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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the center ring" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as “a center ring” has not been previously recited. For the purpose of this office action, it is considered that “the center ring” refers to “the ring unit…as the center” in claim 15 at lines 3 and 6.
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.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 2020/0365866) in view of Son et al. (US 2019/0181418).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses a battery connection module 2 [sensing substrate] and a battery device 100 [battery pack] including a battery set 1 made of a plurality of batteries 12 [plurality of battery cells] (abstract, [0041], Fig 2). The battery connection module 2 [sensing substrate] includes a carrying tray 3, a plurality of busbars 4, a flexible circuit board 5 [main body], a plurality of conductive bridging pieces 6, a plurality of temperature sensors 7 and an electrical connector 8, and is used to detect and report status of each battery such as temperature, voltage, current, and the like ([0042]) [collect state information from the plurality of battery cells].
The flexible circuit board 5 further includes a main board body 51 [main body] and a plurality of connecting board bodies 52 ([0045]). Lin discloses several embodiments (see Figs 7-9, 10-11, 12-14, and 15) of the connecting board bodies 52, but the connecting board bodies 52 have a central portion 521, cantilevered portion 522 (made of proximal segment 522a, curved segment 522c, and distal segment 522b, or with longitudinal segment 522d and transverse segment 522e), and are generally separated from the main board body 51 by first gaps 53 with longitudinal portion 531 and transverse portions 532, second gaps 54 with enlarged hole 541, and third gap 58 with enlarged hole 581 ([0046], [0051], [0052], [0053]). Therefore, the connecting board bodies 52 are a branch portion connected to the main body and spaced apart [via the gaps] from the sensing substrate such that first deformation accommodating spaces [gaps] are formed between the main body and the branch portions.
However, Lin does not explicitly disclose ring units connected to the branch portions and forming second deformation accommodating spaces.
Son discloses a battery pack including battery cells B and a wiring board C collecting state information about the battery cells, and sensing portions S including an input port, an output portion, and a connection portion (abstract, Fig 1). The sensing portions S include a connection portion SC that has curved portions R between straight portions L wherein a penetration hole H is in the curved portions R and is formed within bridges BR2 (Figs 4-5, [0059]-[0061], [0064]-[0065]); therefore, the curved portions R with holes H are considered ring units connected to a branch [straight portions L] and form second deformation accommodating spaces [penetration holes]. The bridges BR1 and BR2 resist the swelling of the battery cells B to some degree and absorb stress caused by the swelling, and prevent deformation ([0067]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the holes within curved portions of a connection portion as taught by Son with any of the gaps of Lin for the purpose of resisting swelling, absorbing stress, and preventing deformation of the connecting board bodies.
Regarding claims 2-3, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin teaches that that the connecting board bodies 52 [branch portions] and main board body 51 [main body] entirely surround the gaps 53,54,58 [first deformation accommodating spaces] in a plan view (Figs 7-15), and therefore the gaps are also closed spaces. Son further teaches that the curved portions R with bridges BR2 [ring portions] entirely surround the second deformation accommodating spaces [holes H] in the plan view (Figs 4-5); and therefore the penetration holes H [second deformation accommodation spaces] are also closed spaces.
Regarding claim 4, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin discloses the gaps 53,531-532,54,541,58,581 [first deformation spaces] as extending in a first direction between connecting board bodies [branch portions], and wherein the main body 51 of the sensing substrate extends in the first direction (Figs 4 and 7-15).
Regarding claim 5, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin discloses the gaps 53,531-532,54,541 [first deformation spaces] as closed by distal segments 522b/transverse segments 522e [first support units] which are connected to the main body 51 at both ends in the first direction (Figs 4 and 7-15).
Regarding claim 6, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin discloses the distal segments 522b/transverse segments 522e [first support units] having a rounded shape at where they connect the branch portions and the main body 51 to each other (Figs 4 and 7-15).
Regarding claim 7, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Son teaches that the curved portions R with bridges BR2 [ring portions] has a circular closed loop shape and surrounds each of the second deformation accommodating spaces [holes H] in the plan view (Figs 4-5).
Regarding claim 8, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Son teaches that the curved portions R [ring unit] is connected to two straight portions L and a bridge BR1 ([0065], Fig 5) which ultimately connect to the wiring board C; therefore, Son teaches the curved portions R [ring unit] is connected to the main body and the branch portions extending to both sides of the ring unit, and three second support units (two straight portions, and a bridge) extending from a periphery of the ring unit.
Regarding claim 9, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. With regards to the limitation of “wherein one second support unit from among the second support units connecting the ring unit and the main body divides the first deformation accommodating space formed between the branch portions and the main body of the sensing substrate into two deformation accommodating spaces”, Son teaches three second support units (two straight portions, and a bridge) extending from a periphery of the ring unit ([0065], Fig 5). Further, Lin teaches enlarged holes 541,581 as a starting end and a finishing end for gaps 54,58 ([0046], [0053], Fig 9, 13, and 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure and place the curved portions with bridges of Son around said gaps 54,58 with the gaps as the hole of Lin in order to obtain the benefit of the curved portions as taught by Son. The addition of the curved portions and bridges around the gaps divides the into two deformation accommodating spaces as the modification adds more gaps.
