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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-4 and 8-10 in the reply filed on 06/19/2026 is acknowledged. While the response states that claims 5-7 and 11 have been cancelled there does not appear to be an amended copy of the claims included in the response. As such the status of claims 5-7 and 11 will be indicated as withdrawn from consideration.
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) 1-4 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 2021/0005864, cited in the IDS filed 10/20/2023).
With regards to claim 1, Zhang teaches a bus bar member that includes a straight portion (112) and a bent portion (113) as seen in Figure 3 (¶ 0059-0062). Zhang teaches an insulation coating member that covers the bus bar including a first coating portion (13) that covers at least a portion of the straight portion and a second coating portion (14) that covers a portion of the bent portion that is not covered with the first coating portion and is different from the first coating portion as they are distinct layers as seen in Figure 3. Zhang teaches that at least a portion on an end portion side of the second coating portion (the bent coating end portion 143) overlaps an end portion side of the first coating portion (the straight coating end portion 13 that lies beneath 143).
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With regards to claim 2, Zhang teaches that the bus bar is used in a battery pack (Fig. 1). It is noted that the claim is setting forth an intended use of the bus bar and not a structural limitation of the bus bar itself.
With regards to claims 3 and 8, as seen in Figure 3 of Zhang the straight portion of the bus bar includes some portion prior to bending that is not covered by the first coating portion.
With regards to claims 4, 9 and 10, as seen in Figure 2 of Zhang the bus bar is bent in a direction along a plate surface of the straight portion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GALEN H HAUTH whose telephone number is (571)270-5516. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30 AM to 6 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexa Neckel can be reached at 571-272-2450. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GALEN H HAUTH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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