DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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) 1, 4, and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ren et al. (CN 115172996 A, hereinafter Ren, cited by applicant).
Re Claim 1. Ren teaches CCS assembly, comprising:
a tray (Fig. 1-4, item 200);
a positive busbar (item 320), provided on an end of the tray, the end of the tray on which the positive busbar is assembled being a positive end (Fig. 1);
a negative busbar (item 330), provided on an opposite end of the tray, opposite to the positive busbar, the end of the tray on which the negative busbar is assembled being a negative end (Fig. 1);
a plurality of guide bars (item 100), provided on the tray, the guide bars being sequentially connected in series along the positive busbar to the negative busbar, the positive busbar and the negative busbar being connected in series with the adjacent guide bars respectively (P5);
a flexible circuit board (item 400), provided on a side of the tray in a width direction (Fig. 2), the positive end and the negative end being both provided with a mounting base respectively (Fig. 1); and
a connector (Fig. 1), the mounting base being provided for mounting the connector (Fig. 1), the flexible circuit board being connected to the connector (Fig. 1 & 2);
wherein a detecting nickel sheet is provided on the flexible circuit board, wherein the detecting nickel sheet (item 410) is provided for connecting at least one of the positive busbar, the negative busbar and the guide bars; and
at least one accommodating slot (Fig. 2) is provided on two sides of the tray in the width direction, provided for accommodating the detecting nickel sheet on the flexible circuit board;
wherein a plurality of the accommodating slot is provided on two sides of the tray in the width direction (Fig. 1), a plurality of the accommodating slots on one side of the tray in the width direction is a first slot group (top of Fig. 1), and a plurality of the accommodating slots on another side of the tray in the width direction is a second slot group (bottom of Fig. 1); and
the first slot group and the second slot group are provided on the tray centrosymmetrically (Fig. 1).
Re Claim 4. Ren teaches wherein the mounting base on the positive end and the mounting base on the negative end are provided on the tray centrosymmetrically (Fig. 1).
Re Claim 7. Ren teaches wherein the mounting base and the tray are integrally formed (Fig. 1) by injection molding (product-by-process limitation).
Re Claim 8. Ren teaches wherein a fixing slot for accommodating a battery cell is provided on a lower surface of the tray, wherein a positive hole (below item 110) and a negative hole (below item 120) are penetratingly provided on a bottom of the fixing slot; a positive electrode of the battery cell is exposed on an upper surface of the tray through the positive hole, while a negative electrode of the battery cell is exposed on the upper surface of the tray through the positive hole (functional limitations); and the accommodating slot is provided on the upper surface of the tray (Fig. 2), wherein the accommodating slot is in communication with the positive hole and/or the negative hole of the fixing slot adjacent thereto (Fig. 2).
Re Claim 9. Ren teaches wherein the accommodating slot is in communication with the negative hole of the fixing slot adjacent thereto (Fig. 2).
Re Claim 10. Ren teaches wherein the mounting base on the positive end and the mounting base on the negative end are provided staggered in the width direction of the tray (Fig. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/5/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 9 and 10, regarding claim 1, applicant argued that Ren does not disclose how the nickel tab 410 is arranged.
The examiner disagrees with this because Fig. 2 clearly shows the nickel tabs 410 connecting the flexible circuit board 400 with the guide bar 300 (see annotated Fig. 2 below).
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On page 11, regarding claim 1, applicant argued that Ren does not teach a plurality of the accommodating slots on another side of the tray in the width direction is a second slot group and
the first slot group and the second slot group are provided on the tray centrosymmetrically.
The examiner disagrees with this because Fig. 2 clearly shows the claimed accommodation slots (see annotated Fig. 2 above, where the nickel tabs 410 are disposed on the bracket 200). In addition, Fig. 1 clearly shows a first slot group and a second slot group (see annotate Fig. 1 below).
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Conclusion
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.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood from the texts. Only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out to emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, however, each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN E YOON whose telephone number is (571)270-5932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 AM- 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN E YOON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
8/26/2026
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