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 .
Status of Claims
Claim(s) 1-9, 20, 21, 23-27 and 29 are currently pending.
Claim(s) 20, 21, 23-27 and 29 have been withdrawn.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 8, 20, 23, 25, 27 and 29 have been amended.
Claim(s) 10-19, 22 and 28 have been canceled.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group 1 (claims 1-9) in the reply filed on 08/03/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 20, 21, 23-27 and 29 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected battery (Group 2), there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show reference characters 104A-E, 105, 109C and 109D, and 110 as described in the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d).
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “210” in para. 0029 of the instant published application has been used to designate both a box-like contained and a base. Furthermore, reference character “110” in para. 0037 of the instant published application has been used to designate both a terminal assembly and a terminal structure.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Examiner’s note: careful consideration of the instant specification and corresponding drawing figures is required to avoid further objections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2017/201033 A1, SOLESKI et al.* (hereinafter “Soleski”).
*cited in the IDS.
Regarding claim 1
Soleski teaches battery (28) comprising:
a housing (module housing 40) [Fig. 3-4 and para. 0041];
a plurality of cells (46) disposed in the housing (40) [Figs. 3-4 and para. 0041]; and
a terminal structure (see area delimited by the rectangle in annotated Figs. 3-4 below) comprising:
a terminal protrusion (positive and/or negative terminal connectors 70a and 70b) coupled to the plurality of cells (46) and supported by the housing cover (42) [Figs. 3-5, para. 0052], the terminal structure including a first surface (corresponding to top surface of positive and/or negative terminal connectors 70a and 70b) and multiple surfaces substantially orthogonal to the first surface (corresponding to recess walls 64a and/or 64b) [Fig. 3 and para. 0042]; and
a feature (corresponding to the walls 64a and/or 64b of recesses 54 comprising securement methods to secure terminal posts to the housing, the securement methods including, for example, mating features 66) to securely couple a connector (corresponding to terminal posts 52a and/or 52b) to the terminal structure [Figs. 3 and 5, paras. 0042 and 0044].
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Figs. 3(left) and 4(right)
Examiner’s note: the feature is interpreted per claim 5 where the said feature includes the multiple surfaces.
Regarding claim 2
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the feature (see walls 64a and/or 64b of recesses 54) includes a shape of the terminal protrusion (the shape of the walls 64 of the molded recesses 54 delimit each terminal protrusion 70a and/or 70b) [Figs. 3-5, paras. 0042 and 0044].
Regarding claim 3
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the feature (walls 64a and/or 64b) includes a groove (see additional recesses 66) [Figs. 3 and 5, paras. 0042, 0044 and 0050].
Regarding claim 4
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the feature (walls 64a and/or 64b) includes a keyed construction (corresponding to additional recesses 66) [Fig. 5 and para. 0044].
Regarding claim 5
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the feature (walls 64a and/or 64b) includes the multiple surfaces (recesses 54a and 54b have internal geometries defined by internal recess walls 64a and 64b) [Figs. 3-5 and para. 0044].
Regarding claim 6
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the multiple surfaces include a second surface (2S), a third surface (3S) substantially parallel to the second surface (2S), a fourth surface (4S), and a fifth surface (5S) substantially parallel to the fourth surface (4S) [See cut-out of Fig. 3 below].
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Cut-Out of Fig. 3
Regarding claim 8
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the terminal structure further includes a cavity (corresponding to recesses 54) [Figs. 4-5 and para. 0045], wherein the terminal protrusion (70a and/or 70b) is disposed within the cavity (54) [para. 0045], wherein the cavity (54) further includes a keyed construction (additional recesses 66) [Fig. 5 and para. 0044], and wherein the feature (walls 64a and/or 64b) includes the keyed construction (66) [para. 0044].
Regarding claim 9
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the keyed construction (66) includes a keyed cavity (mating features are additional recesses) continuous with the cavity (54) (certain of the internal walls 64 include the mating features) [Figs. 4-5 and para. 0044-0045].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soleski, as applied to claims 1-6, 8 and 9 above.
Regarding claim 7
Soleski teaches the battery as set forth above, wherein the terminal protrusion (70a and/or 70b) includes a hexagonal surface coupling the multiple surfaces (2S-5S) [see annotated Fig. 3 above and para. 0043].
Accordingly, Soleski does not teach the terminal protrusion including a rounded surface coupling the multiple surfaces.
However, in the absence of criticality or unexpected results, since applicant has not disclosed that the claimed geometry solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose, absent persuasive evidence that the particular geometry of the terminal protrusion is essential and/or significant, the shape of the surface coupling the multiple surfaces would be an obvious matter of design choice to one ordinarily skilled in the art (see MPEP § 2144.04).
It is noted that Soleski also discloses that each of the recesses are sized and shaped according to the shape of the corresponding terminal protrusion [para. 0043].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2022/0109135 A1, Altero et al. teaches a terminal structure (corresponding to battery connector assembly 10) comprising a terminal protrusion (58), the terminal structure (10) comprising a first surface (corresponding to top surface of terminal post 22) and multiple surfaces substantially orthogonal to the first surface (corresponding to side surface of terminal post 22) [Fig. 3]; and a feature (58) to securely couple a connector (22) to the terminal structure (10) [Fig. 1 and paras. 0023-0024].
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAYLA GONZALEZ RAMOS whose telephone number is (571)272-5054. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 9:00-5:00 - EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allison Bourke can be reached at (303)297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAYLA GONZALEZ RAMOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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