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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
Drawings
Figures 6 and 5 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 Status
The preliminary amendments to claims of 7/19/2023 have been entered and examined on the merits in the office action below.
Claims 1-7 are currently pending.
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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2019/0379089 A1).
As to claim 1, Kim discloses a method of manufacturing 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],
the method comprising:
connecting one or more battery-side intermediate terminals disposed in the battery unit to respective one or more circuit-side intermediate terminals disposed in the circuit unit ([0060], figure 1-thermistors are connected between the positive electrode and the input terminal of the integrated circuit) while a detachable lead member configured to connect the overvoltage-detecting fuse to the battery-side output is detached ([0067], figure 2, controller 120 controls on an off of the charging control switch or discharging control switch)
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
connecting the overvoltage-detecting fuse to the battery-side output by fixing the lead member to the circuit unit (figure 1, figure 2, F1 connected to charging control switch and discharging control switch).
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].
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.”)
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 an wire and connector.
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0379089 A1)).
As to claim 7, Kim et al. discloses power supply device comprising:
a battery unit 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 [0081, 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 to one another [0060], figures 1 and 2, thermistors are connected in series between the positive electrode of the module and the input terminal of the integrated circuit 130),
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 ([0060], figures 1 and 2, thermistors are connected in series between the positive electrode of the battery module and the input of the integrated circuit 13); and
an overvoltage-detecting fuse connected to the battery-side output (F1, fuse element [0069], figures 1 and 2),
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],
the overvoltage-detecting fuse includes: and
a heating resistor having one end connected to the connection point of the thermal fuses,
the heating resistor being configured to generate heat upon being energized so as to blow the thermal fuses, and the overvoltage-detecting fuse constitutes a unit detachable from the circuit unit [0077].
While Kim et al. discloses two fuses (F1 and F2, Figure 2) Kim et al. does not disclose two thermal fuses connected in series to each other at a connection point.
However, the mere duplication of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Harza, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Conclusion
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