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 .
The pending claims are claims 1-16.
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, 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by He et al., CN 213782214.
Regarding claim 1, He et al., teaches end plate (0070) for a battery module (0059; 0071), comprising: a main body portion arranged at one end of the battery module (0071) and configured to fix a battery cell in the battery module (0071); a base (0009; 0051) configured to fix an output electrode of the battery module (0017); and a separation portion located in the main body portion and configured to separate the main body portion (main body 31) (Fig. 5) from the base (0100).
Regarding claim 2, He et al., teaches wherein the main body portion (main body 31) (Fig. 5) is made of a metallic material (0091), and/or the base is made of a plastic material (0074; 0079).
Regarding claim 3, He et al., teaches the main body portion (main body 31; Fig. 5) comprises a groove (0083-0084), and the separation portion is located in the groove (groove 12; Fig. 5) and the base comprises a connection portion (connector 32) (0085), and the connection portion (connector 32) (0085) abuts against the separation portion (0086) and is fixedly connected (0096) to the main body portion (main body 31) (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4, He et al., teaches a step portion is provided in the groove (groove 12) (Fig. 5), and the separation portion separator abuts against the step portion (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 5, He et al., teaches a groove wall of the groove (groove 12) is provided with a first concave portion (0011) (groove 12), and the connection portion (connector 32) is provided with a convex portion (Fig. 5) corresponding to the first concave portion (Fig. 5); or a groove wall (groove 12) of the groove (Fig. 5) is provided with a first convex portion (Fig. 5), and the connection portion (connector 12) is provided with a concave portion (Fig. 12) corresponding to the first convex portion (Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 6, He et al., teaches the main body portion (main body 31; Fig. 5) comprises a groove (groove 12; Fig. 5), and the separation portion is located in the groove (groove 12; Fig. 5); the base (0100) comprises a connection portion (connector 32) (0085), and the connection portion (connector 32) (0085) abuts against the separation portion and is fixedly connected to the main body portion (0061; 0086; 0100); and the base comprises a positive electrode base (0060), a negative electrode base (0060), and a base body (0016), the positive electrode base and the negative electrode base are respectively arranged at two ends of the base body in a length direction of the end plate (0017), and the positive electrode base, the negative electrode base, and the base body are integrally formed (0103; 0105).
Regarding claim 10, He et al., teaches the base comprises a positive electrode base (0060), a negative electrode base (0060), and a base body (0009), the positive electrode base (0060) and the negative electrode base (0060) are respectively arranged at two ends of the base body (0010-0011) in a length direction of the end plate (0055-0056), and the positive electrode base (0060), the negative electrode base (0060), and the base body are integrally formed (0103; 0105); and the base body is provided with a metallic insert configured to hoist the battery module (0060; 0091).
Regarding claim 11, He et al., teaches battery module (0059), comprising the end plate (0062; 0070) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, He et al., teaches battery (0036), comprising the battery module according to claim 11 (0059).
Regarding claim 13, He et al., teaches electric device (0065), comprising the battery according to claim 12, wherein the battery is provided to supply electric energy (0065).
Regarding claim 14, He et al., teaches manufacturing method of an end plate (0070), comprising: providing a main body portion (0070), wherein the main body portion (Fig. 12; 31 main body) is arranged at one end of the battery module (0070) and is configured to fix a battery cell (0058) in a battery module (0059; 0071); providing a separation portion (0017; 0096), wherein the separation portion is located in the main body portion (0017; 0096); and providing a base (0016-0017; 0028), wherein the base is configured to fix an output electrode of the battery module (0036); wherein the separation portion is configured to separate the main body portion from the base (0061; 0086; 0100).
Regarding claim 15, He et al., teaches manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein: the main body portion is made of a metallic material (0091), and the main body portion is formed through extrusion-molding (0080; 0086).
Regarding claim 16, He et al., teaches manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein: the base is made of a plastic material (0074; 0079), and the base is formed through injection-molding on the main body portion (0080) based on a separation function of the separation portion (0086).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
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(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He et al., CN 213782214.
Regarding claim 7, He et al., teaches the groove comprises a first groove (0051; 0084) (groove 12).
He et al., does not teach a second groove, and a third groove corresponding to the positive electrode base, the negative electrode base, and the base body, respectively.
However, In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). Although the reference did not disclose a plurality of grooves, the court held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Regarding claim 8, He et al., does not teach the separation portion comprises a first separation portion, a second separation portion, and a third separation portion; and the first separation portion is located in the first groove, the second separation portion is located in the second groove, and the third separation portion is located in the third groove.
However, In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) Although the reference did not disclose a plurality of grooves, the court held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Regarding claim 9, He et al., does not teach in a height direction of the main body portion, a distance between the third separation portion and a bottom surface of the main body portion is greater than a distance between each of the first separation portion and the second separation portion and the bottom surface of the main body portion.
However, Regarding product and apparatus claims, when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. The Courts have held that it is well settled that where there is a reason to believe that a functional characteristic would be inherent in the prior art, the burden of proof then shifts to the applicant to provide objective evidence to the contrary. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1432 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (see MPEP § 2112.01, I.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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