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 .
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.
Specification
The specification and drawings have been reviewed and no clear informalities or objections have been noted.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9, 11-13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Al-Badani (US 2024/0222801).
Regarding claim 1, Al-Badani discloses a battery pack comprising:
a positive pack terminal;
a negative pack terminal (see paragraph 85 which discloses the positive and negative terminals on cells 1010);
a cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells (as depicted in Fig. 8b);
a busbar strap (806) having a current collection tab (as depicted in annotated Fig. 8b below) and a battery connection plate (808, see annotated Fig. 8b below), the battery connection plate electrically connected to a battery cell (via weld 812), of the plurality of battery cells, closest to the current collection tab (as depicted in annotated Fig. 8b below); and
an electrical pathway that extends between the current collection tab and the battery connection plate (as illustrated in annotated Fig. 8b below), the electrical pathway includes a first path (as illustrated in annotated Fig. 8b below) portion that extends between the current collection tab and an area past the battery connection plate (as illustrated in annotated Fig. 8b below) and a second path portion (as illustrated in annotated Fig. 8b below)that extends between the area past the battery connection plate and the battery connection plate (as illustrated in annotated Fig. 8b below).
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Annotated Fig. 8b
Regarding claim 2, Al-Badani further discloses the busbar strap includes an inner strap and an outer strap (see inner strap 304 and outer strap 302 as depicted in Fig. 3a).
Regarding claim 3, Al-Badani further discloses the inner strap is electrically connected to the outer strap at a weld (at weld 810), and the first path portion connects to the second path portion at the weld (as depicted in annotated Fig. 8b above).
Regarding claim 4, Al-Badani further discloses the inner strap (terminal collection plate 304) is formed from a first material (such as aluminum, see paragraph 7) and the outer strap (lattice portion 302) is formed from a second, different material (such as copper, see paragraph 7).
Regarding claim 5, Al-Badani further discloses the busbar strap is a unitary body (as a result of welding the inner 304 and outer 302 straps at 810).
Regarding claims 6 and 9, Al-Badani further discloses the busbar strap includes another battery connection plate that is electrically connected to a battery cell, of the plurality of battery cells, farthest from the current collection tab (as depicted in Fig. 8b where there is a battery connection plate 808 that is farthest from the current collection tab as well as a battery connection plate in between the closest and farthest), and the battery pack further comprises another electrical pathway that extends between the current collection tab and the other battery connection plate (via welds 810).
Regarding claim 11, Al-Badani discloses a battery pack comprising:
a positive pack terminal;
a negative pack terminal (see paragraph 85 which discloses the positive and negative terminals on cells 1010):
a cell assembly having a first battery cell, a second battery cell, and a third battery cell; and
a busbar strap having a battery connection area and an elongated extension (as depicted in annotated Fig. 3a below), the battery connection area having a lobe connected to the first battery cell and another lobe connected to the second and/or third battery cells (see annotated Fig. 3a below where the battery connection area has a first, second and third lobes each attached to a cell), the lobe and the other lobe are connected at a lobe connection area (as depicted in annotated Fig. 3a below), the elongated extension is connected to the battery connection area adjacent to the lobe connection area (the elongated extension is adjacent both the battery connection area and the lobe connection area).
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Annotated Fig. 3a
Regarding claim 12, Al-Badani further discloses the elongated extension has a current collection tab (as depicted in annotated Fig. 3a above), and the current collection tab is configured to be electrically connected to one of the positive pack terminals and the negative pack terminal (as evidenced by the disclosure that the battery pack is electrically connected in a vehicle, see paragraph 129).
Regarding claim 13, Al-Badani further discloses the first battery cell is a first distance from the elongated extension, the third battery cell is a third distance from the elongated extension, and the first distance is shorter than the third distance (see annotated Fig. 3a above which illustrates the 3rd cell, positioned near the 3rd lobe, is farther from the elongated extension than the first lobe, or first cell).
Regarding claim 15, Al-Badani further discloses the busbar strap has a mounting tab located between the lobe and the other lobe (as depicted in annotated Fig. 3a above).
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.
Claim(s) 7, 8, 10, 14 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Badani (US 2024/0222801).
Regarding claims 7, 8, 10, 14 and 16-20, Al-Badani does not explicitly teach the claimed ratios of electrical resistance between pathways. However, it is well known in the art that equating electrical resistances is desired and is achieved by producing electrical pathways of equal distance between two points. Al-Badani teaches that equivalent distances of an electrical path produce equivalent resistances (paragraph 117) and teaches that it is desirable to have equal resistances as this ensures that the cells are used in a balanced way which extend the life of the battery.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to orient all the electrical pathways of Al-Badani such that they achieve near uniform resistance, as taught by Al-Badani, in order to balance cell usage and lengthen the life of the battery module.
Relevant Prior Art
US 2018/0130990 – Discloses a busbar configuration which comprises multiple lobes to connect an array of batteries to a current collector, similar to the instant invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J MERKLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9813. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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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.
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/MATTHEW J MERKLING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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