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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's reply filed 2/4/2026 includes claim amendments and arguments corresponding to the new limitations. Applicant argues the art of record does not disclose the new limitations, including “a first supporting point portion extending in the second direction toward the housing or towards the all-solid-state battery.” Applicant’s new limitations are supported by the instant disclosure.
Examiner agrees the references cited in the previous action do not disclose the new limitation(s). Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. After an updated search and consideration, the claimed invention remains obvious, but over new art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Uda et al., JP 6394083 B2.
Regarding Claim 1, Uda discloses a supporting structure supporting an all-solid-state battery (heat dissipation member 20 and all-solid-state battery 100, Figs. 1-10), the supporting structure comprising:
a housing accommodating the battery (case 40 [0025], Fig. 1); and
a supporting member interposed between the battery and the housing (heat dissipation member 20 between battery unit 10 and case 40 [0025], Figs. 1-12; see positioning in Fig. 1) and supporting the battery while the all-solid-state battery is accommodated in the housing (“supporting” limitation met by compressive forces from battery unit 10 on the heat dissipation member 20 [0030-0032], suppressing vibration [0040-0043]),
wherein the supporting member (20, Example 3 [0051-0054], Fig. 6) comprises a plurality of first spring portions arranged in a first direction (dissipation member 20 includes voids arranged in a planar direction/perpendicular to the stacking direction [0008]) orthogonal to a second direction in which the all-solid-state battery and the supporting member are arranged (stacking direction [0008], see Annotated Figs. 1 and 6):
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Uda – Annotated by Examiner
the first spring portions each comprise a first supporting point portion extending in the second direction toward the housing (elastic layer 22 on top of base layer 21 extends upwards toward case 40 [0009-0019, 0060-0065], Figs. 1, 6, 9, 10; Annotated Fig. 6);
a pair of second supporting point portions extending in the second direction toward an opposite
side to the first supporting point portion at positions spaced from the first supporting point portion (Annotated Fig. 6); and
a first cavity portion provided between the pair of second supporting point portions at a position facing the first supporting point portion (upper portion of through hole 21b2 [0052], Annotated Fig. 6).
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Uda – Annotated Fig. 6
Regarding Claim 2, Uda discloses all limitations as set forth above. Uda discloses the supporting member comprises a plurality of second spring portions facing the first spring portions in the second direction (Annotated Fig. 6);
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Uda – Annotated Fig. 6
the second spring portions each comprise a third supporting point portion extending in the second direction toward the opposite side to the first supporting point portion (elastic layer 22 on top of base layer 21 [0009-0019, 0060-0065], Figs. 1, 6, 9, 10; Annotated Fig. 6);
a pair of fourth supporting point portions extending in the second direction toward an opposite side to the third supporting point portion at positions spaced from the third supporting point portion (Annotated Fig. 6); and
a second cavity portion provided between the pair of fourth supporting point portions at a position facing the third supporting point portion (lower portion of through-hole 21b2 [0052], Annotated Fig. 6),
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Uda – Annotated Fig. 6
and each pair of second supporting point portions of the first spring portions and corresponding pair of fourth supporting point portions of the second spring portions facing the first spring portions are fixed to each other to face each other (Annotated Fig. 6).
Uda teaches the limitation “fixed to each other to face each other,” as Uda discloses the area
comprising the pairs of second and fourth supporting point portions corresponds to a single layer (base layer 21b is a metal plate 21b1 [0051-0053], Fig. 6).
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Uda – Annotated Fig. 6
Regarding Claim 3, Uda discloses all limitations as set forth above. Uda discloses the first spring portions each comprise a first body portion extending in the first direction (Annotated Fig. 6),
each pair of second supporting point portions of the first spring portions extends from the first body portion toward the opposite side to the first supporting point portion (Annotated Fig. 6),
corner portions are provided between a first cavity portion-side surface of each first body portion and side surfaces of the second supporting point portions (Annotated Fig. 6), and
inner surfaces of the corner portions are configured as curved surfaces (inner surfaces of through hole 21b2 [0052], Annotated Fig. 6).
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Uda – Annotated Fig. 6
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Marukawa et al., US 20100151309 A1.
Marukawa discloses a supporting structure supporting a battery (Figs. 1-8), the supporting structure comprising:
a housing accommodating the battery (end plates 180 and restraining bands 185 hold battery 110 [0028], Fig. 1); and
a supporting member interposed between the battery and the housing (holding spacer 130 [0028-0041], between end plate 180 and battery 110 in Fig. 1) and supporting the battery while the all-solid-state battery is accommodated in the housing (“supporting” limitation met by contacting and holding the battery [0011, 0015, 0029]),
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Annotated Marukawa (Fig. 7)
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 BETHANY C GARCIA whose telephone number is (571)272-2475. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 0800 - 1730 MT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allison Bourke can be reached at 303-297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BETHANY C GARCIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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