of battery modules, and an inter bus bar 10 for connecting the plurality of battery modules adjacent to each other in series and/or in parallel ([0074] and FIG. 8), in particular if the plurality of battery modules is connected in series, by applying the connecting member 10 as an inter bus bar, the safety against an overcurrent and the low resistance may be ensured simultaneously ([0076] and FIG. 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further connect in series the circled portion of the two battery modules shown of FIG. 6B or FIG. 7 of Kim via an inter bus bar to simultaneously ensure the safety against an overcurrent and low resistance as taught by Yang, thus arriving at claim 11, while adopting a combination of series and parallel connections of a plurality of battery modules in order to meet different requirements of voltage and capacity for a battery as desired by Kim.
Further, since as established above, the battery 100L’ and 100R’ of Kim has been connected at one end by the 133a/b or 153a/b plug-receptacle coupling, ([0079] and [0087]) and FIG. 6B and FIG. 7), there is a need for only one positive electrode terminal of one of the battery module of the at least two battery modules to be connected with one negative electrode terminal of another battery module of the at least two battery modules closest thereto being electrically connected to each other via an inter-bus bar as taught by Yang, thus arriving at claim 12.
Response to Arguments
8. Applicant’s arguments regarding the amended claim 1 filed on 1/9/2026 have been fully considered but are not found persuasive and moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Applicant argued that the amended claim 1 defines the centerline and defines the relationship of the electrode terminal of each connection pair and the relationship between the pair of connection terminals with respect to the centerline; and Kim does not disclose or suggest the subject matter of claim 1.
Examiner respectfully acknowledges the amendment to claim 1 has overcome the 102 rejection of record. However, since Kim has disclosed the desire of a combination of series and parallel connections of plurality of battery modules ([0023]), and the first terminal region 433 a/433b and the second terminal region 453a/453b may have different shapes and may be located at different positions ([0112-0113] [0017] and FIG. 10A), a skilled artisan would reasonably envisage the flexibility of terminal positioning taught by Kim, to fulfill real battery module application needs adaptive to various battery modules shapes ([0005]), and power or capacity output requirements ([0006]). Thus Kim’s disclosure and teaching would encompass the claimed feature of a centerline defining the relationship of the electrode terminal of each connection pair and the relationship between the pair of connection terminals with respect to the centerline simply by rearranging the electrode terminal positions. [MPEP 2144.04 VI. (c)].
Examiner further submits that the instant disclosure [14] is intended to provide a plurality of battery module being coupled to each other, the battery modules are assembled irrespective of direction of the battery modules with high work efficiency, no separate busbar is used and space efficiency is high. However, Kim appears to have achieved substantially the same results, in that a plurality of battery modules being coupled to each other irrespective of direction of the battery module (FIGs. 5B, 10B, and 12B), without using a bus bar ([0093] and [0126]) with terminals having plug and receptacle type structures which may be modified in various forms of mating terminals ([0128]), corresponding to high work and space efficiency. Therefore, Kim renders obvious the claimed feature with substantially same results.
The argument is not found persuasive.
Conclusion
9. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
10. 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 8:00AM -5:00PM ET. ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Leong can be reached on (571)270-1292. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K. L./Examiner, Art Unit 1751 4/16/2026
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 4/26/2026
Prosecution Insights