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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1 or 2) as being anticipated by Yi (US Pub 2016/0301056 cited in IDS).
In regard to claim 1, Yi teaches a battery pack 100, comprising: a plurality of battery cells (bare cells 10); a pack housing (holder case 20) configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells 10; and a bus bar (connection tab 50) having a terminal fastening unit (body unit 51) coupled to an electrode terminal (electrode unit 11, 12) of each of the plurality of battery cells 100 and disposed at least one side of the pack housing, wherein the terminal fastening unit has a shape bent (see figures and 5) toward the electrode terminal from a circumference of a bus bar hole disposed in the bus bar and includes at least one fastening leg 53 coupled to the electrode terminal (annotated figure 1 below, paragraphs [0035-0055]).
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In regard to claim 2, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell 10 (paragraph [0037]).
In regard to claim 3, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pack housing has an opening (accommodating hole 20c) formed at a location corresponding to the electrode terminal (figure 2, paragraph [0040]).
In regard to claim 4, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the terminal fastening unit is provided at a location corresponding to the opening (figure 2, paragraph [0040]).
In regard to claim 5, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening leg includes four fastening legs (welding units 52) are provided, and wherein the four fastening legs are arranged to be spaced apart by a distance from each other along the circumference of the bus bar hole (annotated figure 1 above).
In regard to claim 6, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 5, wherein the four fastening legs 53 have a same shape and size (annotated figure 1 above).
In regard to claim 7, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 5, wherein the bus bar hole has a circular planar shape (annotated figure 1 above).
In regard to claim 8, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the fastening leg includes: a contact portion 53 coupled (via welding) to the electrode terminal; and a connection portion (bridges 52c, 52d) configured to extend from the circumference of the bus bar hole and connected to the contact portion (annotated figure 1 above, paragraph [0046]).
In regard to claim 9, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the contact portion has at least one contact protrusion (weldment) formed on a surface facing the electrode terminal (figure 1, paragraph [0043]).
In regard to claim 10, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 8, wherein at least a part of the connection portion 53 has a shape inclined upward or downward toward the electrode terminal (figures 4 and 5 above, paragraph [0051-55]).
In regard to claim 11, Yi teaches the terminal fastening unit has a pair of notching portions that are concave toward an inner side of the bus bar hole at both sides of the fastening leg (annotated section of figure 1 below – note slits 52a, 52b, 52d may also be considered the claimed notching portions, paragraph [0046]).
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In regard to claim 12, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a partial area (bridges 52c and 52d) of the fastening leg has a reduced width compared to a surrounding area (paragraph [0046], figure 1 above).
In regard to claim 13, Yi teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the fastening leg 53 includes a length variable region having at least one bending portion in which the extending direction is changed (figures 4 and 5, paragraphs [0050-0055]).
In regard to claim 14, Yi teaches a bus bar 50, which is disposed at least one side of a pack housing 20 to electrically connect a plurality of battery cells 10 accommodated in the pack housing, wherein the bus bar comprises a terminal fastening unit (body portion 51, bridges 52) that has a shape bent toward an electrode terminal 11, 12 of the battery cell from a circumference of a bus bar hole disposed in the bus bar and includes at least one fastening leg (welded portion 53) coupled to the electrode terminal (annotated figure 1 above, paragraphs [0035-0055]).
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.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yi (US Pub 2016/0301056 cited in IDS) as applied to claim 1 above.
Yi teaches the battery pack of claim 1 which may be used in electronics which demand a large power capacity (paragraph [0005]) therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention filed that the battery pack of Yi would be usable in an electric two-wheeled vehicle as such is an electronic device which requires a large power capacity.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Johnson (US Pub 2010/0133030 newly cited) teaches a two-wheel electric vehicle including cylindrical cells (figures).
Kimura et al. (US Pub 2015/0380713 newly cited) teaches a bus bar with connection sections that bend in various directions (see figure 4 below).
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO whose telephone number is (571)270-3635. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm EST.
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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.
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/NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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