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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
1. Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Smith (US10476060).
As to claim 1, Smith discloses a traction battery pack (figure 3 number 24), comprising: an enclosure assembly (48) establishing an interior area; a battery array (25) housed within the interior area; and a resealable guide tube (60) including a first portion (54) extending inside the enclosure assembly (48) to a location of the interior area near the battery array (25) and a second portion (figure 4 number 80) extending outside of the enclosure assembly (fig. 5; 80 above 48).
As to claim 2, Smith discloses wherein the resealable guide tube extends through a wall of the enclosure assembly (figure 4 number 48).
As to claim 3, Smith discloses wherein the wall is part of an enclosure cover or an enclosure tray of the enclosure assembly (col. 5 line 17).
As to claim 4, Smith discloses wherein the resealable guide tube is comprised of non-conductive material (col. 5 line 65).
As to claim 5, Smith discloses, wherein the non-conductive material includes a polymeric material (col. 5 line 65).
As to claim 6, Smith discloses wherein the polymeric material is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (col. 5 line 65).
As to claim 7, Smith discloses, wherein an end portion of the first portion is positioned immediately adjacent to a high voltage measuring point of the battery array (figure 2 number 52 next to 25 which comprises a terminal).
As to claim 8, Smith discloses, wherein the high voltage measuring point is a high voltage terminal of the battery array (figure 2 number 52 next to 25 which comprises a terminal).
As to claim 9, Smith discloses wherein a tubular body of the resealable guide tube includes at least one bend (figure 4 number 62).
As to claim 10, Smith discloses wherein the resealable guide tube includes a lumen that is sized and shaped to receive a measurement probe (figure 4 number 54).
2. Claim(s) 11-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Nakano et al. (US20150372354).
As to claim 11, Nakano et al. discloses a traction battery pack (figure 1), comprising: an enclosure assembly (case surrounding batteries 10); a battery system (10) housed inside the enclosure assembly and including a high voltage measuring point (11); and a resealable guide tube (figure 5 number 4b) configured to guide a measurement probe (4a) to the high voltage measuring point.
As to claim 12, Nakano et al. discloses wherein the resealable guide tube includes a first portion extending inside the enclosure assembly and a second portion extending outside of the enclosure assembly (figure 1 number 4,7).
As to claim 13, Nakano et al. discloses wherein the first portion includes an end portion positioned in contact with the high voltage measuring point (figure 1 number 4,11).
As to claim 14, Nakano et al. discloses wherein the first portion includes an end portion positioned immediately adjacent to the high voltage measuring point (figure1 number 4,11).
As to claim 15, Nakano et al. discloses, wherein the second portion includes a resealable end portion (figure 1 number 4 is connected to 7 thus 7 seals the end of 4).
As to claim 16, Nakano et al. discloses, wherein the high voltage measuring point is a high voltage terminal of a battery array of the battery system (figure 1 number 11).
As to claim 17, Nakano et al. discloses wherein the resealable guide tube includes a lumen that is sized and shaped to receive the measurement probe (figure 5 number 4b).
As to claim 18, Nakano et al. discloses wherein the measurement probe is operably connected to a testing device (figure 5 number 4a and figure 1 number 7).
As to claim 19, Nakano et al. discloses, wherein a tubular body of the resealable guide tube is comprised of a non-conductive material (paragraph 0066).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
3. Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakano et al. (US20150372354).
Nakano et al. discloses the traction battery pack described above. Nakano et al. fail to disclose wherein the non-conductive material includes polytetrafluoroe)thylene (PTFE). Nakano et al. teaches an insulating coating portion therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide wherein the non-conductive material includes polytetrafluoroe)thylene (PTFE) for the purpose of providing optimal materials in absence of unexpected results.
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