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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1 (figs. 10-13) in the reply filed on January 22, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-8 and 10-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on January 22, 2026.
Note: Claim 6 belongs to the elected invention. Its exclusion in the restriction mailed December 9, 2025 was a typographical error.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed May 9, 2023, August 18, 2025, and December 17, 2025 have been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits.
Drawings
The drawings received May 9, 2023 are acceptable.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9, and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2019175719 (Ikeda et al.) in view of US 2011/0177381 (Oya et al.). As to claim 1, Ikeda et al. teach a fuel cell unit (fuel cell system [10]) (fig. 1) comprising:
a fuel cell stack [22] in which a plurality of fuel cells [20] are stacked (fig. 1);
an electrical device (external equipment/device) (para 0005, 0006, 0019);
and a bus bar (passing cable [36]) electrically connecting between a terminal (terminal plate [24] with tab portion [32]) of the fuel cell stack and a terminal of the electrical device (portion of electrical unit [16] connected to the external equipment/device) (figs. 1-2; para 0019, 0021, 0023), wherein
the bus bar (passing cable [36]) includes a non-joined portion in which a plurality of metal plates (strip-shaped thin metal plates [74], “inside” of the second connection hole [40]) (figs. 1, 4) are stacked without being joined to each other (as they are separate and not fused), and
Ikeda et al. do not teach the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate.
However, Oya et al. teach of a bus bar with a plurality of layers, wherein layers of the bus bar with a through-hole, closer to where a terminal is inserted is thinner (thin plate elements [41-2]), and layers further away are thicker (thick plate elements [41-1]) (figs 7-8; para 0070-0071). The motivation for making layers closer to the insertion area thinner and layers further away is that the thinner plates are easier to warm, while thicker are less likely to warp resulting in a strong fastening. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was made (as applicable to pre-AIA applications) or effectively filed (as applicable to AIA applications) to have a multi-layered bus bar with a through-hole, where layers closer to where a terminal is inserted is thinner layers further away are thicker (the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate). (Note: Although Oya’s bus bar is for a batter, it is seen to be analogous, as both inventions are drawn to structural features that are for electrical conduction of electrochemical cells. Additionally, as both Ikeda et al. and Oya et al. are drawn to current conducting bus bars, there is an expectation for success of the combination.)
As to claim 2, Ikeda et al. teach the non-joined portion includes a bent portion in which the plurality of metal plates are bent (figs. 1 and 6 show that cable [36] with the non-joined portions (strip-shaped thin metal plates) are bent) (para 0030).
As to claim 9, Ikeda et al. teach the bus bar further includes:
a first connection portion connected to the terminal of the fuel cell stack (portion of cable [36] connected to the terminal plate(s) [24] (figs. 1, 2; para 0025, 0027); and
a second connection portion connected to the terminal of the electrical device (portion of cable [36] connected to connection terminal [60]) (fig. 1; para 0027), and
the non-joined portion is present between the first connection portion and the second connection portion (figs. 1, 6).
As to claim 12, Ikeda et al. teach the plurality of metal plates (strip-shaped thin metal plates [74]) are joined to each other in each of the first connection portion (joined via first bolt [42] and first nut [44]) and the second connection portion (joined via second bolt [66] and second nut [68]) (fig. 1; para 0033, 0036).
As to claim 13, Ikeda et al. teach a method of assembling a fuel cell unit (fuel cell system [10]) that includes a fuel cell stack [22] in which a plurality of fuel cells [20] are stacked and an electrical device (fig. 1; para 0005, 0005, 0019),
the method comprising:
forming a bus bar (passing cable [36]) in which a plurality of metal plates (strip-shaped thin metal plates [74]) are stacked (figs. 1, 4);
electrically connecting a first connection portion of the bus bar to a terminal of the fuel cell stack (portion of cable [36] connected to the terminal plate(s) [24] (figs. 1, 2; para 0025, 0027); and
electrically connecting a second connection portion of the bus bar to a terminal of the electrical device (portion of cable [36] connected to connection terminal [60]) (fig. 1; para 0027), wherein
the forming the bus bar includes joining the plurality of metal plates to each other in each of the first connection portion (joined via first bolt [42] and first nut [44]) and the second connection portion (joined via second bolt [66] and second nut [68]) without joining the plurality of metal plates (strip-shaped thin metal plates [74]; non-joined as they are separate and not fused) to each other in a non-joined portion between the first connection portion and the second connection portion (fig. 1, 4; para 0033, 0036).
Ikeda et al. do not teach the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate.
However, Oya et al. teach of a bus bar with a plurality of layers, wherein layers of the bus bar with a through-hole, closer to where a terminal is inserted is thinner (thin plate elements [41-2]), and layers further away are thicker (thick plate elements [41-1]) (figs 7-8; para 0070-0071). The motivation for making layers closer to the insertion area thinner and layers further away is that the thinner plates are easier to warm, while thicker are less likely to warp resulting in a strong fastening. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was made (as applicable to pre-AIA applications) or effectively filed (as applicable to AIA applications) to have a multi-layered bus bar with a through-hole, where layers closer to where a terminal is inserted is thinner layers further away are thicker (the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate). (Note: Although Oya’s bus bar is for a batter, it is seen to be analogous, as both inventions are drawn to structural features that are for electrical conduction of electrochemical cells. Additionally, as both Ikeda et al. and Oya et al. are drawn to current conducting bus bars, there is an expectation for success of the combination.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: none of the prior art of record, alone or in combination, appears to teach, suggest, or render obvious the invention of at least claim 3 and claim 5.
Claim 3 teaches the fuel cell unit comprising the elements therein. Notably, claim requires that “the second metal plate is smaller in number than the first metal plate.”
Ikeda et al. teaches metal plates (fig. 4). Oya et al., which renders obvious having the claimed first and second metal plates, teaches the same number of first and second metal plates (figs. 7-8; para 0070-0071). No motivation exists to modify the prior art in the claimed manner. Thus, none of the prior art teaches, suggests, or renders obvious the claimed invention. Since claim 4 is dependent upon claim 3, it is allowable for the same reason.
Claim 5 teaches the fuel cell unit comprising the elements therein. Notably, claim 5 requires a number of the first metal plate is two or more, and the second metal plate is sandwiched between the two or more first metal plates.
Ikeda et al. teaches metal plates (fig. 4). Oya et al., which renders obvious having the claimed first and second metal plates, teaches the second metal plate on one side and the first metal plate on the other side (figs. 7-8; para 0070-0071). No motivation exists to modify the prior art in the claimed manner. Thus, none of the prior art teaches, suggests, or renders obvious the claimed invention. Since claim 6 is dependent upon claim 5, it is allowable for the same reason.
Conclusion
Note: No other prior art is considered pertinent.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENIA WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4942. The examiner can normally be reached a flex schedule, generally Monday-Thursday 5:30 -7:30(AM) and 9:00-4:30 ET.
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, Duane Smith can be reached at 571-272-1166. 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.
/EUGENIA WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759