DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgement has been made of applicant’s claim for priority under 35 USC 119 (a-d). The certified copy has been filed on 01/13/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed 11/29/2022 have been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Drawings
The drawings received 11/29/2022 are acceptable for examination purposes
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over KR20190130927 to Lim (Lim, machine translation) in view of CN 104904037 to Cho (Cho, machine translation)
Regarding claim 1, Lim discloses a sensing PCB (measurement board, para 15) of a battery unit (battery pack claim 1), the sensing PCB being coupled to the battery unit in which a plurality of battery cells, each of which has an upper surface provided with a positive electrode and an negative electrode, are mounted (Fig. 2), and being configured to be electrically connected to an electrode network configured to connect the plurality of battery cells in series and parallel (claim 8, para 71) and provided in the form of a plurality of separated busbars (claim 8, para 71), and the sensing PCB comprising: a substrate part (para 59, para 62,provided in a "C" shape (Fig. 2, Fig. 4) and fixedly coupled to the battery unit by a coupling means in a direction of the electrode network of the battery unit (para 59,62, Fig. 2,4) a plurality of electrode parts provided as a plurality of conductors arranged on a lower surface of the substrate part facing the direction of the electrode network, and configured to make contact with respective ends of the electrode network when the substrate part is fixedly coupled to the battery unit (Fig.2-4, para 59), a pattern part formed on the substrate part (conductive pattern, para 62) and provided in the form of a pattern selectively connected to the plurality of electrode parts; and an output part located on an upper surface of the substrate part, configured to be electrically connected to the pattern part, having a connection terminal to which an input terminal of a measuring device for measuring an electrical signal is connected, and configured to output an electric signal for each connection section of the electrode network to which the plurality of battery cells are connected through the pattern part ( para 63). Lim does not expressly disclose wherein battery cells are cylindrical and the pattern network is a printed network, which formally makes measurement board PCB.
Cho teaches a secondary battery module comprising a containing box of the plurality of battery cells, and a sensing component which is in a state of being supported by the case to detect the temperature of the battery cell and transmits the detected temperature information to the outside, and comprises: insulating substrate bracket has the shape of plate, temperature detecting connecting member that is arranged on the upper surface of said substrate holder, and combined with the thermistor temperature detection of the battery unit, and a sensing PCB, which is detachably combined to the upper part of the base plate bracket, and in the state of upper part of said substrate bracket is connected with the temperature detecting member contacts. Therefore a use of printed network equipped circuit board is well known in the art. It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the measuring board of Lim with the printed pattern , as taught by Cho (in another word make pattern of Lim printed on a board) , in order to provide real-time information on the residual discharge level or temperature of the secondary battery modules in use, extending the life of the secondary battery module and preventing the danger of explosion or fire (Cho, para 9).
Regarding limitation “cylindrical“ :The courts have held that changes in shape are a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed invention was significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). See MPEP 2144.04. It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace battery cells of Lim with cylindrical battery cells in order to expand applicability of PCB.
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Fig. 2 of Lim.
Regarding claim 2, modified Lim discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 1 and incorporated therein. Regarding the limitation: “a conductor having elastic force” any material including material of conductor of Lim has a certain degree of elasticity. As such said limitation is met. In addition, Cho teaches elastic contact (para 46).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over KR20190130927 to Lim in view of CN 104904037 to Cho and further in view of CN 101809785 to Muis (Muis, machine translation).
Regarding claim 3 and 4, modified Lim discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 2 and incorporated therein. Modified Lim does not expressly disclose wherein each of the electrode parts is provided in the form of a plate spring convex downward and each of the electrode parts is brought into close contact with each separation end of the electrode network by the elastic force when the substrate part is fixed to the battery unit in the direction of the electrode network by the coupling mean
Muis teaches a storage battery assembly for vehicles comprising: a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell comprising a closed cell housing and at least one cell terminal extending from the cell housing, electric conductive bars mounted on dedicated cell terminals, said conductive bars electrically connecting battery cells, and at least one circuit board comprising electronic circuitry provided for monitoring and/or controlling of battery cells( Abstract). In addition Muis teaches (para 81, Fig. 11). Therefore, It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sensing PCB of modified Lim with the spiral contact parts of in order to ensure secure contact.
Claim 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over KR20190130927 to Lim in view of CN 104904037 to Cho and further in view of US 2018/0261823 to Jan (Jan).
Regarding claim 5, modified Lim discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 1 and incorporated therein. Modified Lim does not expressly disclose wherein the battery unit is provided in a structure in which a first cell group in which a plurality of battery cells form rows and columns, a second cell group in which a plurality of battery cells form rows and columns and spaced apart from the first cell group, and a third cell group in which a plurality of battery cells form rows and columns and disposed between the first and second cell groups are fixedly arranged in a housing so that the positive electrode of each of the battery cells of each of the cell groups faces upward, and the electrode network is disposed on an upper surface of the housing,
Jan teaches a battery unit (battery pack) wherein the battery unit is provided in a structure in which a first cell group in which a plurality of battery cells form rows and columns, a second cell group in which a plurality of battery cells form rows and columns and spaced apart from the first cell group (Fig, 7, Fig. 1, Fig. 2), the first and second cell groups are fixedly arranged in a housing so that the positive electrode of each of the battery cells of each of the cell groups faces upward and the electrode network is disposed on an upper surface of the housing (Fig.1-2, 8, para 25).It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sensing PCB of modified Lim by disposing battery cells as taught by Jan, to remove heat generated by battery cells and avoid voltage drop at high current level.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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. Claim 7 depend from claim 6 and objected as well. The closest prior art of record: KR20190130927(Lim), CN 104904037 (Cho), US 2018/0261823, CN 101809785-fail to teach or suggest the combination of limitations of claim 6. Specifically even Lim discloses a plurality of bus bars (claim 8, para 71) wherein the busbars electrically connect battery cells arranged not adjacent to each other along a row of battery cells (claim 10) and connector to battery management unit (para 63) it does not disclose or make obvious arranging f plurality busbars in accordance with Claim 6. Cho does not disclose a plurality of bus bars.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER USYATINSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-7703. The examiner can normally be reached IFP.
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/Alexander Usyatinsky/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751