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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/11/26 has been entered.
Rejections Repeated
1. The 35 U.S.C. 103(a) rejection of claims 1-6,10-12,16 unpatentable over Yang et al. in view of Fuji et al. has been rejection as previously made in office action 8/12/25.
As to claim 1, the new limitation, “wherein the first plate-shaped member is disposed on the long side surface side of energy storage device” Yang et al. discloses wherein the first plate-shaped member is disposed on the long side surface side of energy storage device (figure 3 number 36).
As to claim 16, the new limitation, “wherein in the first direction, the protruding portion is positioned laterally and directly beside the electrode terminal,” Yang et al. fail to disclose wherein in the first direction, the protruding portion is positioned laterally and directly beside the electrode terminal. Fuji et al. teaches wherein in the first direction, the protruding portion is positioned laterally and directly beside the electrode terminal (figure 6 number 33 and 1b) for the purpose of attaching to the outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Yang et al. with wherein in the first direction, the protruding portion is positioned laterally and directly beside the electrode terminal for the purpose of attaching to the outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057).
2. The 35 U.S.C. 103(a) rejection of claims 7-9 unpatentable over Yang et al. in view of Fuji et al. and in further view of Ueno et al. has been rejection as previously made in office action 8/12/25.
3. Claims 13-15,17 are objected as being dependent upon a rejection claim as previously made in office action 12/11/25.
4. Claims 18-20 are allowed as previously made in office action 12/11/25.
New Rejections
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.
5. Claim(s) 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. in view of Fuji et al. (US20140220391).
As to claim 21, Yang et al. discloses an energy storage apparatus (figure 2 number 100) comprising: an energy storage device including an electrode terminal; an outer case (20) which accommodates the energy storage device, the outer case including: an outer case body including an opening; and a lid body (22) which closes the opening, the outer case body (21) including a bottom wall portion facing the lid body; and a first plate-shaped member (30) disposed inside the outer case and disposed at an end portion of the energy storage device in a first direction which is an arrangement direction of the energy storage device and the bottom wall portion, wherein the energy storage device (figure 4 number 30) is disposed in a posture in which the electrode terminal (1n, 1p) is directed in a second direction which is a direction intersecting with the first direction and extending along the bottom wall portion. Yang et al. discloses wherein the first plate-shaped member and the second plate-shaped member are configured as a single plate spanning across the two terminals of the energy storage device (figure 4 number 36).
Yang et al. fail to disclose wherein the first plate-shaped member includes a first protruding portion which protrudes more than the energy storage device in the second direction.
Fuji et al. teaches wherein the first plate-shaped member includes a first protruding portion which protrudes more than the energy storage device in the second direction for the purpose of attaching to outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Yang et al. with wherein the first plate-shaped member includes a first protruding portion which protrudes more than the energy storage device in the second direction for the purpose of attaching to outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057).
As to claim 22, Yang et al. discloses wherein the energy storage device is disposed in a posture in which the electrode terminal (figure 4 number 1p) is directed in a second direction which is a direction intersecting with the first direction and extending along the bottom wall portion, and wherein the first plate-shaped member (36) includes a first protruding portion (36) which protrudes outward more than the energy storage device in the second direction.
As to claim 23, Yang et al. discloses wherein the long-side surface side (figure 4 number 36) of the energy storage device is the longest side surface in the first direction which is the arrangement direction of the energy storage device and the bottom wall portion.
As to claim 24, Yang et al. fail to disclose wherein the first protruding portion protrudes more than an end portion of the electrode terminal in the second direction.
Fuji et al. teaches wherein the first protruding portion protrudes more than an end portion of the electrode terminal in the second direction for the purpose of attaching to outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to Yang et al. with wherein the first protruding portion protrudes more than an end portion of the electrode terminal in the second direction for the purpose of attaching to outer main piece for easy alignment (paragraph 0057).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument that Yang et al. fail to disclose, “wherein the first plate-shaped member is disposed on the long side surface side of energy storage device” Yang et al. discloses wherein the first plate-shaped member is disposed on the long side surface side of energy storage device (figure 3 number 36).
In response to applicant’s argument that Yang et al. fail to disclose wherein the first plate shaped member includes a first protruding portion because Fuji et al. does disclose a protruding portion positioned laterally and directly besides terminal 1b, Fuji et al. discloses protruding portion 33 in figure 6 directly besides terminal 1b and as for being positioned laterally, if the battery module is rotated 90 degrees to its side, the protruding position 33 is positioned laterally to the terminal 1b.
In response to applicant’s argument that Yang et al. fail to disclose a second plate shaped member, in figure 4, number 36 on the bottom of the battery module is the second plate shaped member. Also applicant argues that the first and second plate member are configured to span across two terminals of the energy storage device, in figure 4 number 36 span across two terminals 1p,1n).
Conclusion
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/JANE J RHEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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