Regarding claim 10, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin further teaches that conductive bridging pieces 6 [connection portions] are connected to the battery cells at the busbars 4 and are formed on the connecting board bodies 52 [branch portions] ([0047], [0054], see Figs 4 and 14).
Claim(s) 11-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 2020/0365866) in view of Son et al. (US 2019/0181418), as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Takahashi (WO 2020/105400, see English language equivalent US 2022/0013868).
Regarding claim 11, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Son teaches that the curved portions R [ring unit] is connected to two straight portions L and a bridge BR1 ([0065], Fig 5) and connects with an input port SI which connects to the bus bars ([0052], Fig 3); and therefore teaches the ring portion connected to a first connection position. Lin further teaches that a conductive bridging piece 6 [first connection portion] is connected to a connecting board body 52 [branch portion] ([0047], [0054], see Figs 4 and 14). However, modified Lin does not explicitly disclose both a first and a second connection position at both sides of each ring unit with the ring units as the center.
Takahashi discloses a connection module 1 including a flexible printed circuit board FPC 20, bus bars 10 connected to the FPC and connecting the electrode terminals of power storage elements 90, and a resin protector 40 holding the bus bars and the FPC (abstract, [0040], Fig 2). The FPC 20 includes a body member 21 including a first slit 22, a notch portion 23, positioning holes 24, and fitting holes 25 ([0045], Fig 11). The first slit 22 is in a substantially middle section between long sides 21LA, 21LB of the FPC 20 and the first slit extends parallel to the long sides 21LA, 21LB over the substantially the entire length of the body member 21 except for short sides 21SA, 21SB ([0046], Fig 11). The slit 22 creates a first divided portion 26 and a second divided portion 27 wherein the first divided portion 26 includes a plurality of connection portions 35 connected via first deformable portions 31 ([0044]-[0046], Fig 11). That is, Takahashi teaches one divided portion [a branch portion] having a plurality of connection portions. Takahashi teaches that this arrangement with divided portions having a plurality of connection portions improves flexibility and improves mounting operability ([0006]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the plurality of connection portions on a branch portion as taught by Takahashi with the connecting board bodies and opposite sides of the curved portions [ring units] of Lin modified by Son, thereby having connection positions at both sides of each ring unit with the ring unit as the center, for the purpose of improving flexibility and improving mounting operability.
Regarding claim 12, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Lin further teaches the connecting board bodies extend in a first direction in which the plurality of battery cells are arranged (Fig 4), and Takahashi teaches the divided portions 26/27 extending in the first direction as the battery cells are arranged (Figs 1-2).
Regarding claims 13-14, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Takahashi teaches the connection portions 35 connect to first and second bus bars 10 that are adjacent to each other in a first direction, and said first and second bus bars connects different battery cells 90 to each other (see Figs 1-3).
Regarding claims 15-16, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The modification of Lin in view of Takahashi has the plurality of connection portions on a branch portion/connection board bodies of Lim with the ring units as the center (see rejection of claim 11 above). Further, Lin discloses the gaps 53,531-532,54,541 [first deformation spaces] are closed by distal segments 522b/transverse segments 522e [first support units] which are connected to the main body 51 at both ends in the first direction (Figs 4 and 7-15). Therefore, the first deformation spaces are on opposite sides of the ring unit as the center ring, and said deformation are closed by first and second support units [distal segments 522b/transverse segments 522e].
Regarding claims 17-18, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Takahashi teaches the connection portions 35 connect to second curved portions 34 of deformable portions 31 where a quadrangular plate portion connects with the bus bar 10 ([0049], Fig 5).
Regarding claim 19, modified Lin discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Son teaches that the curved portions R [ring unit] is connected to two straight portions L and a bridge BR1 ([0065], Fig 5) which ultimately connect to the wiring board C; therefore, Son teaches the curved portions R [ring unit] is connected to the main body and the branch portions extending to both sides of the ring unit, and three second support units (two straight portions, and a bridge) extending from a periphery of the ring unit.
With regards to the limitation of “wherein the ring unit is connected, by the second support units formed on both sides of the ring unit, to the branch portion where the first connection position is formed and to the branch portion where the second connection position is formed”, Son teaches three second support units (two straight portions, and a bridge) extending from a periphery of the ring unit ([0065], Fig 5). Further, Lin teaches enlarged holes 541,581 as starting end and a finishing end for gaps 54,58 ([0046], [0053], Fig 9, 13, and 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure and place the curved portions with bridges around said gaps 54,58 with the gaps as the hole in order to obtain the benefit of the curved portions as taught by Son. The addition of the curved portions and bridges around the gaps means that the support units around the ring connect to first and second branch portions where the connection positions are formed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ota et al. (US 2019/0044120) discloses a conductor module 1 including a wiring member 2, a plurality of bus bars 3, a plurality of locking pieces, and a reinforcing member 4,6,7 (abstract). The reinforcing member 4 reinforces the wiring member 2, and has flexibility and insulating properties ([0038]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB BUCHANAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1186. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM (ET).
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/JACOB BUCHANAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725