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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US20110064987A1 to Ogasawara et al.
Regarding claim 1, Ogasawara teaches a power supply device 10 (See annotated Fig. 1 below, [Paragraph 0032]; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “A power-supply unit 10 in FIG. 1 includes a battery assembly 2 and a busbar module 1 that is provided overlapped and attached to the battery assembly 2” [0032]) comprising:
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Figure 1
PNG
media_image1.png
1066
1338
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a battery cell assembly 2, 2a including battery cells 20 (See annotated Fig. 1 above, [0033-0034]; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The battery assembly 2 is constituted by a plurality of batteries 20” [0033]; (2) “The busbar module 1 is connected to the plurality of the batteries 20” [0034]); and
a bus bar module 1 mounted to the battery cell assembly 2 (Annotated Fig. 1 above illustrates the bus bar module 1, received in lids 6, mounted on the upper surface 2a of the battery cell assembly 2. Annotated Fig. 4 below illustrates a lid 6 removed from the upper surface 2a of the battery cell assembly 2. Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The busbar module 1 is connected to the plurality of the batteries 20 … the busbar module 1 includes a plurality of busbars 3, a plurality of terminals 4, a plurality of wires 5 and plates 6 as a plurality of wire arrangement bodies” [0034]; (2) “the busbar 3 and the terminal 4 in which the wire 5 is attached in advance are sequentially received in the first receiving portion 60 of the plate 6 [0055]), wherein
PNG
media_image2.png
656
673
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Fig. 4
the bus bar module 1 includes a bus bar 3, an electric wire 5, 5A and an electric wire wiring body 60, 64 (See annotated Figs. 1, 4 above, and Fig. 3-A below;, Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “As shown in … FIG. 3, the busbar module 1 includes a plurality of busbars 3, a plurality of terminals 4, a plurality of wires 5 and plates 6 as a plurality of wire arrangement bodies” [0034]; (2) “One end 5A of the wire 5 is attached to the terminal 4 by a pair of wire crimping pieces 43 and a pair of the press pieces 44 of the wire attachment portion 42.” [0039]; (3) “the busbar 3 and the terminal 4 in which the wire 5 is attached in advance are sequentially received in the first receiving portion 60 of the plate 6” [0055]),
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Fig. 3-A
PNG
media_image3.png
1078
1010
media_image3.png
Greyscale
the electric wire wiring body 60, 64 (See annotated Figs. 3-A, 4 above; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The plate 6 has a plurality of first receiving portions 60, second receiving portions 64 as a plurality of wire arrangement groove portions, a plurality of third receiving portions 68, … that are integrally formed with one another using synthetic resin,” [0042]) includes:
a bus bar chamber 60 configured to accommodate the bus bar 3 therein (See annotated Figs. 3-A, 4 above, [0055]; Ogasawara recites that, “the busbar 3 and the terminal 4 in which the wire 5 is attached in advance are sequentially received in the first receiving portion 60 of the plate 6” [0055]);
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Figure 3-B
PNG
media_image4.png
804
1436
media_image4.png
Greyscale
an electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44 (See annotated Fig. 3-B above, [0036-0039]; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The terminal 4 is obtained by press machining … in the conductive metal plate and includes a busbar connection portion 41 and a wire attachment portion 42.” [0036]; (2) “The busbar connection portions 41 is overlappingly and electrically connected to the busbars 3 …, and a hole 41a is provided in the center portion thereof.” [0037]; (3) “The wire attachment portion 42 is … connected in parallel with one side of the busbar connection portion 41.” [0038]; (4) A pair of wire cocking peaces [sic] 43 that fixes … one end 5A of the wire 5 is provided on the front end portion of the wire attachment portion 42 [0038]; (5) “A pair of the press pieces 44 is provided in the center portion of the wire attachment portion 42, wherein an exposed core wire is attached under pressure to electrically connect to the core wire in one end 5A of the wire … The hole 41a, a pair of the crimping pieces 43 and a pair of press pieces 44 are linearly arranged in a line” [0038]; and (6) “One end 5A of the wire 5 is attached to the terminal 4 by a pair of wire crimping pieces 43 and a pair of the press pieces 44 of the wire attachment portion 42.” [0039])
having a first side opened and a second side closed (Annotated Fig. 3-B above illustrates an open first side of the terminal 4 as a flat, open plate 41 having an opening 41a and a closed second side 43 of the terminal 4 as closed crimping pieces. Annotated Fig. 3-B also illustrates that the closed crimping pieces 43 enclose one end 5A of the wire 5, and are herein interpreted as the closed side of the electric wire wiring portion; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The busbar connection portions 41 is … formed as a substantially rectangular shape, and a hole 41a is provided in the center portion thereof.” [0037]; (2) “One end 5A of the wire 5 is attached to the terminal 4 by a pair of wire crimping pieces 43” [0039]),
