DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Withdrawal from Issue
The present Office Action is responsive to the claim amendments filed 09/23/2025. As noted in the communication mailed 11/22/2025 the instant application has been withdrawn from issue. Below are the reasons for reopening of prosecution. Accordingly, the present Office Action is being made Non-Final.
Status of Claims
The status of the claims as amended/presented in the response received [date response was filed], is as follows:
- Claims 1-5 and 8-20 are pending.
- Claims 1-5 and 8-19 have been amended.
- Claims 6-7 have been canceled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-5, 8-9, 12, 14-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the Chinese Patent Application Publication CN 114062738A (Li hereafter). Please refer to the English translation provided with this Office Action.
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Li shows in Figures 3-7, a test apparatus for testing incoming battery cells, characterized by comprising:
a fixing structure (unit 11 in Figure 3), and
a plurality of test probe structures (units 4+13 in Figure 5), wherein the test probe structures are slidably connected to the fixing structure side by side along a first direction (the probes are mounted on a sliding rail 111 of the fixing structure 11, and able to slide laterally along the horizontal direction. See last paragraph in page 14 of the English translation: “The first mounting bracket 13 can slide along the fixing base 11 and the adjusting groove 121 respectively”),
wherein the test apparatus further comprises a synchronizer (adjusting plate 12 + driver 5 shown in Figure 7), wherein the synchronizer comprises a synchronization structure (adjusting plate 12) that is connected to the test probe structures (the adjusting plate is connected to each of the probes through sliding units 131. As the guide plate is moved up/down, it forces rollers 131 to move along guides 121, effectively relocating the probes laterally with respect to each other) and a driver (unit 5 shown in Figure 7) that drives the synchronization structure to move relative to the fixing structure (see the last paragraph in page 14 of the English translation: “the output shaft of the driving member 5 is connected to the adjusting plate 12, and the driving member 5 drives the adjusting plate 12 relative to the fixing base 11. The first mounting bracket 13 can slide along the fixing base 11 and the adjusting groove 121 respectively, thereby adjusting the longitudinal spacing of the plurality of first mounting brackets 13 to the preset spacing.”), and the synchronization structure drives, during movement relative to the fixing structure, the test probe structures to slide synchronously (as explained above), and
wherein the synchronization structure is slidably connected to the fixing structure in a second direction (driver 5 moves the adjusting plate 12 up/down, thus making the adjusting plate slidably connected to unit 11 in a vertical direction), the synchronization structure comprises a plate structure (12) comprising a plurality of guide slots (121) extending in a plane where the first direction and the second direction are located (the plane on which 121 resides is the same as the horizontal “first” and vertical “second” directions) where corresponding to the test probe structures, and each of the test probe structures is provided with a limiting structure (roller 131) slidably connected to the guide slot, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.
As to claim 2, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein each of the test probe structures (4+13 in Figure 5) is capable of independently sliding along the first direction (lateral movement) relative to the fixing structure mechanism. Each test probe structure is able to move laterally as guide plate 12 is moved in the negative x direction, effectively allowing the test probes to independently travel a unique travel distance along the path formed by slots 121, where for example, the probes in the center travel a shorter distance compared to probes away from the center.
As to claim 3, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the test probe structures slide synchronously along the first direction relative to the fixing structure. As illustrated in Figure 1, as the guide plate 12 moves downwards, it forces units 131 connected to the test probes to move along the path formed by slots 121, relative to the fixing structure 11.
As to claim 4, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the test probe structures (4+13 in Figure 5) slide synchronously along the first direction relative to the fixing structure mechanism and are arranged equidistantly. As explained in page 4, lines 8-13 of the English translation: “Through the relative movement of the adjustment plate and the fixed seat, the plurality of first mounting brackets slide along the plurality of adjustment grooves in one-to-one correspondence, so that the longitudinal distance between the two adjacent first mounting brackets is adjusted as a whole, that is, the first mounting bracket is realized. The adjustment of the longitudinal spacing of the test probes can meet the test probes for different types of samples to be tested, and improve the compatibility of the test probes.”
As to claim 5, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the test apparatus comprises a sliding structure (111 in Figure 4), wherein the sliding structure comprises a guide rail (see line 4 in page 6 of the English translation) provided on the fixing structure (11) and sliders (141 in Figure 6) provided on corresponding test probe structures, the sliders being slidably connected to the guide rail (sliders 141 are connected to guide rail 12 through rollers 131).
