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 § 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 9, 11, and 13-17 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 9 (dependent on amended claim 1) recites “that cells of adjacent cells strings” (emphasis added), rendering the claim indefinite as to whether the “cells” is intended to refer back to the “multiple cells” of claim 1, or distinct ‘cells’ thereof.
Amended claim 11 recites “the battery assembly comprising multiple cells arranged side by side in parallel in an axial direction, characterized in that the end structure is positioned at a top or a bottom of the multiple cells, and comprises a collector component and a retaining component which are integrated as a single body, wherein: the collector component is in electrically conductive contact with at least two cells, and a fusible part located between the multiple cells is formed on the collector component” (emphasis added), rendering the claim indefinite as to whether the “two cells” is intended to refer to ‘two of the multiple cells’, or the “two cells” are distinct from the “multiple cells”. Clams 13-15, and 17 are also rejected as depending on claim 11.
New claim 16 (dependent on claims 1 and 7-8) recites “the multiple electrically conductive contact parts are in electrically conductive contact with one or two cells” (emphasis added), rendering the claim indefinite as to whether the “one or two cells” is intended to refer to ‘one or two of the multiple cells’ of claims 1 and 7, or the “one or two cells” is/are distinct from the “multiple cells”.
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.
Claims 1, 3-5, 7-11, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu et al (US 2016/0190527) in view of Kuwata et al (US 2021/0013481).
With respect to claim 1, Hsu discloses a “first integrated battery core frame” (i.e. claimed “retaining component”) [100] for a battery assembly (Abstract; figs. 5-7; para 0019 and 0037), wherein fig. 7 depicts the battery assembly comprises “battery cores” (i.e. claimed “multiple cells”) [3] (para 0043), fig. 2 depicts a “first electrode metal plate” (claimed “collector component”) [1] positioned at a top of the multiple cells [3] as shown by figs. 5-7 (para 0016 and 0037), and fig. 9 depicts a “chip fuse” (i.e. claimed “fusible part”) [M] connected between the multiple cells [3] as shown in figs. 8-9 (para 0022-0024 and 0046). Figs. 2-4 and 9 further depict the collector component [1] having a reduced cross-sectional area at the fusible part [M], wherein the retaining component [100] is configured to fix the multiple cells [3] (as shown in figs. 7-8) at the top of the multiple cells [3] (para 0043 and 0046), and “first conductor exposed portions” (i.e. claimed “hole”) [222] of a “first plate” (i.e. electrode tab) [22] open to an outside is provided in the retaining component [100] at a position corresponding to the fusible part [M] (para 0024, 0038-0040, 0043, and 0046).
However Hsu is limited in that while the hole [222] appears as a through-hole (as Applicant states on p. 6 Remarks 7/13/2026), the hole [222] being a blind hole is not specifically suggested.
Kuwata teaches a battery assembly for multiple cells, the battery assembly comprising an electrode tab [113] (Abstract; para 0050), similar to the battery assembly and electrode tab [22] of Hsu. Kuwata further teaches that the electrode tab [113] comprises at least two portions [30], wherein the at least two portions are “a through-hole, a blind hole, a cutout, an imprinted mark, or the like” (para 0053).
Since Kuwata recognizes the similarities of through-holes and blind holes in electrode tabs, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to replace the through-holes of Hsu with the blind holes of Kuwata as it is merely the selection of functionally similar holes recognized in the prior art and one of ordinary skill would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so. In addition it would have been obvious to have the through-holes of Hsu be blind holes as taught by Kuwata to yield the predictable result of the electrode tab providing electrical conductivity to the multiple cells.
With respect to claims 3-5, modified Hsu further depicts in figs. 3-6 and 9 the hole (i.e. Kuwata’s blind hole) [222] a bottom wall has a flat surface along with a curved surface having a raised centre and sunken periphery (as shown in figs. 3-4 and 6) (para 0038-0040), with fig. 9 depicting the flat surface and a centre of the bottom wall are adjacent to the fusible part [M], wherein the fusible part [M] is supported via opposite edges of the bottom wall of the hole [222] from figs. 3-4 (para 0038-0040 and 0046).
With respect to claim 7, modified Hsu further depicts in fig. 7 the multiple cells [3] are arranged as multiple cell strings, wherein all of the multiple cells [3] in each of the multiple cell strings are arranged in series connection along a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel connection in a transverse direction of the battery assembly (para 0005 and 0043), similar to Applicant’s fig. 5. Fig. 9 further depicts the fusible part [M] formed between each pair of adjacent cell strings, wherein the longitudinal and transverse directions in addition to a height direction of the multiple cells [3] are mutually orthogonal (para 0024, 0039, and 0046).
With respect to claims 8 and 16, modified Hsu discloses the collector components, wherein each collector component (e.g. collector component [1] of retaining component [100] and collector component of frame [200]) comprises multiple ‘electrode touching portions’ (i.e. claimed “electrically conductive contact parts”) [122] in electrically conductive contact with one or two cells of the multiple cell strings of the multiple cells [3] (figs. 2 and 7; para 0011, 0035-0036, and 0043), wherein figs. 5-6 and 9 depict the fusible part [M] is formed between each pair of adjacent electrically conductive contact parts [122] (para 0035-0036, 0043, and 0046).
