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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: in the 11th line of claim 1, delete “and” after “direction,”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2020/0280035), cited in the Information Disclosure Statement dated December 4, 2023.
Regarding independent claim 1, Park et al. disclose an energy storage apparatus comprising an energy storage device and an outer case in which the energy storage device is accommodated (abstract; paragraphs [0050]-[0094]; and Figures 1-9), in which the energy storage apparatus (battery pack (200)) comprises the following structural features (also refer to annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. below):
an outer case that includes a first outer case and a second outer case disposed side by side in a first direction and are joined to each other (see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. below); and
an energy storage device (battery module (100)) that is interposed and restrained between the first outer case and the second outer case in the first direction (see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. below), wherein the first outer case and the second outer case include the following:
a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion disposed on outer peripheral portions of the first outer case and the second outer case and are joined in a state of being in contact with each other when viewed from the first direction (see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. below), and
a third connecting portion and a fourth connecting portion disposed more inside than the outer peripheral portions and are joined to each other when viewed from the first direction, wherein the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion are joined by a joining member (232) in a state of being separated from each other (see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. below).
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Regarding claim 2, Park et al. disclose a spacer (in the form of a heat dissipation pad (260) – see paragraph [0066] and Figure 3) that is disposed side by side with the energy storage device (100) in the first direction, wherein a part of the spacer (260) is located between the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion, in which a plurality of through holes (H4) is formed in the part of the spacer (260), as shown in Figure 3 (also see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. above), such that the joining member (232) joins the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion in a state of penetrating the plurality of through holes (H4) – see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. above and Figure 3.
Regarding claim 3, Park et al. disclose that the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion are disposed at center portions of the first outer case and the second outer case when viewed from the first direction (see Figure 3 and annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. above).
Regarding claim 4, Park et al. disclose that the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion are disposed at a position where the joining member (232) is not exposed outward (see annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. above).
Regarding claim 5, Park et al. disclose that the energy storage device (100) includes an electrode assembly having stacked plates (see paragraphs [0052] and [0056]; and Figures 3 and 4) in the first direction, wherein a plurality of energy storage devices ((100,101,102) – see Figure 3 and paragraph [0064]) is arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and is interposed and restrained between the first outer case and the second outer case in a first direction (see Figure 3 and annotated Figure 2 of Park et al. above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN P KERNS whose telephone number is (571)272-1178. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-430pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at (571)272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN P KERNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735 June 2, 2026
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