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 § 103
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 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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NAOHITO (JP 2018055893, see also machine translation for citations) in combination with (SHOGO (JP 2016195014, see also machine translation for citations)) and (WANG (US 10854865)).
Regarding claims 1 & 2: Naohito discloses a battery terminal (FIG. 1, Element 30 and 40) for connecting a power generation element (FIG. 2, Element 20) placed inside an exterior body of a battery (FIG. 2, Element 11) an external conductive member placed outside the exterior body ([0056]).
Naohito further discloses the battery terminal being configured as a two-piece configuration including a first piece (FIG. 1, Element 30) and a second piece (FIG. 2, Element 50).
Naohito further discloses Element 50, which is disclosed to be made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Element 50 is the positive electrode current collector and Element 30 is the positive battery terminal.
Examiner further notes that Element 30 must be a conductive material to function properly.
Naohito does not disclose the material formed to make Element 30, and thus does not explicitly disclose the claimed “formed of different conductive materials”.
Shogo discloses a similar battery terminal (Shogo: FIG. 1, Element 200) for connecting a power generation element (Shogo: FIG. 2, Element 700) placed inside an exterior body of a battery (Shogo: FIG. 1, Element 120) and an external conductive member placed outside the exterior body.
Shogo teaches a terminal main body (Shogo: FIG. 3, Element 210) that is formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy ([0045]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select aluminum for one of the two-piece configuration and aluminum-alloy for the other of the two-piece configuration thereby arriving at the claimed “formed of different conductive materials”.
The first piece (FIG. 2, Element 30) includes: a first plate-like portion provided with a first face and a second face (FIG. 2, Element 30a), the first face to be arranged to face outward in the battery and to be connected to the external conductive member (FIG. 1, Element 30); and a second fixing portion provided on the second face of the first plate-like portion (FIG. 2, Element 30b), and fixing the second piece (FIG. 5, Element 40c).
FIG. 3-5 disclose a detailed embodiment of the negative battery terminal. [0046] discloses that Element 30b has the same arrangement as the shaft 40b and crimped protrusion 40c of the negative electrode terminal 40.
The second piece (FIG. 2, Element 50) includes: a second plate-like portion provided with a first face and a second face (FIG. 2, Element 51), having a shape with a longitudinal direction and a short-side direction in planar view ([0026]), and formed with a second hole portion (FIG. 2, Element 51a). The first face being arranged to face the second face of the first plate-like portion (FIG. 2, Element 51).
A current collecting portion [0025] which is connected to a position leaning to one side from a center both in the longitudinal direction and in the short-side direction on the second face of the second plate-like portion (52, see annotated figure below) and to be connected to the power generation element (Element 53).
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The current collection portion (see 52 with arrow pointing to it in annotated figure above) is away from the center in both in the longitudinal direction and in the short-side direction on the second face of the second plate-like portion to properly connect to the power generation element ([0026]).
The second fixing portion (FIG. 2, Element 30b) includes: a second columnar portion (Element 30b) positioned in the second hole portion (Element 51a) & [0034]; and a second disk portion expanding wider than the second columnar portion on the second face of the second plate-like portion (crimping protrusion, [0034], see analogous 40c shown in Fig. 3-5, [0029]), any one of at least a part of the second disk portion is joined to the second face of the second plate-like portion ([0029 & 0034]).
Naohito does not disclose a first fixing portion provided on the second face of the first plate-like portion and fixing the second piece, which first fixing portion includes: a first columnar portion positioned in the first hole portion; and a first disk portion expanding wider than the first columnar portion on the second face of the second plate-like portion, and a center of the first hole portion leans away from the central position of the short-side direction of the second plate- like portion oppositely to the center of the joint of the current collecting portion.
Due to not including a first fixing portion, there is no first hole portion that allows the center of first hole portion to be in between the center of the current collector portion and the center of the second hole portion.