With respect to claim 9, modified Hsu further depicts in fig. 7 the multiple cells [3] of diagonally adjacent cell strings are offset in the transverse direction.
With respect to claim 10, modified Hsu further discloses the retaining component [100] comprises a body [21] and plate [22] on two sides of the collector component [1] to sandwich the collector component [1] therebetween (para 0009 and 0037-0038), wherein the body [21] and plate [22] are formed as an integrated one-piece structure with each other to form the retaining component [100] (para 0009 and 0038); thus the collector component [1] is then also formed as the one-piece between the body [21] and plate [21], resulting in the retaining component [100] and collector component [1] being an integrated one-piece structure (i.e. claimed “integrally moulded”).
With respect to claim 11, Hsu discloses in fig. 7 a battery assembly comprising “battery cores” (i.e. claimed “multiple cells”) [3] arranged side-by-side in parallel in an axial direction, and an end structure (structurally represented by [100] and [200]) positioned on a top or a bottom of the multiple cells [3] (Abstract; para 0043), wherein figs. 2-7 depict the end structure comprises a “first integrated battery core frame” (i.e. claimed “retaining component”) [100] and a “first electrode metal plate” (claimed “collector component”) [1] (Abstract; 0019, 0037, and 0043), wherein the retaining component [100] comprises a body [21] and plate [22] on two sides of the collector component [1] to sandwich the collector component [1] therebetween (para 0009 and 0037-0038), wherein the body [21] and plate [22] are formed as an integrated one-piece structure with each other to form the retaining component [100] (para 0009 and 0038); thus the collector component [1] is then also formed as the integrated one-piece between the body [21] and plate [21], resulting in the retaining component [100] and collector component [1] being an integrated one-piece structure (i.e. claimed “integrally moulded”). Hsu further depicts: in fig. 2 the collector component [1] is in electrically conductive contact with at least two cell [3] of the multiple cells [3] (para 0035 and 0043-0044); and figs 2 and 8-9 depicts a “chip fuse” (i.e. claimed “fusible part”) [M] formed on the collector component [1] between the multiple cells [3] (para 0022-0024 and 0046), with figs. 2-4 and 9 depicting the collector component [1] having a reduced cross-sectional area at the fusible part [M] (para 0043 and 0046). Hsu further depicts in figs. 5-7: the retaining component [100] is configured to fix the multiple cells [3] (para 0043), wherein “first conductor exposed portions” (i.e. claimed “hole”) [222] of a “first plate” (i.e. electrode tab) [22] open to an outside is provided in the retaining component [100] at a position corresponding to the fusible part [M], to thereby expose the fusible part [M] (para 0024, 0038-0040, 0043, and 0046).
However Hsu is limited in that while the hole [222] appears as a through-hole (as Applicant states on p. 6 Remarks 7/13/2026), the hole [222] being a blind hole is not specifically suggested.
Kuwata teaches a battery assembly for multiple cells, the battery assembly comprising an electrode tab [113] (Abstract; para 0050), similar to the battery assembly and electrode tab [22] of Hsu. Kuwata further teaches that the electrode tab [113] comprises at least two portions [30], wherein the at least two portions are “a through-hole, a blind hole, a cutout, an imprinted mark, or the like” (para 0053).
Since Kuwata recognizes the similarities of through-holes and blind holes in electrode tabs, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to replace the through-holes of Hsu with the blind holes of Kuwata as it is merely the selection of functionally similar holes recognized in the prior art and one of ordinary skill would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so. In addition it would have been obvious to have the through-holes of Hsu be blind holes as taught by Kuwata to yield the predictable result of the electrode tab providing electrical conductivity to the multiple cells.
With respect to claims 13-15, modified Hsu further depicts in figs. 3-6 and 9 the end structure comprises the hole (i.e. Kuwata’s blind hole) [222], wherein a bottom wall has a flat surface along with a curved surface having a raised centre and sunken periphery (as shown in figs. 3-4 and 6) (para 0038-0040), with fig. 9 depicting the flat surface and a centre of the bottom wall are adjacent to the fusible part [M], wherein the fusible part [M] is supported via opposite edges of the bottom wall of the hole [222] from figs. 3-4 (para 0038-0040 and 0046).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Remarks on p. 5-8 filed 7/13/2026 are addressed below.
112 Rejections
Claims 1, 4, 7, and 11 have each been amended to provide antecedent basis; the previous 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
Claim 6 has been canceled; the previous 112(b) rejection is moot.
Claims 8 and 14 have each been amended by deleting the narrower limitation; the previous 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
102 Rejections
Applicant’s arguments on p. 5-8 with respect to independent claims 1 and 11 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the new combination of references Hsu and Kuwata being applied in the current rejection.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A BAND whose telephone number is (571)272-9815. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EST.
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/MICHAEL A BAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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