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 .
The RCE filed 4/8/26 has been considered and entered. Claim 2 has been canceled. Claims 14-17 have been added per amendment filed 1/30/26. Claims 1 and 3-17 remain in the application.
Considering the amendment filed 4/8/26, the 35 USC 103 rejections have been withdrawn. However, the following rejections have been necessitated by the amendment.
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 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.
Claims 1,3-9,11,12 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (2011/0262797) in combination with JP 2010040295 further in combination with CN 110061159.
Kim (2011/0262797) teaches a battery module formed either vertically or horizontally (claimed first direction) including a pair of end plates (claimed restraint mechanism) and a pressure control unit (claimed restraint force adjustment mechanism) including an elastic support and a control screw to adjust elasticity of the elastic plate and controlling the pressure between the battery unit cells (abstract, [0010]-[0024] and [0039]-[0040]).
Kim (2011/0262797) fails to teach the restraint force adjustment mechanism to be a bolt member attached to the end plate and along the first direction and a nut member screwed on the bolt member to defect the stack by applying pressure whereby the end plate is deflected by adjusting the amount of fastening of the nut member on the bolt.
JP 2010040295 teaches a battery pack device of increasing force of binding stacked battery cells (abstract). JP 2010040295 teaches binding bands (10) for fastening the end plates together and these are deformed (claimed deflected) toward one another (abstract). The restraint bands are fixed to the end plates using a bolt (28) and nut (29) means and the battery cell end plates are moved in a direction toward one another when the nut is tightened on the bolt (see Fig. 8)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kim (2011/0262797) restraint force adjustment mechanism with a bolt/nut screw combination as taught by JP 2010040295with the expectation of controlling the displacement thereof due to expansion and contraction of the cells in the module.
Kim (2011/0262797) in combination with JP 2010040295 fail to teach the bolt member and nut member being provided at the center of the end plate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
CN 110061159 teaches a battery module having a displacement adjustment component whereby several single batteries (10) are stacked in the claimed first direction to form a battery module having restraint members (30A,30B) and end plates (36A,36B) and a compression clamp (34) (claimed force adjustment mechanism) centrally located to provide load in the stacking direction (claimed second direction) orthogonal to the first direction (Pg. 4 last paragraph and description of Fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the at before the effective filing date of he claimed invention to have modified Kim (2011/0262797) in combination with JP 2010040295 process to locate the bolt/nut in a central location of the end plate as evidenced by CN 110061159 with the expectation of controlling displacement adjustment of the battery stack.
Regarding claim 1, JP 2010040295 teaches a nut/bolt means for deflecting the end plates when nut is tightened on the bolt. CN 110061159 teaches placement in the central portion of the end plate. The Examiner takes the position that one skilled in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success of using a bolt/nut for the compressing clamp (34) as both are utilized to control the displacement of the battery stack forma second direction orthogonal to the first stacking direction of her cells.
Regarding claims 3,5,7 and 9, the claimed shim member is met by the elastic bodies or elastic plates which are between the cells and the end plate.
Regarding claim 4,5,8 and 9, the bolt member is provided in a region of a range of the application of a positive electrode active material layer included in the battery cells.
Regarding claim 6, the bolt member serves as a fixation member that fixes the battery module to the base.
Regarding claim 11, a case accommodates the plurality of battery cells in a first direction to form a unit (module) and the restraint mechanism (claimed end plates) restrains the units in a first direction.
Regarding claim 12, a case accommodates the plurality of battery cells in a first direction to form a unit (module) and the restraint mechanism (claimed end plates) restrains the units in a first direction.
Regarding claim 14, the bolt member is attached at a position apart from the binding bar (30A,30B) (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, the bolt/nut member is provided at the central region f the end plate in a second and third direction as locate don either side so a second direction is to the left while a third direction is to the right (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 16, a bolt hole would be expected to be present in the electrode assembly as is provides displacement of the cell stack in a second direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10,13 and 17 allowed.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record fails to teach a bolt member inserted into and extending through a binding bar along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and fastened to another component of the battery module.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1,3-9,11,12 and 14-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant argued the bolt/nut is not located at a central location of the end plates at a second direction of the battery cells for displacement movement of the cells.
CN 110061159 teaches this as detailed above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN K TALBOT whose telephone number is (571)272-1428. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 7-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL CLEVELAND can be reached at 571-272-1418. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN K TALBOT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712
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