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 § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 16-19, and 21-22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(2) as being unpatentable over Takahashi (US 2018/0248280 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Takahashi (Figure 4) teaches an electrical sensor contacting element, comprising:
a cell connector plate contact terminal (i.e. 60) for an electrical cable (i.e. 38); and
a cell connector terminal (i.e. left of 22) at least partially complementary to the cell connector plate contact terminal, the cell connector terminal has a slot (i.e. within 33 and 34) extending in an axial direction, the cell connector plate contact terminal is plugged into the slot, the cell connector terminal is part of an electrical cell connector plate (i.e. 20).
Regarding claim 2: Takahashi (Figure 4) teaches the electrical sensor contacting element of claim 1, wherein the cell connector plate contact terminal has a contact portion (i.e. 61) contacting the cell connector terminal and a connection portion (i.e. 62) connected to the electrical cable.
Regarding claim 3: Takahashi (Figure 4) teaches the electrical sensor contacting element of claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the cell connector plate contact terminal is about 25-75% of a wall thickness of the cell connector terminal (i.e. as in figure 4), the cell connector plate contact terminal is a socket-like pin terminal and the cell connector terminal is a socket terminal (i.e. as in figure 4).
Regarding claim 4: Takahashi (Figure 4) teaches the electrical sensor contacting element of claim 1, wherein the cell connector plate contact terminal is bent as a single layer (i.e. 60 is formed from deep drawing) and/or has an elongated radial spring.
Regarding claim 5: Takahashi (Figure 4) teaches the electrical sensor contacting element of claim 1, wherein the cell connector terminal is bent out of a material layer of the electrical cell connector plate (i.e. as in figure 4).
Regarding claim 16: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches an electrical cell connector plate (i.e. 20), comprising:
a plate-shaped connector main body (i.e. 21) electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells of a battery (i.e. as 20 is configured to electrically connect); and
a cell connector terminal (i.e. 22), the cell connector terminal is cut free from the plate-shaped connector main body, bent out of a plane (i.e. plane of 20) of the plate-shaped connector main body, and disposed on the plate-shaped connector main body (i.e. as in figure 2).
Regarding claim 17: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches the electrical cell connector plate of claim 16, wherein the cell connector terminal is:
electrically connected to the plate-shaped connector main body on at least one side (i.e. as in figure 2);
and/or formed as a socket terminal having a substantially elliptical or polygonal cross-section.
Regarding claim 18: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches the electrical cell connector plate of claim 16, wherein the cell connector terminal:
is formed as a sleeve or a roll (i.e. 33) that is open at a pair of axial end faces;
has a slot extending in an axial direction along a full extent of the cell connector terminal;
and/or is formed of the plate-shaped connector main body by at least one bent-over tab.
Regarding claim 19: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches the electrical cell connector plate of claim 16, wherein cell connector terminal is formed in one piece with the plate-shaped connector main body and is formed in a single layer (i.e. as in figure 2).
Regarding claim 21: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches the electrical cell connector plate of claim 16, wherein the cell connector terminal is formed as a roll (i.e. 33).
Regarding claim 22: Takahashi (Figure 2) teaches the electrical cell connector plate of claim 16, wherein the cell connector terminal has a slot (i.e. from 34 to end of 22) extending in an axial direction along a full extent of the cell connector terminal, the slot is defined by both the cell connector terminal and the plate-shaped connector main body.
Claims 6-7, 9-10, 12, 14-15, and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over Rossman (US 7887368 B1).
Regarding claim 6: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches an electrical cell connector plate contact terminal, comprising:
a contact portion (i.e. portion of 14a forward of base of 80) that is formed as a male terminal (i.e. 40a) bent together from a material layer in a circumferential direction to form a radial spring (i.e. 90); and
a terminal portion (i.e. portion of 14a behind base of 80) connectable to an electrical cable, the contact portion and the terminal portion extend in an axial direction (i.e. 78), the radial spring is elongated in the axial direction, the contact portion has an axial stop (i.e. top surface of 92) extending away from the contact portion in a radial direction, the radial direction is perpendicular to the axial direction.
Regarding claim 7: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the radial spring has a substantially O-shaped slotted, U-shaped (i.e. U-shaped at 92) or V-shaped cross-section.
Regarding claim 9: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the contact portion is formed substantially as a contact box of which an electrical contact surface (i.e. outer surface of 40a) is arranged on an outer periphery of the contact box, the contact portion has a pair of side walls (i.e. 40a) connected by a bottom wall (i.e. 84) and an open top wall (i.e. 86), the contact box has a substantially rectangular cross-section with rounded corner regions or a substantially elliptical cross-section (i.e. substantially elliptical in figure 6).
Regarding claim 10: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the contact portion has a cell connector terminal receptacle (i.e. 40a) at an outer side receiving a cell connector terminal of a cell connector plate (i.e. as 40a is configured to receive).
Regarding claim 12: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the contact portion has a radially resilient spring element (i.e. 90).
Regarding claim 14: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, further comprising a transition portion (i.e. portion of 50a at the base of 80) between the contact portion and the connection portion.
Regarding claim 15: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the contact portion and the terminal portion are formed in one piece (i.e. as in figure 6).
Regarding claim 20: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches an electrical entity (i.e. 10), comprising:
a cell connector plate contact terminal as claimed in claim 6.
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.
Claims 8 and 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rossman and Davies (US 10014614 B2).
Regarding claim 8: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 6, wherein the radial spring is formed as a leg spring with a pair of spring legs (i.e. two 90) in a radial plane,
but does not specifically teach the spring legs are connected to one another only by a bottom wall.
However, Davies (Figure 1) teaches the spring legs (i.e. 116) are connected to one another only by a bottom wall (i.e. 100 is formed from a metal sheet connected at the bottom wall).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the terminal taught by Rossman to have the spring legs only connected by a bottom wall since this is an effect of forming the terminal from a bent metal sheet and it would be obvious to form the terminal from the desired method.
Regarding claim 11: Rossman (Figure 6) teaches the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal of claim 10, but does not specifically teach wherein the cell connector terminal receptacle includes a radially resilient spring element.
However, Davies (Figure 1) teaches wherein the cell connector terminal receptacle includes a radially resilient spring element (i.e. 116).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the electrical cell connector plate contact terminal taught by Rossman to have a radially resilient spring element as taught by Davies to help secure the terminal within its intended receptacle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 GREGORY MANGOT whose telephone number is 703-756-5737. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
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/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834