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 .
2. Claims 1-10 are pending in this office action.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. Information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted April 30, 2024, has been received and considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsumura et al. (US 2023/0291136 A1).
With regard to Claim 1, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 3-5, a protector, called a wiring module (20), to be attached to a group of power storage elements (11) that include electrode terminals (12A/12B) (paragraph 0032), the protector (20) comprising: a body portion, called a protector (50), including openings, called busbar installation portions (52), that open in different directions and have opening edges (paragraphs 0050-0052); and cover portions, called flexible substrates (21A/21B), extending from the opening edges of the openings (52) and covering at least portions of the openings (52), each of the cover portions (21A/21B) includes a base portion, called a main body portion (25), that is connected to the body portion (50) via a hinge portion, called a connection base portion (26), capable of being rotatable with respect to the body portion (50), strip portions, called first connection pieces (27), extending from the base portion (25) and being elastically deformable to open a portion of a corresponding one of the openings (52), and slits (24) that are between the strip portions (27) (paragraphs 0033-0035).
With regard to Claim 2, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 8-9, wherein each of the cover portions (21A/21B) includes a connecting portion, called a sealing portion (60), that connects extending ends of the strip portions (27) (paragraphs 0065-0066).
With regard to Claim 3, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 3-5, wherein the strip portions (27) extend farther away from the corresponding one of the openings (52) as the strip portions (27) extend from the base portion (25) (paragraphs 0033-0035, 0050-0052; See Figures).
With regard to Claim 4, Matsumura et al. further disclose in Figure 3, a first protector portion, called a rigid substrate (30); and a second protector portion (21A/21B) attached to the first protector portion (30) and including the cover portions (21A/21B), wherein the openings (52) are defined by the first protector portion (30) and the second protector portion (21A/21B) (paragraphs 0033-0041).
With regard to Claim 5, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figure 3, a power storage module (10) comprising: the protector (20) noted above; the group of power storage elements (11); and an external connection busbar (40) that is electrically connected to one of the electrode terminals (12A/12B) and extends outside the protector (20) through one of the openings (52) (paragraph 0054).
With regard to Claim 6, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 3-5, a protector, called a wiring module (20), to be attached to a group of power storage elements (11) that include electrode terminals (12A/12B) (paragraph 0032), the protector (20 comprising: a body portion, called a protector (50), including openings, called busbar installation portions (52), that open in different directions and have opening edges (paragraphs 0050-0052); and cover portions, called flexible substrates (21A/21B), extending from the opening edges of the openings (52) and covering at least portions of the openings (52), each of the cover portions (21A/21B) including strip portions, called first connection pieces (27), that are elastically deformable to open a portion of a corresponding one of the openings (52), and slits (24) that are between the strip portions (27) (paragraphs 0033-0035).
With regard to Claim 7, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 8-9, wherein each of the cover portions (21A/21B) includes a connecting portion, called a sealing portion (60), that connects extending ends of the strip portions (27) (paragraphs 0065-0066).
With regard to Claim 8, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figures 3-5, wherein the strip portions (27) extend farther away from the corresponding one of the openings (52) as the strip portions (27) extend from the base portion (25) (paragraphs 0033-0035, 0050-0052; See Figures).
With regard to Claim 9, Matsumura et al. further disclose in Figure 3, a first protector portion, called a rigid substrate (30); and a second protector portion (21A/21B) attached to the first protector portion (30) and including the cover portions (21A/21B), wherein the openings (52) are defined by the first protector portion (30) and the second protector portion (21A/21B) (paragraphs 0033-0041).
With regard to Claim 10, Matsumura et al. disclose in Figure 3, a power storage module (10) comprising: the protector (20) noted above; the group of power storage elements (11); and an external connection busbar (40) that is electrically connected to one of the electrode terminals (12A/12B) and extends outside the protector (20) through one of the openings (52) (paragraph 0054).
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KARIE O APICELLA whose telephone number is (571)272-8614. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 571-270-3879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KARIE O'NEILL APICELLA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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