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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
Independent claim 1 recites “…bus bar having a cross-section including transverse edges, and the transverse edges corresponding to upper and lower surfaces opposite to each other and first and second sides opposite to each other and connecting the upper and lower surfaces… he cell holder including a holder that defines a covered position and an exposed position alternating along a length of the bus bar, the holder surrounding four transverse edges of the bus bar to define the covered position, and surrounding three transverse edges of the bus bar to define the exposed position.”. In light of the disclosure and using the broadest reasonable interpretation, the four transverse edges can be with respect to any portion of the bus bar (i.e. a side defined by a terminal opening, or sides defined by a corner, or wherein the busbar is defined by multiple busbars), and the transverse edges of the covered position and the transverse edges of the exposed positions are related to different transverse edges of the busbar.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura et al. (US 20150072211).
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura teaches a battery pack 10, comprising: battery cells; a bus bar 41 on the battery cells Bt and electrically connecting at least some of the battery cells to each other (P31-32; Fig. 3), the bus bar 41 having a cross-section including transverse edges, and the transverse edges corresponding to upper and lower surfaces opposite to each other and first and second sides opposite to each other and connecting the upper and lower surfaces; and
a cell holder 30/40/50 accommodating the battery cells Bt, the bus bar 41 extending across the cell holder 40, and the cell holder 30/40/50 including a holder 40 that defines a covered position and an exposed position alternating along a length of the bus bar, the holder 40 surrounding four transverse edges of the bus bar 41 to define the covered position, and surrounding three transverse edges of the bus bar to define the exposed position, as shown in annotated Fig. 9, below (P32.41-46; Fig. 3-18) and in light of claim interpretation wherein transverse edges of the exposed portion and covered portion are not required to be within the same plane Further, it is also well established that where the difference between the prior art and the claims are a recitation of relative dimension of the claimed device, and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device is not patentably distinct from the prior art device.
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Regarding claim 2, Nakamura teaches the cross-section of the bus bar crosses a longitudinal direction of the bus bar and includes four transverse edges, the four transverse edges being the upper and lower surfaces and the first and second sides connecting the upper and lower surface, as shown in annotated Fig. 9 above and annotated Fig. 8 below, within the rejection of claim 5 (Fig. 3-10).
Regarding claim 3, Nakamura teaches the holder surrounds the transverse edges of the bus bar at the covered position and the exposed position, for example, with resin peripheral section 45 e arranged to surround the outer periphery of the bus bars 41 and resin intervening sections (P43-57; Fig. 3-10.17-18).
Regarding claim 4, Nakamura teaches the bus bar 41 is fixed in position together with the cell holder 40 within the holder through insert injection molding (P32.47.64).
Regarding claim 5, Nakamura teaches the holder 40 at the covered position includes: a lower member supporting the lower surface of the bus bar; first and second side ribs that protrude from opposite sides of the lower member to face each other, the first and second side ribs covering the first and second sides of the bus bar, respectively; and an upper member extending across the upper surface of the bus bar between the first and second side ribs (P41-46; Fig. 5-9), as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8, below:
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Regarding claim 6, Nakamura teaches the lower member, the first and second side ribs, and the upper member continuously surround the transverse edges of the bus bar at the covered position, as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8, above.
Regarding claim 7, Nakamura teaches the holder at the covered position is configured to restrain the bus bar in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, the upper and lower surfaces of the bus bar being spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the first and second sides of the bus bar being spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8, above.
Regarding claim 8, Nakamura teaches wherein the upper member exposes a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar at the covered position (P42-49), as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8, below:
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Regarding claim 9, Nakamura teaches the upper member extends across the upper surface of the bus bar in a width direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the bus bar, shown as i.e., 45a/b/c/e (P43-46; Fig. 7-9)
Regarding claim 10, Nakamura teaches the upper member is connected to only one of the first and second side ribs and exposes a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar through a gap between the upper member and the other one of the first and second side ribs, as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8, above.
Regarding claim 11, Nakamura teaches the upper member covers an entire width 45e of the upper surface of the bus bar at the covered position (P41-46; Fig. 7-9) and as shown in annotated portion of Fig. 8 included in the rejection of claim 5, above.
Regarding claim 12, Nakamura teaches the upper member covers the upper surface of the bus bar while following the upper surface of the bus bar so as to extend along the length of the bus bar (P43-46; Fig. 5.9.17-18).
Regarding claim 13, Nakamura teaches the holder at the exposed position includes: a lower member 45a supporting the lower surface of the bus bar; and first and second side ribs 45c/45e that protrude from opposite sides of the lower member to face each other, the first and second side ribs covering the first and second sides of the bus bar, respectively (P42-44; Fig. 7-9).
Regarding claim 14, Nakamura teaches the lower member 45a and the first and second side ribs 45c/45e continuously surround the transverse edges of the bus bar at the exposed position (P42-44; Fig. 7-9).
Regarding claim 15, Nakamura teaches the holder at the exposed position restrains the bus bar in a horizontal direction in which the first and second sides face each other (P42-44; Fig. 7-9).
Regarding claim 16, Nakamura teaches the holder at the exposed position exposes the upper surface of the bus bar between the first and second side ribs (P42; Fig. 7- shown as W1).
Regarding claim 17, Nakamura teaches a connecting member, or wire 41w connecting at least one of the battery cells Bt to the upper surface of the bus bar 41/45 exposed by the holder at the exposed position W1 (P41-43; Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 18, Nakamura teaches a connecting member, or wire 41w connecting at least one of the battery cells Bt to the upper surface of the bus bar 41/45 exposed by the holder at the exposed position W1 (P41-43; Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 19, Nakamura teaches the bus bar includes a first covered position, a second covered position, and an exposed position along the length of the bus bar extending across the cell holder, the holder at the first covered position covers an entire width of an upper surface of the bus bar (Fig. 9 – wherein a width is so defined between i.e.,, the holder at the second covered position exposes a portion of the width of the upper surface of the bus bar), and the holder at the exposed position exposes the entire width of the upper surface of the bus bar, as shown in annotated Figure 9, below, in light of Figures 7-8 and 10.
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Regarding claim 20, Nakamura teaches the holder at the first and second covered positions includes: a lower member supporting the lower surface of the bus bar; first and second side ribs that protrude from opposite sides of the lower member to face each other, the first and second side ribs covering the first and second sides of the bus bar, respectively; and an upper member extending across the upper surface of the bus bar between the first and second side ribs, the upper member at the first and second covered positions being connected to both the first and second side ribs, as shown in annotated Fig. 9 above.
Regarding claim 21, Nakamura teaches the upper member at the first and second covered positions covers the upper surface of the bus bar while following the upper surface of the bus bar so as to extend along the length of the bus bar, and the upper member at the second covered position includes a jig hole between the first and second side ribs, and exposes a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar through the jig hole, as shown in Fig. 8, and wherein the plane of the second covered position includes resin opening 45h (Fig, 5) .
Regarding claim 22, Nakamura teaches the battery cells are arranged into rows, each of the rows extending in a first direction, battery cells in adjacent ones of the rows in a second direction intersecting the first direction are alternately biased toward a front position and a rear position in the first direction, battery cells in a row arranged in the first direction are positioned in a valley between the battery cells in adjacent rows in the second direction, and the bus bar extends in a zigzag shape while alternately surrounding outer peripheral surfaces of the battery cells in adjacent rows along spaces between the battery cells in adjacent rows in the second direction (P34-40; Fig. 1-2.4)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amanda Rosenbaum whose telephone number is (571)272-8218. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5 pm.
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/Amanda Rosenbaum/Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/Helen Oi K CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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