CTNF 18/411,547 CTNF 83826 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restriction 08-08 AIA Restriction to one of the following inventions is required under 35 U.S.C. 121: I. Claim s 1-14 , drawn to a battery module , classified in H01M50/519 . II. Claim s 15-18 , drawn to a machine , classified in Y02T10/70 . 08-09 AIA III. Claim s 19 and 20 , drawn to a carrier for a battery stack , classified in H01M50/284 . 08-13 AIA The inventions are independent or distinct, each from the other because: Inventions I and II are related as combination and subcombination. Inventions in this relationship are distinct if it can be shown that (1) the combination as claimed does not require the particulars of the subcombination as claimed for patentability, and (2) that the subcombination has utility by itself or in other combinations (MPEP § 806.05(c)). In the instant case, the combination as claimed does not require the particulars of the subcombination as claimed because combination Group II requires a battery pack with a motor but does not positively recite bus bars as required in Group I. The subcombination has separate utility such as power storage. 08-15 Inventions II and III are related as combination and subcombination. Inventions in this relationship are distinct if it can be shown that (1) the combination as claimed does not require the particulars of the subcombination as claimed for patentability, and (2) that the subcombination has utility by itself or in other combinations (MPEP § 806.05(c)). In the instant case, the combination as claimed does not require the particulars of the subcombination as claimed because combination Group II requires a battery pack with a motor but does not positively recite bus bars as required in Group III. The subcombination has separate utility such as power storage. The examiner has required restriction between combination and subcombination inventions. Where applicant elects a subcombination, and claims thereto are subsequently found allowable, any claim(s) depending from or otherwise requiring all the limitations of the allowable subcombination will be examined for patentability in accordance with 37 CFR 1.104. See MPEP § 821.04(a). Applicant is advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application. 08-21 Restriction for examination purposes as indicated is proper because all the inventions listed in this action are independent or distinct for the reasons given above and there would be a serious search and/or examination burden if restriction were not required because one or more of the following reasons apply: The inventions require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries). Applicant is advised that the reply to this requirement to be complete must include (i) an election of an invention to be examined even though the requirement may be traversed (37 CFR 1.143) and (ii) identification of the claims encompassing the elected invention . The election of an invention may be made with or without traverse. To reserve a right to petition, the election must be made with traverse. If the reply does not distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election shall be treated as an election without traverse. Traversal must be presented at the time of election in order to be considered timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are added after the election, applicant must indicate which of these claims are readable upon the elected invention. Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention. 08-23 AIA During a telephone conversation with Jeff Greene on 6/10/26 a provisional election was made without traverse to prosecute the invention of Group I , claim s 1-14 . Affirmation of this election must be made by applicant in replying to this Office action. Claim s 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention. 08-23-02 AIA Applicant is reminded that upon the cancelation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be corrected in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(a) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. A request to correct inventorship under 37 CFR 1.48(a) must be accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.76 that identifies each inventor by his or her legal name and by the processing fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Dulle (US 2020/0020920 A1) . Regarding claim 1, Dulle discloses an apparatus comprising: a battery stack 22 comprising a plurality of battery cells 54 ; one or more module interconnect bus bars 222 ; and a printed circuit board (PCB) 136 disposed on the battery stack and defining a plurality of openings, the PCB configured as a carrier for the one or more module interconnect bus bars 222 , and the plurality of openings being arranged such that each of the plurality of openings aligns with a terminal 230 of each of the plurality of battery cells 54 , the one or more module interconnect bus bars 222 being attached to the PCB 136 in alignment with the plurality of openings and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 54 of the battery stack 22 (paragraph 175). Regarding claims 2-4, Dulle discloses that the one or more module interconnect bus bars are attached to the PCB via a connector and that the connector extends through aligning holes defined in the one or more module interconnect bus bars and the PCB (paragraph 224). Regarding claim 5, Dulle discloses that the one or more module interconnect bus bars are electrically connected to the PCB via one or more tabs or wire bonds (paragraph 181). Regarding claims 6 and 7, Dulle discloses that the PCB is formed from a rigid unitary plate (see Figure 22). Regarding claim 8, Dulle discloses that the plurality of openings are spaced from one another and collectively form, in the PCB, at least a first row and a second row parallel to the first row (see Figure 31). Regarding claim 9, Dulle discloses that two of the plurality of openings are arranged in pairs, the pairs including one of the plurality of openings in the first row and another of the plurality of openings in the second row, and each pair corresponding to one of the plurality of battery cells in the battery stack (see Figure 31). Regarding claim 10, Dulle discloses that the PCB is disposed over one or more electrically conductive regions of each of the plurality of battery cells, the one or more electrically conductive regions including two terminals of each of the plurality of battery cells (see Figure 31). Regarding claim 11, Dulle discloses one or more surface mounted fuses or trace fuses disposed on the PCB, each of the one or more surface mounted fuses or trace fuses being electrically connected to at least one of the one or more module interconnect bus bars (paragraph 125). Regarding claim 12, Dulle discloses that the PCB is a multiple-layer or single layer PCB (paragraph 228). Regarding claim 13, Dulle discloses one or more connectors integrated into the PCB (paragraph 10). Regarding claim 14, Dulle discloses a battery management system disposed on the PCB, wherein the PCB electrically connects the battery management system to one or more of the plurality of battery cells (paragraph 233). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IMRAN AKRAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3241. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p. 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, Basia Ridley can be reached at 571-272-1453. 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. /IMRAN AKRAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 2 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 3 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 4 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 5 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 6 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 7 Art Unit: 1725 Application/Control Number: 18/411,547 Page 8 Art Unit: 1725
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