CTNF 18/484,637 CTNF 99928 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-4, 6-7, 9-16, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ju et al. (US 20260005403 A1), hereinafter Ju, in view of Pradella et al. (US 20240113397 A1), hereinafter Pradella . Regarding claims 1 and 11, Ju teaches a battery array 100 (Fig. 2), comprising: a cell stack 120 ; a bus bar module 400 configured for electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells of the cell stack [0074]; a first block 420 (Fig. 8) attached to a first hook structure 420H1 of the bus bar module 420 and positioned to fill a first space between the cell stack 120 and the bus bar module 400 , as can be seen in Fig. 6 with the block 420 extending further than the bus bar 410 ; and a second block 920 (Fig. 17) attached to a second hook structure 920H of the bus bar module 20b and positioned to fill a second space between the 120 and the bus bar module 400 , in this case the raised ridges of 920 . Ju teaches the first block 420 and second block 920 as including an electrically insulating material [0081, 0140], but is silent as to using foam as the electrically insulating material. However, Pradella teaches a busbar receiving body 6 with rib separators 9 comprising an electrically insulative [0015] plastics foam [0040]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the spacers of Ju with the plastics foam material of Pradella. The selection of a known material, in this case a plastics foam, based on its suitability for its intended use, in this case as a bus bar spacer, supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945). Further, doing so would have achieved a further reduction in the installation space by reducing the minimum distances between adjacent busbars, without the risk of arcing being increased or even existing at all [Pradella 0015]. Regarding claim 2, Modified Ju teaches the battery array according to claim 1. Ju further teaches the bus bar module being covered by a plate member of an array housing [0170]. Regarding claims 3, 6-7, 9-10, 12-13, 18, and 20, Modified Ju teaches the battery array according to claims 1 and 11. Ju further teaches the first hook structure 420H1 being an integral subcomponent of a bus bar module frame, in this case the portion of the spacer that the bus bar 410 makes contact with, of the bus bar module 400 , as seen in Fig. 9b and required by claims 3 and 13, and being disposed at a vertically upper section of the bus bar module frame of the bus bar module 400 , as seen in Fig. 9b and required by claims 10 and 12. Ju further teaches the second hook structure 920H being a part of a support fixture 920 that is clipped to the bus bar module 400 , in this case clipped to the spacer 420 that is part of the bus bar module 400 [0151], as seen in Fig. 17 and required by claims 6 and 13, extending from a base of the support fixture 920 , as seen in Fig. 17 and required by claims 7 and 18, including a flexible clip that engages a clip structure of a bus bar module frame of the bus bar module as the support fixture is moved into engagement with the bus bar module frame, seen in Fig. 17 and required by claims 9 and 20, and being disposed at a vertically lower section of the bus bar module frame of the bus bar module 400 , as seen in Fig. 17 and required by claims 10 and 12. Regarding claims 4 and 14-16, Modified Ju teaches the battery array according to claims 1 and 11. Ju further teaches the hook structure including a base hook 420H1 and a secondary hook 420H2 that protrudes outwardly from a side of the base hook 420H1 , as seen in Fig. 8 and required by claims 4 and 14, wherein the base hook includes a pair of hook legs that are at least partially separated by an indentation, in this case the upper and lower 420H1 portions separated by the indentation along 420 , as seen in Fig. 8b, and wherein the secondary hook 420H2 includes a design that mimics that of the base hook, in this case one of the 420H1 portions, as seen in Fig. 8a and required by claim 16 . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 5, 8, 17, and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Ju teaches a bus bar module 400 comprising alternating spacer pieces 420 and central bus bars 410 . Ju teaches the spacer 420 being formed through plastic injection molding, forming one singular piece with each hook structure being integrally connected to the electrically insulating block. Over molding requires separate formation of one of the pieces followed by subsequent use of that piece to form the other piece. Although the various steps of over molding may be done using injection molding, there would be no motivation to split up the process of Ju to form the piece that is considered to read on the hook structure separately from the piece that is considered to read on the foam block and then over mold the foam block onto the previously formed hook structure. US 20220109199 A1 and FR 3135834 A1 provide the closest examples of a foam block being attached to a separate hook structure of a bus bar module. US 20220109199 A1 is silent as to a secondary hook in addition to the base hook and there would be no motivation to include multiple hooks in place of the taught bar. FR 3135834 A1 teaches multiple hooks connecting the foam blocks 100 to the bus bar 100 , but they do not protrude outwardly from a side of each other. Therefore, neither source is considered to, or could be modified to, read on the claimed limitations. The pertinent prior art, when taken alone or in combination, cannot be reasonably construed as adequately teaching or suggesting all of the elements and features of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUSTIN KENWOOD VAN KIRK whose telephone number is (703)756-4717. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST. 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, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at (571)272-3433. 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. /DUSTIN VAN KIRK/Examiner, Art Unit 1722 /NIKI BAKHTIARI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1722 Application/Control Number: 18/484,637 Page 2 Art Unit: 1722 Application/Control Number: 18/484,637 Page 3 Art Unit: 1722 Application/Control Number: 18/484,637 Page 4 Art Unit: 1722
Prosecution Insights