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 .
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, the “an electrical connector configured to fit into the second insertion opening and to electrically connect the terminal and the electrical conductor”; “a latch arranged (at least) on the second face of the longitudinal insulation body and adapted to move longitudinally between a first latch position.. and a second latch position” recited in claim 1; “wherein the electrical connector comprises a metal jaw for clamping the electrical conductor against the terminal”, recited in claims 6 and 9, ‘two second insertion openings for electrical connectors’ recited in claim 4; 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.
The standard of drawings fails to meet requirements of 37 CFR 1.84. The lines are too blurry and will not meet ‘reproduction’ requirement of 1.84(l). Figure 3B appears to be a copy of a photograph.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 1/23/024 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Only translation of some of the cited FOR references was received. A full copy of all the FOR references should be submitted.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities:. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1, line 15, ‘at least’ before ‘on the second face’ appears to be redundant and should be deleted.
Claim 4, line 3, ‘on its first face’ should be changed to –on the first face--.
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 1-10 are 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.
Claim 4, lines 3-4, it is not clear if the recitation ‘two first terminal insertion openings’ are in addition to ‘a first opening’ recited in claim 1, line 6. Also, for claim 4, ‘two second insertion openings’ recited on line 5 are in addition to ‘a second insertion opening’ recited on line 7 of claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed, subject to claim objection and 112 rejection above..
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record fails to disclose a connection device for connecting a terminal of a battery module to an electrical conductor, the connection device comprising: a longitudinal insulation body wherein in which the electrical conductor is disposed, the longitudinal insulation body (20) having at least one terminal receiving housing, the longitudinal insulation body (20) having, on a first face, a first opening for insertion of the terminal into the receiving housing and a second insertion opening on a second face for insertion of an electrical connector, the connection device also comprising a connection arrangement formed by an electrical connector, a latch arranged at least on the second face adapted to move longitudinally between a first latch position and a second latch position, in which the latch at least partially overhangs the second insertion opening to lock the electrical connector and a visual lock indicator disposed on the longitudinal insulation body.
The prior art of Rieder et al. (20210265750) and Yamane et al. (US 20180294448), discloses connecting two adjacent battery terminals, but lacks a latch arranged at least on the second face adapted to move longitudinally between a first latch position and a second latch position, in which the latch at least partially overhangs the second insertion opening to lock the electrical connector and a visual lock indicator disposed on the longitudinal insulation body. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834