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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-9 are currently pending in the application and are being examined on the merits in this Office Action.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “a first portion extending in a vertical direction and a second portion extending in a horizontal direction” of the first input/output terminal as recited in claim 2 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 3-4 and 7-8 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.
Claims 3 recites the limitation "the body, each body…" in lines 8--9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the body, the body…" in lines 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding dependent claims 4 and 8, these claims do not remedy the deficiencies of parent claim 1 noted above, and are rejected for the same rationale.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-5 and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0136974).
Regarding claim 1, Lim teaches a battery module assembly (i.e., high voltage battery) (see figure 2) (paragraph [0019]), comprising: a first battery module (1) (paragraph [0019]) including a first module case housing a plurality of battery cells (paragraph [0007]) (see figure 2), the first battery module including a first input/output terminal (i.e., a terminal boss) (7) and a second input/output terminal (i.e., a terminal boss) (7) (paragraph [0022]) positioned at one side of the first module case (see figure 2); and
a second battery module (1) including a second module case housing a plurality of battery cells (paragraph [0007]) (see figure 2), the second battery module including a first input/output terminal (i.e., terminal boss) (7) and a second input/output terminal (i.e., terminal boss)( 7) (paragraph [0022]) positioned at one side of the second module case (see figure 2),
wherein the first input/output terminal of the first battery module includes a first module bus bar (3) connected to at least one of the plurality of battery cells inside the first module case (i.e., terminal boss penetrates busbar and is electrically connected with the battery cells) (paragraph [0022]), the first input/output terminal of the first battery module extending to and configured to connect to the second input/output terminal of the second battery module (i.e., connecting terminals of two neighboring battery modules) (see figure 2) (paragraph [0023]).
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Regarding claim 2, Lim teaches wherein the first input/output terminal of the first battery module includes a first portion extending in a vertical direction (i.e., plate-shaped terminal plate) (9) (as shown in figure 2 below) (paragraph [0022]) and a second portion extending in a horizontal direction (as shown in figure 2 below), and wherein the second portion includes a recess (i.e., coupling hole) (11) portion oriented in the horizontal direction from an end thereof (paragraph [0022]-[0023]).
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Regarding claim 3, Lim teaches the first battery module (1) and the second battery module (1) each include a second module bus bar (3) connected to at least one of the plurality of battery cells (i.e., terminal boss penetrates busbar and is electrically connected with the battery cells) (paragraph [0022]) (as shown in figure 2 below) respectively, each of the second module bus bars (3) including an upper end having a downwardly directed recess portion (as shown figure 2 below) (paragraph [0024]), and
wherein the second input/output terminal of the first battery module and the second input/output terminal of the second battery module each include a respective bolt (7), each of the bolts having a threaded body and a head connected to the body (as shown in figure 2 below) (paragraph [0022]), each body being positioned in the recess portion of the respective second module bus bar such that the body is exposed outside of the respective first and second battery module (as shown in figure 2 below).
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Regarding claim 4, Lim teaches the body of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module is received within the recess portion of the first input/output terminal of the first battery module, further comprising a nut fastened (i.e., fastening nut) (13) to the body of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module (paragraph [0022]) (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, Lim teaches the second battery module (1) further includes a second module bus bar (3) connected to at least one of the plurality of battery cells of the second battery module (i.e., terminal boss penetrates busbar and is electrically connected with the battery cells) (paragraph [0022]), the second module bus bar including an upper end having a downwardly directed recess portion(as shown figure 2 below) (paragraph [0024]), and the second input/output terminal of the second battery module includes a nut (i.e., fastening nut) (13) having a threaded terminal hole (as shown in figure 2 below), the terminal hole being aligned with the recess portion of the second module bus bar so as to be exposed to the outside of the second battery module (as shown in figure 2 below).
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Regarding claim 7, Lim teaches the second battery module (1) further comprising a third battery module bus bar (3) (i.e., a plurality of battery modules 1 arranged in series with different/opposing poles adjacent to each other – implying 1, 2, 3,…,n battery modules) (paragraph [0019]), each include a second module bus bar (3) connected to at least one of the plurality of battery cells (i.e., terminal boss penetrates busbar and is electrically connected with the battery cells) (paragraph [0022]) (as shown in figure 2 below) respectively, each of the third module bus bars (3) including an upper end having a downwardly directed recess portion (as shown figure 2 below) (paragraph [0024]), and
the first input/output terminal of the second battery module and the second input/output terminal includes a bolt (7), each of the bolts having a threaded body and a head connected to the body (as shown in figure 2 below) (paragraph [0022]), the body being positioned in the recess portion of the respective second module bus bar such that the body is exposed outside of the respective first and second battery module (as shown in figure 2 below).
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Regarding claim 9, Lim teaches a device (i.e., hybrid vehicle) comprising the battery of claim 1 (paragraph [0005], [0018]-[0019]).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0136974) as applied to claims 1 and 5 above, and further in view of Kume (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0017436).
Regarding claim 6, Lim teaches the battery module as described above in claims 1 and 5.
Lim does not teach the specifics of the terminal hole of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module is aligned with the recess portion of the first input/output terminal of the first battery module, further comprising a nut fastened to the terminal hole of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module.
Kume, also directed to a battery module (i.e., power source apparatus) (paragraph [0005]), teaches a terminal (6a) having a terminal hole aligned with a recess portion of the terminal where a nut (i.e., inserting hole) (25) is fastened to the terminal hole to connect the bus bar with the battery units (paragraph [0042]) (see figure 17 below).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lim to include the specifics of the terminal hole of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module is aligned with the recess portion of the first input/output terminal of the first battery module, further comprising a nut fastened to the terminal hole of the second input/output terminal of the second battery module as suggested by Kume, in order to secure and connect the bus bar with the battery cells.
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Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Cho et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0211499). Cho teaches a battery module comprising a terminal (410, 420) (paragraph [0031]) a recess (i.e., groove) to fix a bus bar (330) (paragraph [0035]) (see figure 1).
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTIAN ROLDAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5098. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MILTON I. CANO can be reached at 313-446-4937. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTIAN ROLDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723