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 Status
This office action is in response to the amendment and remarks 6/24/2026.
Claims 1, 3 have been amended; support is found is found in paragraph 9.
Claim 7 has been cancelled.
Claims 1-6 are currently pending.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 6/24/2026. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0379089 A1).
As to claim 1, Kim discloses a method of manufacturing a power supply device comprising providing a power supply device (10a battery unit) including a battery unit (10a) and a circuit unit (battery protective circuit) electrically connected to the battery unit and configured to control charging and discharging of the battery unit [0017],
wherein the battery unit includes a series connection including a plurality of secondary battery cells connected at least in series to one another [0050], a battery-side ground on a low-voltage side of the series connection (P-), and a battery-side output on a high- voltage side of the series connection (P+), (figure 1) and
the circuit unit includes an overvoltage-detecting fuse [0015] configured to detect an overvoltage [0015] and to blow upon detecting the overvoltage [0016],
a detachable lead member configured to connect the overvoltage-detecting fuse to the battery-side output ([0067], figure 2, controller 120 controls on and off of the charging control switch or discharging control switch-including FET switches which will turn on and off thus the lead is detached from the fuse electrically),
one or more battery-side intermediate terminals disposed in the battery unit, the one or more battery-side intermediate terminals being electrically connected to intermediate potentials of at least a part of the plurality of the secondary battery cells connected in series to one another ([0061], figure 1, thermistors a voltage that drops by the thermistors 111 and then is inputted into the input terminal of the integrated circuit 130 (herein referred to as a “temperature sensing voltage” may vary depending on the cell temperature of the battery module); and
one or more circuit-side intermediate terminals disposed in the circuit unit (figure 2 the integrated circuit is connected to the battery controller 120, thus a circuit side intermediate terminal is connected to the circuit unit)
connecting the one or more battery-side intermediate terminals disposed in the battery unit to the one or more circuit-side intermediate terminals ([0060], figure 1-thermistors are connected between the positive electrode and the input terminal of the integrated circuit) while the detachable lead member is detached from the circuit unit ([0067], figure 2, controller 120 controls on an off of the charging control switch or discharging control switch)
and
connecting the overvoltage-detecting fuse to the battery-side output by fixing the detachable lead member to the circuit unit (figure 1, figure 2, F1 connected to charging control switch and discharging control switch) but is silent to attaching the overvoltage detecting fuse after said connecting the one or more battery side intermediate terminals.
However, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to attaching to attaching the overvoltage detecting fuse after said connecting the one or more battery side intermediate terminals because this would allow the batteries to be connected without having the circuit in the way.
Furthermore, the selection of any order of performing process steps is prima facie obvious in the absence of new or unexpected results. See In re Burhans, 154 F.2d 690, 69 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1946) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
As to claim 2, Kim et al. discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit unit (130) includes an overvoltage protection circuit configured to monitor an overvoltage of at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cells, and the overvoltage protection circuit is configured to blow the overvoltage-detecting fuse upon detecting the overvoltage of the secondary battery cells [0070].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2019/0379089 A1).
As to claim 3, Kim discloses a power supply device comprising:
a battery unit/ battery module including a series connection including a plurality of secondary battery cells connected at least in series to one another [0050],
a battery-side ground on a low-voltage side of the series connection (P-, figures 1 and 2), and
a battery-side output on a high-voltage side of the series connection (P+ figures 1 and 2); and
a circuit unit connected to the battery unit (controller 120) (figures 1 and 2),
wherein the battery unit includes one or more battery-side intermediate terminals electrically connected to intermediate potentials of at least a part of the plurality of secondary battery cells connected in series ([0060], figures 1 and 2, -thermistors are connected between the positive electrode and the input terminal of the integrated circuit), and
the circuit unit includes:
one or more circuit-side intermediate terminals connected to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cells via the one or more battery-side intermediate terminals ([0069] figures 1 and 2);
an overvoltage-detecting fuse connected to the battery-side output, the overvoltage-detecting fuse being configured to detect an overvoltage of the plurality of secondary battery cells and to blow upon detecting the overvoltage [0069] (figure 1); and
a detachable lead member interposed between the overvoltage-detecting fuse and the battery-side output [0067] figure 2, “may turn off the charging control switch C_FET or may turn off the charging control switch C_FET and the discharging control switch D_FET when the battery module is in the overvoltage state.”) the detachable lead member being configured to be detached from the circuit unit (as it is a FET switch the lead is electrically detachable from the circuit).
As to claim 4, Kim et al. discloses the power supply device according to claim 3, wherein the circuit unit (controller) further includes an overvoltage protection circuit configured to monitor the overvoltage of the plurality of secondary battery cells [0070], and
the overvoltage protection circuit is configured to blow the overvoltage-detecting fuse upon detecting the overvoltage of the secondary battery cells [0070]-“block the high current path by controlling the fuse element F1 when the temperature sensing voltage is detected”).
As to claim 5, The power supply device according to claim 3, but does not explicitly state wherein the lead member comprises a metal bus bar However, [0055] states-“ The charging path and the discharging path are relatively large in magnitude of the current flowing through the path compared to other current paths in the battery pack 10A. In this specification, the discharging path and the charging path are sometimes referred to as “high current paths.”, thus describing a bus bar.
As to claim 6, the power supply device according to claim 3, wherein the lead member includes either a wire clip or a lead wire with a connector (the drawing or figures 1 and 2 disclose Battery controller (120) may be a microcontroller [0068] and where C_FET and D_FET connect to (120), thus requiring a wire and connector.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Kim does not teach a detachable lead member configured to connect the fuse to the battery side output.
A FET switch will electrically detach the fuse to the battery side output. According to [0009] the detachment of the detachable lead to be electrically separated which a switch is capable of doing so.
Applicant has amended claim 1 to include limitations that have not been considered before thus the rejection was changed from a 102 to a 103 rejection.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIA J LAIOS whose telephone number is (571)272-9808. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm.
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/Maria Laios/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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