DETAILED ACTION
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/03/24 and 01/07/26 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figures 1a, 1b, 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d are not described in the Brief Description of the Figures. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the Brief Description of the Figures in the as-filed specification does not contain a description of Figures 1a, 1b, 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b and 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d, respectively. Appropriate correction is required.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the Brief Description of the Figures in the as-filed specification describes Figures 1, 7, 9 and 10 which are not in the drawings. Appropriate correction is required.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” “Provided”, etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. It does not appear to capture the essence of the disclosed/claimed invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the cell" in lines 6 and 8-10 (four [4] occurrences). There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Since independent claim 1 itself contains an earlier recitation of “a plurality of cells”, it is immediately unclear which one of “the cells” is being referred.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the cell" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Since independent claim 1 itself contains an earlier recitation of “a plurality of cells”, it is immediately unclear which one of “the cells” is being referred.
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) 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by the publication 2012/164923 (herein WO’923) (US 2014/0045037 is an English-language counterpart).
As to claims 1-4, 17-18:
WO’923 discloses that it is known in the art to make a battery pack used as a power supply apparatus in portable devices/tools and electrical vehicles comprising a battery housing/enclosure including a battery unit/module including a battery resin-based holder/container accommodating a plurality of battery cells and a metal plate placed between the on the inside of the battery holder/container between the inner surface of the holder/containing accommodating portion/area/volume and the battery cell and covering a part/side or surface of the battery cell (0008-0010; 0011-0020; 0022-0028; 0030-0038; see Figures 1-2, 4-5 & 7-8). Figures 4a-b illustrate the metal plate/cover including a plurality of through-holes having specific shapes and/or linear/circular shaped slits and extending in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction thereof.
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As to claims 5-9:
Figures 4a-b illustrate the metal plate/cover including a plurality of through-holes having specific shapes and/or extending in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction thereof.
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As to claim 10:
WO’923 discloses the metal plate is made of aluminum and/or copper (0020; 0023).
As to claim 11-16:
WO’923 discloses the metal plate/cover includes surfaces coated/cover with an insulating coating material/heat dissipating material made of an insulating resin including polyimides, epoxy, polyesters, fluorine-based resins, polypropylene, silica/zirconia powders (ceramic-based materials), and/or a metal oxide such as aluminum and the likes (0023-0025; 0008-0010; 0011-0020; 0022-0028; 0030-0038).
Thus, the present claims are anticipated.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND ALEJANDRO whose telephone number is (571)272-1282. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (8:00 am-6:30 pm).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas A. Smith can be reached at (571) 272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAYMOND ALEJANDRO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1752
Prosecution Insights