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 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 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.
(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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2020/0194768 A1), hereinafter Choi.
Regarding claim 1, Choi disclose a battery module comprising: a plurality of battery cells stacked on each other (i.e., at least plurality of secondary batteries stacked in at least one direction as disclosed in [0020], also see Abstract, [0065], [0069], Figs. 3-4);
electrode leads that protrude from the battery cells (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0071] whereby in the pouch type secondary battery ref. 110, the electrode lead ref. 111 may have a plate shape and protrude outside the pouch exterior, etc., and as shown in at least Figs. 3-4, also see [0018], [0020], [0070]); and
a bus bar electrically connected to the electrode leads via a welded portion (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0074] the bus bar ref. 200 may be electrically connected to the electrode lead ref. 111, etc., whereby as disclosed in [0077] the electrode lead ref. 111 and the bus bar ref. 200 and/or the electrode leads ref. 111 may be combined and fixed to each other via welding performed between the electrode lead ref. 111 and the bus bar ref. 200 and/or between the electrode leads ref. 111, such that a region between the electrode lead ref. 111 and the bus bar ref. 200 may be configured in a laser-welded form, etc., which at least provides a welded portion so as to be between said bus bar and electrode lead(s) in welded form, and lacking any further distinction thereof, also see [0072]-[0073], [0075]-[0076], [0078]-[0085], Figs. 1-4, 9, 14),
the welded portion being formed to extend between respective end portions of the electrode leads on a surface of the bus bar on which the end portions of the electrode leads are close to each other (i.e., at least as shown in Annotated Fig. 9 whereby the welded portion(s) refs. W1 (W2) are at least formed to extend between the respective end portions of the electrode leads on a surface of the bus bar on which the end portions of the electrode leads are close to each other, and lacking any further distinction thereof, also see Figs. 1-2, Fig. 14, [0133]).
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Annotated Figure 9 (Choi)
Regarding claim 2, Choi discloses the battery module as discussed above in claim 1. Choi further discloses the welded portion is formed in a dot shape when seen in a joining direction of the welded portion (i.e., at least as shown in Annotated Fig. 4).
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Annotated Figure 4 (Choi)
Regarding claim 3, Choi discloses the battery module as discussed above in claim 1. Choi further discloses a heat input portion is formed at the welded portion in at least either of the electrode leads and the bus bar (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0081]-[0082] and referring to Fig. 5, in the welding spot ref. W, etc., a welding line may be configured in a tornado shape, here, the welding line is a path on which a laser beam having energy equal to or higher than a certain output is irradiated, and objects to be welded may be welded to each other based on the welding line, etc., such that a welding line is at least a heat input portion lacking any further distinction thereof, also see [0083]-[0117]).
Although Choi is silent as to the heat input portion having a higher heat input property in a joining direction than other portions, since Choi discloses the welding line (i.e., at least heat input portion) as discussed above, which is identical and/or substantially identical to that claimed, properties and/or functions such as a higher heat input property in a joining direction than other portions are presumed inherent (MPEP 2112.01, I., In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977), II., In re Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 709, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1658 (Fed. Cir. 1990)), lacking any further structural and/or chemical distinction thereof as claimed.
Regarding claim 4, Choi discloses the battery module as discussed above in claim 3. Choi further discloses in [0081]-[0082] the welding line may be formed in a shape in which a laser irradiating path moves in a direction from the outside (i.e., at least surface) to the inside (center portion) or in a direction from the inside to the outside, etc., and as such the welding spot ref. W welding between electrode leads and/or between an electrode lead and a bus bar may be configured in a tornado shape, etc., whereby according to the configuration of the welding spot ref. W having the tornado shape, welding portion may be uniformly and widely formed regardless of a direction to which an external force is applied, etc., which at least provides the heat input portion is formed by surface processing to increase a surface area of the welded portion, such that since said laser irradiation path is formed from outside to inside and forms a tornado path this at least provides said heat input portion is formed by surface processing (e.g., by laser irradiation) to increase a surface area of the welded portion so as to be in a tornado shape, and lacking any further distinction thereof (also see [0033], [0083]-[0105], [0152], [0156], Figs. 4, 8-13, 14, 16, etc.).
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.
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2015/0111091 A1), hereinafter Lee.
Regarding claim 5, Choi discloses the battery module as discussed above in claim 3. However, Choi is silent as to the heat input portion is formed by surface processing to apply a black material to the welded portion.
Lee teaches a rechargeable battery (Title). Lee further teaches in [0060] the first light absorbing members ref. 140a may be electrical insulators, and in one embodiment, in the laser welding process described further below, the first light absorbing members ref. 140a may have a black-series color to increase an absorption coefficient of a laser beam, but are not limited thereto (also see [0083], [0087], [0092], etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified Choi with the teachings of Lee, whereby the battery module including the heat input portion, surface processing, welded portion, etc., as disclosed by Choi further includes the apply a black material to the welded portion (i.e., at least light absorbing members with a black-series color) so as to increase an absorption coefficient of a laser beam, etc.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ryu et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2018/0315979 A1) discloses an electrode lead for a secondary battery, a pouch type secondary battery and a battery module comprising the same (Title), whereby as disclosed in [0081] the electrode tabs ref. 320, 330 may be electrically connected to the electrode leads ref. 340, 350 of the present disclosure by a method, for example, resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding and a conductive adhesive, etc.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA PATRICK MCCLURE whose telephone number is (571)272-2742. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/JOSHUA P MCCLURE/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/WYATT P MCCONNELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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