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 .
This action is written in response to the amendment filed 05/29/2025
Claim 14 has been amended
Claims 14 and 17-29 are presented for examination
This action is Final
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.
Claim(s) 14, 17-18 and 20-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stephens et al. (US 2018/0337377) in view of Nishikawa et al. (US 5,501,289).
Claim 14. Stephens discloses a housing lower part (20, 24, 26) of an energy storage device housing, the housing lower part comprising:
a trough-like element 20, wherein the trough-like element has lateral wall elements 36, and a long axis of each of the lateral wall elements 30, 30a extends which extend-along a longitudinal axis,
sill elements 50 that are arranged on an outer side of the wall elements, wherein a long axis of each of the sill elements extends only along the longitudinal axis, and each of the sill elements projects beyond the wall elements along the longitudinal axis by way of a longitudinal section [0059], and
transverse elements 52, each of which is arranged on an end side of the trough-like element and extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the sill elements are fastened to an end side of the transverse elements by way of the longitudinal sections (fig. 5A; see annotated figure below).
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Stephens discloses a connection of the lateral elements to the longitudinal elements but fails to teach a screw or rivet connection. Nishikawa teaches wherein the sill elements are connected to the transverse elements by at least one of screws or rivets (col. 5, ll. 55-59) Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the lateral and longitudinal wall elements of Stephens to include a screw or rivet connection as taught by Nishikawa to assist in both maintaining a tight connection while also allowing easy removal of the assembled arts.
Claim 17. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the wall elements are integrally connected to the sill elements (Nishikawa; col. 5, ll. 42-46).
Claim 18. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 17, wherein the wall elements are welded to the sill elements (Nishikawa; col. 5, ll. 53-62).
Claim 20. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the transverse elements are integrally fastened to the trough-like element (Stephens; [0059]).
Claim 21. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the transverse elements are formed such that the transverse elements continue a geometry of the trough-like element (Stephens; fig. 5).
Claim 22. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the transverse elements and the trough-like element are connected via a flat joining region (Stephens; fig. 5).
Claim 23. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein a large number of transverse beams 36 is arranged along the longitudinal axis, and oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis (Stephens; [0051]).
Claim 24. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the transverse elements are cast parts (Nishikawa; col. 3, ll. 18-22).
Clams 25-26. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the sill elements are extruded profiled elements (Stephens; fig. 5).
Claim 27. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the trough-like element is a folded-back aluminum sheet (Stephens; [0050]).
Claim 28. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the device comprising: a series of energy storage device housings, wherein each energy storage device housing has a housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the sill elements are profiled elements which, to represent energy storage device housings of different sizes, are cut to length (Stephens; fig. 3, 5), and
wherein the transverse elements have a same length (Stephens; fig. 8).
Claim 29. Stephens-Nishikawa discloses the device according to claim 28, wherein the transverse elements 52 are identical within the series. (Stephens; fig. 3, 5A).
Claim(s) 14 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gunther et al. (US 2019/0381899) in view of Nishikawa et al. (US 5,501,289).
Claim 14. Gûnther discloses a housing lower part 1 of an energy storage device housing, the housing layer lower part comprising:
a trough-like element 2, wherein the trough-like element has lateral wall elements 3 which extend a long axis of each of the lateral wall elements extends along a longitudinal axis [0033],
sill elements 5 that are arranged on an outer side of the wall elements, wherein a long axis of each of the sill elements extends only along the longitudinal axis and each of the sill elements projects beyond the wall elements along the longitudinal axis by way of a longitudinal section (fig. 2), and
transverse elements 6/8, each of which is arranged on an end side of the trough-like element and extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis [0037],
wherein the sill elements 5 are fastened to an end side of the transverse elements by way of the longitudinal sections (fig. 2).
Gunther discloses sidewalls being made of aluminum profiles to prevent corrosion of the housing [0015] but fails to disclose the walls being connected to the sills by screws or rivets. Nishikawa teaches wherein the sill elements 12 are connected to the transverse elements 5 by at least one of screws or rivets (col. 5, II. 54-59). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the connection of Gunther to include the screw/bolt connection of Nishikawa to both maintain and interchange the wall connections.
Claim 17. Gunther-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the wall elements are integrally connected to the sill elements (Nishikawa; col. 5, ll. 42-46).
Claim 18. Gunther-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 17, wherein the wall elements are welded to the sill elements (Nishikawa; col. 5, ll. 53-62).
Claim 19. Gunther-Nishikawa discloses the housing lower part according to claim 14, wherein the wall elements have flange sections 4 which are oriented parallel to a bottom element, and the sill elements 8 are fastened to the flange sections (Gunther; fig. 3).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but in view of the amendment the search has been updated, new prior art has been identified and applied, and a new rejection has been made.
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 RAVEN COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)270-1672. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm EST.
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/RAVEN COLLINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 3735
/Anthony D Stashick/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3735
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