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) 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by
Copperthite et al. (U.S. 2019/0115704), hereafter Copperthite submitted by the
applicant.
As to claim 11, Copperthite discloses a method for forming a terminal element or
bus bar (100) comprising:
providing a metal sheet (102) comprising a first material (copper, para-0038);
partially reducing the thickness of the metal sheet by means of a milling process
(para-0059+); and
stamping (para-0051+) the terminal element or bus bar (100) from the metal
sheet (102), wherein
the resulting terminal element or bus bar (100) comprises at least a first section
(i.e. element 106a, 106b) having a first thickness and a second section (element 106c, 106d) having a second thickness, such that the resulting terminal element or bus bar is more easily bent in the first section (106a, 106b) than in the second section (106c, 106d).
As to claim 12, Copperthite further comprising bending (right angle) the resulting
terminal element or bus bar into a desired shape.
As to claim 15, Copperthite discloses the resulting terminal element or bus bar (100) shown in figures 1-2 that has a rectangular cross-section in the first and second sections (106a, 106b and 106c), and wherein the thicknesses of the resulting terminal element or bus bar in the first and second sections are measured between planar sides that are opposite from one another.
As to claim 16, Copperthite discloses the resulting terminal element or bus bar (100) has a circular cross-section (figure 3C) in the first and second sections, and wherein the thicknesses of the resulting terminal element or bus bar in the first and second sections is a diameter of the circular cross-section.
As to claim 8, Copperthite discloses a method for forming a terminal element or
bus bar (100) comprising:
joining a first metal sheet (106c, 106d) to a second metal sheet (106a, 106b), thereby forming a large metal sheet (102) comprising different sections (106a,b and 106c,d); and
stamping (para-0051+) the terminal element or bus bar (100) from the large
metal sheet (102) comprising different sections (106),
wherein: either
the first metal sheet comprises a first material, the second metal sheet comprises a second material, and the first material differs from the second material, or
the first metal sheet (106c, d) has a first thickness, the second metal sheet (106a, b) has a second thickness, and the first thickness differs from the second thickness (see 1A-2B), such that the second metal sheet easily bent than the first metal sheet,
or both, and
the resulting terminal element or bus bar (100) comprises at least one section
of the first metal sheet and at least one section of the second metal sheet.
As to claim 9, Copperthite further comprising bending (at right angle) the
resulting terminal element or bus bar into a desired shape.
As to claim 10, Copperthite further comprising, before stamping the terminal
element or bus bar (100) from the large metal sheet comprising different sections,
reducing the thickness of at least one section by means of a milling process (para-
0059+).
As to claim 13, Copperthite discloses the first and second metal sheets (106) each have a rectangular cross-section (figures 1A-2B), and wherein the thicknesses of the first and second metal sheets are measured between planar sides of the first and second metal sheets that are opposite from one another.
As to claim 14, Don discloses the first and second metal sheets each have a circular cross-section (figure 3C), and the thicknesses of the first and second metal sheets is a diameter of the circular cross-section.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 8-16 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's arguments filed 11/03/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues:
the resulting terminal element or bus bar is more easily bent in the first section than in the second section.
After carefully review, examiner respectively disagrees because the thickness of the first second (16a, 16b) is less thick than the thickness of the second section (16c, d); therefore, the resulting terminal element or bus bar is more easily bent in the first section than in the second section.
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 TUAN T DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-1929. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FRI: 8AM-4:30PM.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848