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 .
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.
Claim(s) 14-17, 20, 21 and 23-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brommer (DE Publication 102011109240).
Regarding claim 14, Brommer discloses a method of connecting contact elements with current connectors (busbars) comprising: providing contact elements 2 on battery cells 3; providing busbars 4; providing a solder layer 8 on either the busbars or contact elements; fixing a reactive multilayer film 1 to one of the contact element or busbar; positioning the busbars, reactive multilayer film and contact elements together; initiating a reaction in the area of the reactive multilayer film, such as by a spark or the input of a localized thermal energy; wherein the reaction spreads through the multilayer film, melting solder layer and soldering the busbars and contact elements together (Paragraphs 0024, 0026, 0027 and Fig. 1).
As to claims 15 and 23, Brommer teaches that an ignition bridge 15 with a current-limiting resistor connects two electrically unconnected current connectors 4, resulting in a strong current flow between the two contact elements through the reactive multilayer film 1 and the cell connectors (Paragraph 0031 and Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 17, Brommer states that the busbars, multilayer film, and contact elements are pressed together with a surface pressure (Paragraph 0027), which would make them frictionally engaged.
As to claim 20, Brommer discloses that the contact elements are provided with a solder layer 8 (Paragraph 0026).
Regarding claim 21, Brommer teaches that an adhesive layer can be applied between the components 2, 4 to help join them together (Paragraph 0027).
As to claims 16, 24 and 25, Brommer discloses battery cells 3, which have two contact elements 2, each of these elements being provided with a current connector 4, wherein solder layers 8 and a reactive multilayer film 1 are formed between the current connector 4 and the contact element 2 of the battery cell 3. Brommer also discloses that two electrically unconnected current connectors 4 are connected to each other via an ignition bridge 15 with a current-limiting resistor, resulting in a strong current flow between the two contact elements through the reactive multilayer film 1 and the cell connectors 4, which introduces a comparatively high thermal energy into the area of the reactive multilayer film, thereby igniting its exothermic reaction. Brommer teaches that this reaction using the energy stored in the battery cells results in components 2 and 4 being soldered together by resoldering the solder layer 8 (Paragraph 0031).
Regarding claim 26, Brommer discloses that the connection method connects a plurality of battery cells to form a battery (Paragraph 0001).
Brommer teaches every limitation of claims 14-17, 20, 21 and 23-26 of the present invention and thus anticipates the claims.
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.
Claim(s) 18, 19 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brommer (DE Publication 102011109240).
The teachings of Brommer have been discussed in paragraph 3 above.
Brommer fails to specifically state that the contact elements are formed together with a clamping device providing a clamping force, that a prestress is applied to at least one contact element by shaping the at least one contact element to make contact in a frictionally engaged manner, and that the solder material is embedded into the adhesive.
Regarding claim 18, Brommer teaches that the busbars, multilayer film and contact elements are pressed together with a surface pressure (Paragraph 0027). As to claim 19, Brommer states that the reactive multilayer film can be cut to fit with the other components (Paragraph 0024), and that the solder layer is used to compensate for possible positional tolerances of the components (Paragraph 0026). Regarding claim 22, Brommer teaches that both an adhesive layer and solder layer 8 are used between the components followed by reaction that melts the solder layer to solder the components together (Paragraph 0027).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention that the components of Brommer could be pressed together with a clamping device because it is well known in the art that clamping devices are used for providing surface pressure to a stack of components that are to be pressed together. It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the contact elements could be shaped to make contact in a frictionally engaged manner because Brommer teaches that the multilayer film can be cut and the solder layer can be applied so that the different components fully contact each other so that the reaction can completely solder the elements together. Finally, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the solder material could be embedded into the adhesive because Brommer teaches that the adhesive layer and solder layer are both placed between the different components adjacent to one another and when the energy is applied, both layers would melt and mix together.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRITTANY L RAYMOND whose telephone number is (571)272-6545. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at 571-272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BRITTANY L. RAYMOND
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1722
/BRITTANY L RAYMOND/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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