Shogo further teaches a similar second fixing portion (FIG. 3, Element 220) and a first fixing portion (FIG. 3, Element 400). The first fixing portion includes: a first columnar portion positioned in the first hole portion (FIG. 14a, Element 400); and a first disk portion expanding wider than the first columnar portion on the second face of the second plate-like portion (FIG. 16, Element 412 & [0149]). The second fixing portion includes: a second columnar portion positioned in the second hole portion; (FIG. 14a, Element 220) and a second disk portion expanding wider than the second columnar portion on the second face of the second plate-like portion (FIG. 4, Element 220 & [0047]), a second columnar portion positioned in the second hole portion (FIG. 14a, Element 220); and a second disk portion expanding wider than the second columnar portion on the second face of the second plate-like portion ((FIG. 14a & 14b) & [0124]), any one of at least a part of the first disk portion and at least a part of the second disk portion is joined to the second face of the second plate-like portion ([0047] & [0052]).
Shogo teaches that the first fixing portion (Element 400) is disposed at a position closer to the longitudinal end of the lid than the positive electrode terminal and is aligned with the position of the electrode body side connecting portion of the positive electrode current collector ([0050]). As the first fixing portion is connected to the positive electrode current collector, it will withstand the compressive load acting between the positive electrode current collector and the container but also tensile loads and shear loads ([0136]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added the first fixing portion taught by Shogo to the first piece of Naohito and a first hole portion to be positioned close to the positive electrode current collector in order to ensure that the terminal will withstand the compressive load acting between the positive electrode current collector and the container.
Modified Naohito thus discloses center of the first hole portion (Shogo: FIG. 3, Element 523) is positioned between a center of the second hole portion with respect to a longitudinal direction of the second plate-like portion, and the center of the joint of the current collecting portion leans away from a central position of the short-side direction of the second plate-like portion (Shogo: See FIG. 3).
Naohito further discloses a center of the second hole portion is positioned between a center of a joint of the current collecting portion with respect to a longitudinal direction of the second plate-like portion (FIG. 2, Element 51a), and the center of the joint of the current collecting portion leans away from a central position of the short-side direction of the second plate-like portion (FIG. 2, Element 52). The center of the second hole portion leans away from the central position of the short- side direction of the second plate-like portion oppositely to the center of the joint of the current collecting portion of claim 2 (FIG. 2, Element 51a).
Since Naohito further teaches that the center of the second hole portion is offset from the second face (FIG. 2, Element 51) to reduce the space occupied in the direction perpendicular to the central reference plane (FIG. 4, Element D1 and D2) while ensuring the bonding strength ([0042]), it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the taught first fixing portion and associated first hole portion of Shojo, as set forth above, in an orientation similar to Naohito’s second fixing portion and associated second hole portion for the purpose of ensuring a reduction of the space occupied in the direction perpendicular to the central reference plane while ensuring the bonding strength thus reading on the claim limitation “the center of the first hole portion would also lean away from the central position of the short-side direction of the second plate- like portion oppositely to the center of the joint of the current collecting portion.”.
Regarding claim 3 & 5: modified Naohito discloses a battery (FIG. 1) comprising an exterior body (FIG. 1, Element 11), a power generation element housed inside the exterior body (FIG. 2, Element 20), and a terminal connected to the power generation element (FIG. 3, Element 63), wherein the terminal is the battery terminal as set forth above.
Regarding claim 4 & 6: modified Naohito discloses the battery as set forth above, wherein the terminal is attached with other batteries ([0056]).
Modified Naohito teaches that multiple batteries can be used in vehicles, which include electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) ([0056]).
Examiner furthers notes that electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have batteries that are commonly connected with a busbar.
Modified Naohito does not disclose a busbar specifically that electrically connect multiple batteries together.
Wang discloses a busbar for the use of connecting multiple batteries for an electric vehicle (Wang: See FIG 3.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a busbar to connect multiple batteries to each other and be connected to a battery terminal thereby arriving at the claimed “wherein the terminal is connected with a bus bar attached with other batteries”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIK L TILLMAN-SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-8848. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 7am-4pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Leong can be reached at (571) 270-1292. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELTS/ Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 3/31/2026
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