CTNF 18/522,619 CTNF 85942 DETAILED ACTION Information Disclosure Statement 06-49-07 AIA The information disclosure statement filed 11/29/2023 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document ; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered. 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (US 2023/0299432) . Regarding claims 1-3 and 10 , Kwon teaches an electrode assembly comprising: a plurality of positive electrodes 110 and a plurality of negative electrodes 120 are stacked in the state in which separators (not shown) are interposed respectively therebetween (battery cell) having positive electrode tab 115 and negative electrode tab 125 (terminals) (Fig. 1); a positive electrode lead 310 and a negative electrode lead 320/340 (conductive member) electronically connected to the battery cell (Fig. 1); the conductive member having a through-hole 342 (Fig. 3); and connection member 210 is inserted through the through-hole of the negative electrode tab bundle 190 and the opening 342 of the negative electrode lead 340 (Fig. 4c). The connection member 210 may be made of a low-melting-point metal. The low-melting-point metal may be an alloy of two or more selected from the group consisting of bismuth (271 o C), tin (232 o C), lead (328 o C), cadmium (321 o C), zinc (419 o C), and indium (157 o C) (para 0062). Figures 1 and 5 to Kwon provided below. PNG media_image1.png 654 602 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 656 810 media_image2.png Greyscale Kwon does not teach a battery pack. However, a battery pack, module, and arrays are commonly known. OFFICIAL NOTICE is taken with respect to a battery pack. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have a battery pack in order to meet the energy and power requirements of larger systems. Regarding claim 4 , Kwon teaches each of the connection members may be formed in the shape of a bar, such as a cylinder or a polygonal column (para 0054). Regarding claim 6 , Kwon teaches a plurality of through-holes (Fig. 1). Regarding claim 7 , Kwon teaches having a joining portion that joins the terminal and the metal portion, wherein, seen in a direction from the metal portion toward the terminal, at least a part of the joining portion is formed in an inner region of the through-hole (Fig. 5). Regarding claim 8 , Kwon teaches electric vehicles (para 0003). Regarding claim 9 , Kwon teaches electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptop computers, and wearable devices, or electric vehicles (para 0003. Kwon does not teach an electric tool. However, electric tools with batteries are commonly known. OFFICIAL NOTICE is taken with respect to an electric tool. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have a battery pack for an electric tool, which may be operated as cordless . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (US 2023/0299432) in view of Chung et al. (US 2022/0407187) . Regarding claim 5 , Kwon does not teach the metal portion has a raised portion. Chung, directed to a battery module, teaches a welding bead 170 (raised portion) (Fig. 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have a raised portion in order to more securely join the above features and manage a stable weld (para 0035). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS BARCENA whose telephone number is (571)270-5780. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8-5 pm. 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, Tong Guo can be reached at (571)272-3066. 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. /CARLOS BARCENA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/522,619 Page 2 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/522,619 Page 3 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/522,619 Page 4 Art Unit: 1723 Application/Control Number: 18/522,619 Page 5 Art Unit: 1723
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