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 Amendment
In response to the amendment received March 16, 2026:
Claim 2 has been canceled as per Applicant’s request. Claims 1 and 3-10 are pending.
The core of the previous prior art rejections are maintained with slight changes made in light of the amendment.
All changes to the rejection are necessitated by the amendment. Thus, the action is final.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed March 30, 3036 have been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being rejected by JP 2019129042 (Sakamoto et al.).
As to claim 1, Sakamoto et al. teach a battery pack (battery unit [10]; fig. 2) comprising:
a pack tray (battery case [11]) defining an inner space (battery storage section [13]) (fig. 3);
a plurality of battery modules (modules M, i.e. M1-M10) accommodated in the pack tray (battery case [11]) (fig. 3);
a battery management system (BMS) (control device [ECU], first electric junction box [BOX1], and second electric junction box [BOX2]) accommodated in the pack tray (battery case [11]) (figs. 3-4; para 0026-0027);
a first cable assembly configured to connect the BMS to a first module group from among the plurality of battery modules, the first cable assembly being located adjacent to the first module group (i.e. combination of first electrical cable [33A], second electrical cable [33B], as connected to bus bars the respective applicable bus bars to [BOX1] via connector portion C (figs. 2-5; para 0012, 0026, 0031-0034); additionally, at the very least control line [34] to the voltage sensors [35] (indirect connection to the modules) and [ECU] (figs. 3-5; para 0026, 0029, 0036, 0040, 0062); and
a second cable assembly configured to connect the BMS to a second module group from among the plurality of battery modules, the second cable assembly being located adjacent to the second module group (i.e. combination of first electrical cable [33A], second electrical cable [33B] as connected to bus bars the respective applicable bus bars to [BOX2] via connector portion C (figs. 2-5; para 0012, 0026, 0031-0034); additionally, at the very least control line [34] to the voltage sensors [35] (indirect connection to the modules) and [ECU] (figs. 3-5; para 0026, 0029, 0036, 0040, 0062) (Note: The first and second module groups are defined by their connection respective [BOX1] and [BOX2]; see para 0020 regarding how the modules are connected to the respective bus bars; i.e. M1 to B1; M2 to B2; M5, M4, M3 to B3; M6, M7, M8 to B4; M9 to B6; M10, B6, as different module groups.),
wherein the pack tray includes a plurality of partitions (cross members [14A], [14C]) extending in a width direction (three-dimensional figure extends in three directions, one of which is a width direction) of the pack tray (battery case [11]) and dividing the inner space of the pack tray (between M2 and M3 and between M8 and M9) (fig. 3); and
a cross beam (cross member [14B]) extending in a longitudinal direction (direction that is perpendicular both 11RS and 11LS; fig. 3) of the pack tray (battery case [11]) and dividing the inner space of the pack tray (between M5 and M6) (figs. 3, 6; para 0024, 0037).
As to claim 3, Sakamoto et al. teach the first module group (at least one of M1, M2, or M3/M4/M5) is located on a first side of the cross beam (cross member [14B]), and the second module group (at least one of M6/M7/M8, M9, M10) is located on a second side of the cross beam (cross member [14B]) opposite the first side (fig. 3).
As to claim 4, Sakamoto et al. teach each of the plurality of battery modules comprises:
a cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked (para 0007);
a module housing in which the cell stack is accommodated (para 0007);
a sensing line electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells (via voltage sensors [35]) (para 00026; figs. 3-4); and
a module connector connected to the sensing line (control line [34]) (fig. 5; para 0026).
As to claim 5, Sakamoto et al. teach the BMS (control device [ECU], first electric junction box [BOX1], and second electric junction box [BOX2]) comprises a pair of BMS connectors (terminal box 1 [TB1] and terminal box 2 [TB2]) respectively provided at a position corresponding to the first module group at least one of M1, M2, or M3/M4/M5) and a position corresponding to the second module group (at least one of M6/M7/M8, M9, M10) (figs. 2-4; para 0026, 0031-0033).
As to claim 10, the battery pack of claim 1 has been set forth in the rejection to claim 1 above, incorporated herein but not reiterated herein for brevity’s sake. A vehicle with the battery pack can be seen in fig. 1 (see also para 0009).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed March 16, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues the claims require “wherein the pack tray includes a plurality of partitions extending in a width direction of the pack tray and dividing the inner space of the pack tray in a longitudinal direction of the pack tray; and a cross beam extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the width direction of the pack tray and dividing the inner space of the pack tray in the width direction of the pack tray” which is not met by the prior art.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Sakamoto et al.’s teach the pack tray includes a plurality of partitions (cross members [14A], [14C]) extending in a width direction (three-dimensional figure extends in three directions, one of which is a width direction) of the pack tray (battery case [11]) and dividing the inner space of the pack tray (between M2 and M3 and between M8 and M9) (fig. 3); and a cross beam (cross member [14B]) extending in a longitudinal direction (direction that is perpendicular both 11RS and 11LS; fig. 3) of the pack tray (battery case [11]) and dividing the inner space of the pack tray (between M5 and M6) (figs. 3, 6; para 0024, 0037). Thus, the argument is not persuasive, and the rejection of record is maintained.
Applicant argues that Sakamoto does not teach that the plurality of partitions extends in a width direction and divides the inner space of the pack tray in a longitudinal
direction of the pack tray while also simultaneously teaching a cross beam extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the width direction and dividing the inner space of the pack tray in the width direction of the pack tray.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. As all of the Sakamoto et al.’s cross members [14A, 14B, 14C] serving as either a cross member or cross beam extends in three dimensions, extension in both a width direction and a longitudinal direction exists. These directions are perpendicular to one another. Additionally, as the extension is in three directions, including a width and a longitudinal direction, the inner space is divided in the width direction (figs. 3, 6). Nothing in the claim precludes the interpretation of the prior art taken or defines a structure beyond the interpretation applied to the prior art. Thus, the argument is not persuasive, and the rejection of record is maintained.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The reasons for allowability have been set forth in the Office Action dated December 16, 2025. Those reasons are incorporated herein but are not reiterated herein for brevity’s sake.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 EUGENIA WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4942. The examiner can normally be reached a flex schedule, generally Monday-Thursday 5:00 -7:30 (AM) and 9:45-3:15 ET.
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/EUGENIA WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
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