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 .
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.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 6, 9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamoto (JP2012-084486; machine translation relied upon) in view of Kim (KR 2017-0051817; machine translation relied upon).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Kawamoto teaches a power storage system comprising a battery pack comprising a first battery module 20C having a first corner formed by two side plates (top side and left side in figure 3), a control unit 10 (taken to be the claimed processor) having a second corner formed by two side plates (top side and right side in figure 3), the processor electrically connecting to the first battery module and controlling charge/discharge of the battery module, and a fixing member 40, and the first and second corners have first and second stepped portions respectively where the fixing member sits (machine translation at pages 2-3; figure 3). Kawamoto does not specifically disclose a first coupling member entirely located below the first and second stepped portions. Kim teaches using a connection member 260 (taken to be the claimed first coupling member) in a recessed groove in order to connect together battery modules at corners of battery modules (machine translation at page 6, first four paragraphs; figure 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a connecting member in a recess as taught by Kim below the stepped portions in the battery pack of Kawamoto in order to more securely connect the battery modules together.
Regarding claim 2, Kawamoto teaches that the first battery module is located on a first side of the processor, and the first corner and the second corner are adjacent to each other (figure 3).
Regarding claim 3, Kawamoto teaches that the arrangement position of the control unit and the battery module can be easily changed according to the arrangement space (machine translation at page 8, last paragraph), suggesting configurations where a second battery module is located on a second side of the processor and electrically connected to the processor and a second coupling member having a first side fastened to the second battery module and a second side fastened to the processor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to place and connect a second battery module on the second side of the processor as an alternative configuration useful for certain arrangement spaces (see Kawamoto machine translation at page 8, last paragraph).
Regarding claim 6, the left hand side of the figure can be taken to be the “rear”, and the first and second corner are adjacent to each other (figure 3).
Regarding claim 9, Kawamoto teaches that the arrangement position of the control unit and the battery module can be easily changed according to the arrangement space (machine translation at page 8, last paragraph), suggesting configurations where a second battery module is located at the “rear” of the first battery module and a second coupling member having a first side fastened to the first corner and a second side fastened to the third corner. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to place and connect a second battery module on the second side of the processor as an alternative configuration useful for certain arrangement spaces (see Kawamoto machine translation at page 8, last paragraph).
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches coupling members 265 (claimed first and second fasteners) to secure the connecting member 260 (claimed coupling member) to the corners (machine translation at page 6, third paragraph; figure 12).
Regarding claim 13, Kawamoto taches a specific embodiment where the first and second corners each have a chamfered surface, and the coupling member is fastened to the chamfered surfaces (figure 3).
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches that the first coupling member includes a first end only fastened to the first corner and an opposite second end only fastened to the second corner (figure 12).
Claims 4-5, 7-8, 10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamoto in view of Kim as applied to claim 1-2, 6 and 9 above, and further in view of Cho (KR 2017-0087074; machine translation relied upon).
Regarding claims 4 and 10, Kawamoto does not specifically disclose a double corner cover having hooks coupled to the first coupling member. Cho teaches a cover 70 covering first and second corners, having protrusions 76 which engage with the fixing portion 50 (claimed coupling member) (machine translation at pages 5-6; figures 6-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use one or more covers with hooks as taught by Cho in the battery pack of Kawamoto (combined) in order to protect the coupling member from the external environment (see Cho machine translation at page 5, last paragraph).
Regarding claim 5, Kawamoto teaches electrically connecting with wires through the fixing member 40 (machine translation at page 4, first full paragraph).
Regarding claim 7, Kawamoto does not specifically disclose first and second single corner covers with hooks coupled to the first coupling member. Cho teaches a cover 70 covering first and second corners, having protrusions 76 which engage with the fixing portion 50 (claimed coupling member) (machine translation at pages 5-6; figures 6-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a corner cover with hooks as taught by Cho in the battery pack of Kawamoto (combined) in order to protect the coupling member from the external environment (see Cho machine translation at page 5, last paragraph), and it would have been obvious to use two single corner covers rather than a double corner cover in order to allow the cover to travel with the module before connection without sticking out beyond the module.
Regarding claim 8, Kawamoto teaches electrically connecting with wires through the fixing member 40 (machine translation at page 4, first full paragraph).
Regarding claim 14, Kawamoto does not specifically disclose a double corner cover having hooks engaging openings first coupling member. Cho teaches a cover 70 covering first and second corners, having protrusions 76 which engage in openings in the fixing portion 50 (claimed coupling member) (machine translation at pages 5-6; figures 6-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use one or more covers with hooks as taught by Cho in the battery pack of Kawamoto (combined) in order to protect the coupling member from the external environment (see Cho machine translation at page 5, last paragraph).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and arguments with respect to the prior art rejections of claims 1-14 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kim.
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.
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/P.N.S/ Examiner, Art Unit 1749 October 1, 2026
/KATELYN W SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1749