As to claim 8, Li teaches test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide slot (121) is provided with a first slot end (upper end) and a second slot end (lower end), and the limiting member (rollers 131) slides reciprocally between the first slot end and the second slot end.
As to claim 9, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 8, wherein distances between first slot ends of any adjacent two of the guide slots are equal; and/or distances between second slot ends of any adjacent two of the guide slots are equal. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the upper and lower ends of the guide slots (121) are separated by the same distance with respect to the upper and lower ends of adjacent guide slots. See for example, page 11, lines 5-7 of the English translation: “the plurality of first mounting racks 13 of the mounting rack group are also distributed along the first preset interval , so that the plurality of first mounting brackets 13 and the second mounting brackets 14 are uniformly distributed at the first preset distance as a whole”.
As to claim 12, Li teaches in Figure 8, the test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the test apparatus further comprises a support frame (2), wherein the fixing structure (11) is slidably connected to the support frame and capable of sliding along a second direction relative to the support frame. See last three lines in page 15 of the English translation, and lines 1-4 of page 16.
As to claim 13, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the test apparatus further comprises a driving structure mechanism (5), wherein a fixed end of the driving structure mechanism is connected to the support frame, an output end of the driving structure mechanism is connected to the fixing structure mechanism, and the driving structure mechanism drives the fixing structure mechanism to reciprocate along the second direction relative to the support frame.
As to claim 14, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the test probe structures (4+13) comprises a connector (13) slidably connected to the fixing structure (11) and two test structures members (42 and 41, illustrated in Figure 1) connected to an end of the connector connecting member away from the fixing structure mechanism.
As to claim 15, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the test structures (42 or 41) is slidably connected to the connecting member connector in a third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction. Although not explicitly mentioned, the spring within each probe structure inherently allows at least portion 41 to be slidable/moveable in the z direction.
As to claim 16, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the connector (13) comprises a vertical portion (portion “A” in annotated Figure 6 below) slidably connected to the fixing structure and a horizontal portion (portion “B” in annotated Figure 6 below) perpendicularly connected to the vertical portion, and the test structures (41 and 42) are fitted on the horizontal portion and slide relative to the horizontal portion. Although not explicitly mentioned, the spring within each probe structure inherently allows at least portion 41 and 42 to be slidable/moveable with respect to the horizontal portion.
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As to claim 17, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of the two test structures (41 and 42) comprises a test body (current probe 41) and a probe (temperature probe 42) provided on the test body, wherein the test body is slidably connected to the connector (although not explicitly mentioned, the spring within each probe structure inherently allows at least portion 41 and 42 to be slidable/moveable with respect to the connector 13), one end of the probe abuts against an electrode terminal of the battery cell, and the other end of the probe is electrically connected to an external test device (see page 16, lines 14-16 in the English translation).
As to claim 18, Li teaches the test apparatus according to claim 17, wherein at least two probes are provided (see for example, Figures 6 or 7), and the probes are spaced apart along the first direction (horizontal direction).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of the US Patent US 9,007,086 by Mo et al., (Mo hereafter).
In terms of claim(s) 19, Li substantially teaches all of the elements disclosed above, except for explicitly mentioning the probe structure further comprises lockers for locking the test structures.
Mo teaches in Figure 4, a probing arrangement comprising a probe (360) locked within a test structure (340) using a locker (locking mechanism 50), wherein the locker is inserted through the test structure. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed, to include a locker as taught by Mo in the system of Li, in order to secure the test probe firmly, while also allowing for the probe’s removal and replacement in the event the probe becomes damaged.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-11 and 13 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.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record doesn’t teach alone or in combination the test apparatus characterized in that the driving member comprises a first fixed portion, a second fixed portion, a screw rod portion with two ends connected to the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion respectively, and a nut portion threadedly connected to the screw rod portion, wherein the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion are spaced apart from each other along the second direction on the fixing mechanism, and the nut portion is fixedly connected to the synchronization member, in combination with all other elements recited in the claim and claims it depends from.
Claims 11 and 13 are also objected to as they further limit objected claim 10.
Conclusion
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/RICHARD ISLA/ Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858 January 7, 2026