DETAILED ACTION
The applicant’s remarks filed on July 7, 2026 were received.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office 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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In view of Applicant successfully disqualifying Cho as prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2), the Examiner withdraws the previously set forth rejection of claims 1-4, 10 and 12-14 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cho as detailed in the Office action dated April 7, 2026.
Claims 1-4, 10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nomizo (U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0344742 A1, cited by Applicant).
Regarding claims 1, 2, 10, 12-14, Nomizo teaches a power storage device 200 including a battery module 40, a frame body 20, and a battery case 100 (see paragraph 23; FIG. 2). The battery case 100 includes a case main body 30 (side insulation), wherein the case main body 30 is provided on an inner side of the frame body 20, and houses the battery module 40 (see paragraphs 23 and 29). The battery module 40 includes a plurality of battery cells 41 (unit cells arranged in a first direction) (see paragraph 24)
The case main body 30 includes a case bottom wall part 31 (first insulating portion) of a flat shape and the case sidewall part 32 (second insulation portion) which surrounds the case bottom wall part 31. The case sidewall part 32 is connected to a circumference part of the case bottom wall part 31, and extends toward a normal direction of the case bottom wall part 31 (see paragraph 31).
The frame body 20 includes a pair of end plates 21 and 22 (pair of end plates) and a pair of restraint plates 23 and 24 (pair of side plates) (see paragraph 25). The end plates 21 and 22 are arranged so as to face each other across the case main body 30. The restraint plates 23 and 24 are arranged so as to face each other across the case main body 30 in a direction orthogonal to an alignment direction of the end plates 21 and 22 (second direction) (see paragraph 26).
The restraint plates 23 and 24 sandwich and restrain the end plates 21 and 22 between the restraint plates 23 and 24 and the case main body 30. The restraint plate 23 includes a plate main body 23a (side wall portion), engaging piece parts 23b and 23c and a bottom face part 23d (flange portion) (see paragraph 27). The restraint plate 24 includes a plate main body 24a (side wall portion), engaging piece parts 24b and 24c and a bottom face part 24d (flange portion) (see paragraph 28).
Regarding claim 3, Nomizo teaches that the case bottom wall part 31 includes a plurality of opening parts 36 (first through-holes) (see paragraph 32).
Regarding claim 4, Nomizo teaches that the number of the opening parts 36 is the same as the number of the battery cells 41 included in the battery module 40 (see paragraph 32).
Claim(s) 15-17 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomizo as applied to claims 1-4, 10 and 12-14 above, and further in view of Liu et al. (hereinafter “Liu”) (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0313140 A1, already of record).
Regarding claim 15, Nomizo is silent as to a top cover.
Liu teaches a battery module 100 including a plurality of cells 10 arranged in a case, wherein the case includes a housing body 20 and a cover plate 30 (see paragraphs 49 and 53). The housing body 20 is arranged on the plurality of cells 10 and is provided with a first through-hole 22. The cover plate 30 is used to cover the housing body 30 (see paragraph 53). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have adapted the cover plate of Liu to the power storage device of Nomizo in order to protect the battery terminals from external impact or contact with external conductors which may cause a short circuit.
Regarding claim 16, Liu teaches it is known in the art to connect the positive terminals and the negative terminals of the cells 10 with a busbar 50 (see paragraph 49).
Regarding claim 17, Liu teaches that a printed circuit board 42 (controller) may be arranged in the first through-hole 22 of the housing body 20 (see paragraph 53). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have adapted the circuit board of Liu to the battery pack of Cho in order to perform load balancing and/or deactivate an overheating cell.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9 and 11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHAN J ESSEX whose telephone number is (571)270-7866. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm.
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/STEPHAN J ESSEX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
