DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgement has been made of applicant’s claim for priority under 35 USC 119 (a-d). The certified copy has been filed on 07/06/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed 07/06/2023, 09/17/2024, 02/03/2025 have been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Drawings
The drawings received 07/06/2023 are acceptable for examination purposes.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over KR 20150116732 to Na (Na, Machine translation).
Regarding claim 1, Na discloses a battery module (rotatable battery pack assembly 115, claim 1, para 26), comprising: a plurality of cylindrical battery cells (110), , a frame (a battery receiving module 140, para 51) configured to receive the plurality of cylindrical battery cells; a busbar configured to electrically connect the plurality of cylindrical battery cells to each other (an electrode structure that connect the cylindrical batteries in series or parallel 125, para 27, Fig. 1), a circuit board configured to control operation of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells (control board 510, para 32, Fig. 1), and a cylindrical module case (520, Fig. 1) configured to receive the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, the frame, the busbar, and the cells is disposed (Fig. 1, 2) Na does not expressly disclose wherein each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells being provided at one side thereof with an electrode terminal for electrical connection with an outside and wherein each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells is disposed (Fig. 1, 2) in a state of being laid down such that the electrode terminal faces a central part of the frame.
However, Na teaches an embodiment wherein a battery receiving body (200) may comprise: cylindrical battery receiving parts (220) for receiving one or more cylindrical batteries (210) therein (para 45), and a battery receiving module (240) formed into a circular arc so that the battery receiving parts (220) are radially arranged therein (para 72, Fig. 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the embodiment of Fig. 1 and 2 of Na with structural features of embodiment of Fig. 3 and para 45 of Na in order to provide a battery pack assembly applicable to different types of rotating bodies such as a bicycle wheel.
Regarding claim 2, Na discloses wherein the plurality of cylindrical battery cells is radially or circularly disposed (Fig. 1-3),
Regarding claim 3, Na discloses the plurality of cylindrical battery cells has a multilayered structure (Fig. 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 4, Na discloses wherein the module case is provided at an outside thereof with a fixing portion configured to mechanically fix the battery module to an external device (para 38).
Regarding claim 10, Na discloses bicycle (device, para 75).
Regarding claim 11, Na discloses a rotatable battery pack assembly. Na does not expressly disclose wherein the device is a wind power generator. However, It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the rotatable battery pack in the rotatable wind power generator as an obvious design choice.
Regarding claim 12, Na discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 1 and incorporated therein. Na does not expressly disclose wherein the plurality of layers are aligned in a vertical direction. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to rearrange cylindrical battery cells in the layers in the vertical direction, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C)).
Claims 4 (alternatively), and 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over KR 20150116732 to NA in view of US 2012/0052352 to Brilmyer (Brilmyer).
Regarding claim 4, Na discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 3 and incorporated therein. Na does not expressly disclose wherein the module case is provided at an outside thereof with a fixing portion configured to mechanically fix the battery module to an external device.
Brilmyer teaches a battery having a plurality of stacked, interconnected spiral-wound cells (Abstract), comprising interlocking cases (70) may each comprise a tab locking element (72A) that may be interlocked with a tab locking element (72B) for secure connection of opposed electrodes (para 39, Fig. 9) and disposed on an upper part and a lower part of the module case (re claim 5). It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery module of Na with the fixing parts as taught by Brilmyer in order to provide secure connection especially for external customers such as a bicycle.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, modified Na discloses wherein each energy cell (12A-12E) has a positive electrode terminal (16) and a negative electrode terminal (18) for interconnection with an adjacent energy cell (Brilmyer, para 25) disposed on an upper part and a lower part of the module case and fully capable to allow the battery module to be charged with current and a use current end configured to allow current to be drawn from the battery module.
Regarding claims 8, modified Na discloses wherein the busbar is provided in plural so as to connect the plurality of cylindrical battery cells to each other in a vertical direction (280, Fig. 3, para 72).
Regarding claims 9, modified Na discloses the invention as discussed above as applied to claim 8 and incorporated therein. Modified Na does not expressly disclose wherein he electrode terminal of each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells and the busbar are electrically connected to each other by wire bonding. However,
since the criticality of wire bonding a position claimed by Applicant is not supported by any showing of criticality of such binding in the instant specification, nor did Applicant stated that such bonding serves any specific purpose or performs any specific function other that the function disclosed in Na (280, Fig. 3, para 72), it would have been obvious top those skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to use wire connection an obvious design choice, and as such it does not impact the patentability of claim 9.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER USYATINSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-7703. The examiner can normally be reached IFP.
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/Alexander Usyatinsky/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751