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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 05/29/2026 have been entered, the grounds for the 103 rejection has been changed due to amendments.
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 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-20060275658-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Sanada’ , in view of (JP-2013065419-A) hereinafter referred to ‘Kamata’
Regarding Claim 1,
Sanada teaches a battery pack comprising (Sanada, “A battery pack of a battery includes a plurality of laminated cells that are hermetically sealed by a laminated film, a case for storing the plurality of the laminated cells ”, see Abstract) : a tray including a bottom wall (Sanada, case, 2, Fig. 2) ; a cell module that is disposed on the tray and includes a plurality of battery cells stacked in a vertical direction (Sanada, cell, 10, Fig. 1) ; a high voltage connection portion that is provided on a bottom surface of the cell module and that is electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells (Sanada, negative electrode terminals, 12b, Fig. 1); a high voltage busbar connected to the high voltage connection portion (Sanada, battery terminal, 4b, Fig. 1) ;
a lower end of the high voltage connection portion is located between an upper end and a lower end of the first rib in the vertical direction, and the high voltage connection portion is not in contact with the bottom wall of the tray (Sanada, “Further, although detailed description will be omitted, the positive electrode terminals 12 a and the negative electrode terminals 12 b, and the battery terminal 4 a and the battery terminal 4 b are each formed into a predetermined configuration from a high-conductivity metal such as aluminum or copper, and fixed to the case 2 while being insulated from the case 2.”, see [0070])
Sanada does not teach a water absorbing sheet disposed between the bottom wall of the tray and the bottom surface of the cell module, wherein a first opening portion is defined in the water absorbing sheet at a position facing the high voltage connection portion, the tray includes a first rib that protrudes upward from the bottom wall and that is inserted into the first opening portion, a side surface of the first rib being in contact with the water absorbing sheet, and a height of the first rib being equal to a thickness of the water absorbing sheet in the vertical direction, Kamata teaches a water absorbing sheet disposed between the bottom wall of the tray and the bottom surface of the cell module, (Kamata, “herein a water absorbing member such as a sponge is placed on the bottom of the water receiving portion”, see [0009]) the tray includes a first rib that protrudes upward from the bottom wall and that is inserted into the first opening portion (Kamata, ribs, 41 , Fig. 6) , a side surface of the first rib being in contact with the water absorbing sheet, and a height of the first rib being equal to a thickness of the water absorbing sheet in the vertical direction (The examiner notes that the embodiments in combination would be in contact and they would be the same height as can be observed in Fig. 5 and 6) (The examiner notes that the combination of Sanada and Kamata would teach the water absorbing sheet at a position facing the high voltage connection portion and the high voltage connection portion is disposed in the first opening portion, a lower end of the high voltage connection portion is located between an upper end and a lower end of the first rib in the vertical direction, as the combination would put the voltage busbar at the lower half with the absorbing sheet)
Kamata teaches that the ribs and the absorbing sheet prevent water from intruding on the cell (Kamata, “The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery pack that suppresses the occurrence of problems even if water intrudes into the interior from the joint of the gasket.”, see [0005]).
Sanada and Kamata are analogous as they are both of the same field of battery backs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the bottom of the cell stack as taught in Sanada with the water absorbing sheet and ribs as taught in Kamata in order to decrease the water build up in the cell stack.
Regarding Claim 6,
Modified Sanada teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage busbar is disposed inside the cell module (Sanada, “Further, although detailed description will be omitted, the positive electrode terminals 12 a and the negative electrode terminals 12 b, and the battery terminal 4 a and the battery terminal 4 b are each formed into a predetermined configuration from a high-conductivity metal such as aluminum or copper, and fixed to the case 2 while being insulated from the case 2.”, see [0070]).
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-20060275658-A11) hereinafter referred to as ‘Sanada’ , in view of (JP-2013065419-A) hereinafter referred to ‘Kamata’ in view of (US-20220393230-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Li’
Regarding Claim 7,
Modified Sanada does not teach the battery pack wherein the tray further includes a side wall that includes a cutout portion recessed downward toward the bottom wall.
Li teaches wherein the tray further includes a side wall that includes a cutout portion recessed downward toward the bottom wall (Li, “In some embodiments, sealing the container includes inserting fasteners (e.g., compression screws) through apertures in the upper portion and gasket, and into openings in side walls of the lower portion. The fasteners are then tightened to seal the container”, see [0069]).
Li teaches that this increased contact through fasteners which can be implemented in the holes (Li, “In such implementations, tightening the fasteners may also cause the spring to apply pressure to the current collector, ensuring intimate contact between the current collector, porous separator, and cathode material.”, see [0069])
Modified Sanada and Li are analogous as they are both of the same field battery packs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the wall as taught in Modified Sanada to have the cutouts as taught in Li in order to implement fasteners which can increase contact between cell components or secure the cells together.
Regarding Claim 8,
Modified Sanda teaches the battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the water absorbing sheet is configured to absorb water entering the tray through the cutout portion (Li, “In some embodiments, sealing the container includes inserting fasteners (e.g., compression screws) through apertures in the upper portion and gasket, and into openings in side walls of the lower portion. The fasteners are then tightened to seal the container”, see [0069]) (Kamata, “herein a water absorbing member such as a sponge is placed on the bottom of the water receiving portion”, see [0009])(the examiner notes that the combination would have both the fastening hole in the side wall cutout and the water absorbing sheet)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/29/2026 have been fully considered
On pg. 6, the applicant argues:
“Naruke merely discloses a water absorber for absorbing condensed water near a cooling medium passage. Naruke does not remedy the above deficiencies because Naruke does not disclose any first opening portion receiving a rib, any dimensional relationship in which a rib height equals a sheet thickness, or any arrangement in which a lower end of a high voltage connection portion is positioned between upper and lower ends of the rib while remaining out of contact with the tray bottom wall, the water absorbing sheet, and the rib.”
The examiner finds this convincing, and in view of the narrowing amendments to claim 1, and the new claims 6-8, the examiner has added to the record Sanada and Kamata, which teaches the features as claimed outlined above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAMUS PATRICK MCNULTY whose telephone number is (703)756-1909. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:00am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas A. Smith can be reached at (571) 272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.P.M./Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/OLATUNJI A GODO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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