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
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, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticiapted by Norimine (US 20220294069 A1, cited in the 12/11/2025 IDS).
Regarding Claim 1, Norimine teaches a battery module (Title) comprising:
a plurality of battery cells housed in an arrayed state inside a case (Fig. 1); and
a buffer member that is disposed at least one of between adjacent battery cells or between the battery cells and an inner wall of the case such that a thickness direction of the buffer member coincides with an array direction of the battery cells (0035, 0042), and that is formed in such a way that a reaction force acting on the battery cells is smaller at a central portion of the buffer member than at a peripheral end portion thereof (0056 – the center of the buffer member is more easily deformed than the outer edges and would therefore transmit less reaction force than the edges).
Regarding Claim 2, Norimine teaches the battery module of Claim 1. The buffer member is alternately disposed with the battery cells (0042, Fig. 2) and would therefore be at least disposed at a central part of the case in the array direction of the battery cells.
Regarding Claim 4, Norimine teaches the battery module of Claim 1. The buffer member is formed such that a density of a central portion is smaller than that of a peripheral end portion (0087).
Claim(s) 1, 3, and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kono (JP 2012234629 A, cited in the 2/17/2026 IDS).
Regarding Claim 1, Kono teaches a battery module (Fig. 9) comprising: a plurality of battery cells housed in an arrayed state inside a case (Fig. 9); and a buffer member that is disposed at least one of between adjacent battery cells or between the battery cells and an inner wall of the case such that a thickness direction of the buffer member coincides with an array direction of the battery cells (Fig. 9 – cell holder 155), and that is formed in such a way that a reaction force acting on the battery cells is smaller at a central portion of the buffer member than at a peripheral end portion thereof (Fig. 9 – a central portion of the cell holder 155 between the central ridge and the peripheral ridges 155b has less thickness than the ridges and, in combination with the through hole 154a in the end plate 154, would provide less of a reaction force than at the two peripheral ends with the ridges).
Regarding Claim 3, Kono teaches the battery module of Claim 1. A thickness of a central portion is thinner than that of a peripheral end portion (Figs. 9 and 10 – the central portion where the ridges 155b are not present are thinner than the peripheral portions with the ridges).
Regarding Claim 5, Kono teaches the battery module of Claim 1. The buffer member is disposed at least between inner walls of the case and the battery cells (Figs. 9 and 10 – the cell holder/buffer member 155 is disposed between the end plates 154 and battery cells 111).
Regarding Claim 6, Kono teaches the battery module of Claim 1. A central thick buffer member is disposed at a central part of the case in the array direction of the battery cells, the central thick buffer member being formed such that a thickness of a central portion thereof is thicker than that of a peripheral end portion thereof (Fig. 9 – the cell holders 152 are disposed in the center in the array direction and, due to the ridges 152b, have a thickness at a central portion that is thicker than that of a peripheral end portion thereof without the ridges).
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Norimine (US 20220294069 A1) in view of Lee (US 20150037650 A1).
Regarding Claim 7, Norimine teaches the battery module of Claim 1 but does not teach a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery modules.
Lee teaches that a plurality of battery modules can be connected to each other in series or in parallel to form a battery pack to provide a desired output and/or capacity (0004).
Norimine and Lee are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they relate to the same field of endeavor, namely battery modules.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the battery module of Norimine by connecting a plurality of them to form a battery pack as taught by Lee in order to provide a desired output/capacity.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kono (JP 2012234629 A, cited in the 2/17/2026 IDS) in view of Lee (US 20150037650 A1).
Regarding Claim 7, Kono teaches the battery module of Claim 1 but does not teach a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery modules.
Lee teaches that a plurality of battery modules can be connected to each other in series or in parallel to form a battery pack to provide a desired output and/or capacity (0004).
Kono and Lee are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they relate to the same field of endeavor, namely battery modules.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the battery module of Kono by connecting a plurality of them to form a battery pack as taught by Lee in order to provide a desired output/capacity.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ishihara (US 20160268573 A1) teaches a battery pack spacer (Title) having a first region and a second region, where the second region has higher compressibility than the first region (Abstract). A wedge-shape space may be formed in the spacer (0062, Figs. 6-8), which would result in a central portion of the spacer providing less reaction force than a peripheral end as well as having less thickness than a peripheral end.
Yamafuku (US 20160172646 A1) and Baba (US 20220384898 A1) teach buffer members where a central portion have a larger thickness than a peripheral end (Yamafuku: Figs. 8 and 9; Baba: Fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIHENG LU whose telephone number is (703)756-1077. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 - 5 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas 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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/ZIHENG LU/ Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/NICHOLAS A SMITH/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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