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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 5/31/25 has been considered by the examiner.
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 3, 12, and 19 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.
Claims 3 and 12 recite the limitation "the positioning hole" in the third lines. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because claims 1, from which claims 3 and 12 depend, does not recite a positioning hole. For the purposes of expediting prosecution, claims 3 and 12 will be interpreted as being dependent from claims 2 and 11, respectively, which do recited a positioning hole. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "each busbar" in the fourth line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because the second line only requires one busbar. For the purposes of expediting prosecution, the second line of the claim will be interpreted as requiring “a plurality of busbars”. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 5, 10, 14, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fouet et al. (EP 3 872 891).
Regarding claim 1, Fouet teaches a busbar, or repeating conductor (22), comprising:
a first connecting portion, or first terminal (222), welded to a positive electrode of a first battery cell (Figure 3, [0014]);
a second connecting portion, or second terminal (224), connected to the first connecting portion (222) and welded to a negative electrode of a second battery cell (Figure 3, [0014]), wherein a central axis of each of the components discussed above are coincided (Figures 2-4).
Regarding claims 10 and 19, Fouet teaches the busbar of claim 1 for use in a battery pack comprising a battery module comprising a plurality of cells ([0007]).
As for claims 5 and 14, Fouet teaches a side of the second connecting portion (224) away from the first connecting portion (222) is recessed with an avoidance portion form a connection gap (232) to avoid the positive electrode (48) of the second battery cell (Figure 4).
Claims 1, 6-10, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Felser et al. (US 2015/0050531).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Felser teaches a busbar having first and second connecting portions (26), connected together and welded to positive electrodes of first and second battery cells (22) (Figure 3, [0040]). Felser further teaches that each of the connection portions and each of the central axes of the cells are coincided with each other (Figure 2).
Regrading claims 6 and 15, Felser teaches that the first and second connecting portions (26) which are connected together by a curved portion, or narrowing portion (30) (Figure 3, annotated below).
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With regard to claims 7-9 and 16-18, Felser teaches the claimed configuration, as seen in annotated Figure 3, below:
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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.
Claims 2-3 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fouet as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Masuda et al. (US 2023/0402719).
The teachings of Fouet as discussed above are incorporated herein.
Fouet teaches the busbar of claims 1 and 10 but is silent on the positioning hole. However, Fouet does teach, as discussed above and as further shown in annotated Figure 4a below, that the central axis of the first connection portion is welded to the electrode of the battery.
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Fouet fails to teach a positioning hole.
Masuda teaches a busbar (50) having connection portions, with a first connecting portion for connection to a positive electrode, and wherein a positioning hole, or busbar hole (50a), is provided for fitting alignment of the positive electrode terminal, followed by welding, to improve positioning and fitting (Figures 5-8, [0031], [0047]).
Masuda further teaches that the positioning hole arrangement discussed above is desirable for efficiently joining a terminal and a busbar while reducing heat influence to a gasket ([0004]-[0005]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to form a positioning hole in the busbar of Fouet in the area where the busbar is welded to the positive electrode, as seen above, such as suggested by Masuda in order to efficiently join the electrode and the busbar while reducing heat influence to a gasket.
Claims 4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fouet as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Park et al. (US 2010/0047676).
The teachings of Fouet as discussed above are incorporated herein.
Fouet teaches the busbar of claims 1 and 10 but fails to teach a fixing hole located on the central axis and configured to be connected to a plastic bracket.
Park teaches a busbar, or connection part (320), having a fixing hole, or groove (360), located on the central axis connecting both ends of the busbar and first and second battery cells (e.g., 200-204) mounted to a bracket, or bottom (103), via protrusion (160) (Figures 1-2 and 5, [0046]). The examiner notes that the claims do not positively recite the bracket, so neither the bracket nor the material of the bracket, i.e. plastic, are given patentable weight.
The examiner finds that it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to use the known fixing hole structure of Park in the busbar of Fouet in order to mount the busbar, thereby ensuring proper placement of the busbar. It has been held that applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results is within the ordinary level of skill in the art. MPEP 2143 I (D)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALIX ECHELMEYER EGGERDING whose telephone number is (571)272-1101. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 4:30pm.
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/ALIX E EGGERDING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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