the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44 configured to accommodate the electric wire 5, 5A therein (See annotated Fig. 3-B above, [0038-0039]; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “One end 5A of the wire 5 is attached to the terminal 4 by a pair of wire crimping pieces 43” [0039]; (2) “A pair of the press pieces 44 is provided in the center portion of the wire attachment portion 42, wherein an exposed core wire is attached under pressure to electrically connect to the core wire in one end 5A [0038]); and
a lid 6 arranged at an opening 41a of the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44 (See annotated Fig. 3-B, 4 above, [0036-0037, 0043]; The lid 6 is removable from the upper surface 2a of the battery assembly 2, as illustrated in annotated Fig. 4 above. Holes in the bottom wall 61 of the lid 6 are overlapped by and aligned with holes 3a in the bus bar 3. The holes 3a in the bus bar 3 are overlapped by and aligned with the hole 41a of the electric wire wiring portion. Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “Terminals 4 are overlappingly arranged to the corresponding busbars 3, so as to be connected to the positive electrode 22 and the negative electrode 23” [0036]; (2) The hole 41a is overlapped in one side of a pair of holes 3a of the busbars 3, so that the positive electrode 22 and the negative electrode 23 of the battery 20 pass through. The busbar connection portion 41 is attached to the battery 20 by a nut in the state that it is overlapped with the busbars 3.” [0037]; (3) A pair of holes (not shown) that is overlapped with a pair of holes 3a of the busbar 3 is provided in the bottom wall portion 61. The busbar 3 and the terminal 4 are overlapped sequentially in the interior surface … of the bottom wall portion 61.” [0043]),
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Figure 3-C
PNG
media_image5.png
809
1441
media_image5.png
Greyscale
the lid 6 has an opening portion 68 through which the electric wire 5, 5A accommodated in the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43 is visible (See annotated Fig. 3-C above; Annotated Fig. 3-C illustrates the visible opening in the third receiving portion 68 of the lid 6 through which the wire 5, 5A is accommodated in a portion 42 of the electric wire wiring portion.), and
the bus bar module 1 is mounted to the battery cell assembly 2 with the lid 6 facing the battery cell assembly 2 (See annotated Fig. 1, [0053]; Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “the plurality of plates 6 … is overlapped in the upper surface 2a, wherein … the electrode 22 and 23 of the battery assembly 2 are provided.” [0053]; (2) “the busbar 3 and the terminal 4 in which the wire 5 is attached in advance are sequentially received in the first receiving portion 60 of the plate 6 [0055]; (3) “the busbar module 1 includes a plurality of busbars 3, a plurality of terminals 4, a plurality of wires 5 and plates 6 as a plurality of wire arrangement bodies” [0034])
Per claim 2, Ogasawara teaches the limitations of claim 1. Ogasawara further teaches that the bus bar chamber 60 includes a locking portion configured to lock the bus bar 3 on the lid 6 side 61 (See annotated Fig. 3-A above, [0035-0037]). Ogasawara teaches that a positive electrode 22 and a negative electrode 23 are directly connected to the upper part of the batteries 20, that the electrodes 22, 23 are positioned adjacent to one another, and that the electrodes 22, 23 each pass through a sequence of holes. The first pair of holes in the sequence of holes that the electrodes 22, 23 pass through are those in the bottom wall 61 of the lid 6, followed by a pair of holes 3a in the bus bar 3, and subsequently, simultaneously, through the hole 4a of the terminal and hole 41a of the bus bar connection portion 41. The assembly comprising each of these components is configured to lock the bus bar 3 on the lid side with a nut that screws onto the upper ends of the electrodes 22, 23 ([0035]). In the above configuration, the locking portion of the bus bar chamber 60 includes the bottom wall 61 of the lid 6 and the nut that attaches to the electrodes, which are configured to lock the bus bar 3 on the bottom wall 61 of the lid 6 side.
Per claim 3, Ogasawara teaches the limitations of claim 1. Ogasawara further teaches that the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44 has a pair of retaining pieces 43, 44 (See annotated Fig. 3-D below, [0038-0040, 0047] which
are elastically deformable ([0038-0039]),
have distal ends arranged close to each other (See annotated Fig. 3-D below),
Ogasawara et al. Annotated Figure 3-D
PNG
media_image6.png
810
1432
media_image6.png
Greyscale
and restrict the electric wire 5, 5A from moving toward the opening of the electric wire wiring portion [0038, 0047], and
the distal ends of the pair of retaining pieces 43 are bent toward an opposite side of the opening 41a of the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44 (See annotated Fig.3-D above, [0038-0040]; As shown in annotated Fig. 3-D above, the distal ends of the retaining pieces 43, 44 are bent around the upper surface of the wire 5, 5A at an opposing side to that of the opening 41a of the electric wire wiring portion 4, 41, 41a, 42, 43, 44. The opposing sides are herein interpreted as a side comprising the crimping pieces 43 and a side comprising the opening 41a of the electric wire wiring portion. Ogasawara recites the following: (1) “The hole 41a, a pair of the crimping pieces 43 and a pair of press pieces 44 are linearly arranged in a line.” [0038])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEROME J NASH whose telephone number is (571)272-3025. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Barton can be reached at (571) 272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/J.J.N./Examiner, Art Unit 1726
/JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 12 January 2026