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 (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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1- is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a(2) as being anticipated by Huff; Brian R (US 20180351144 A1).
Regarding Claim-1, Huff- discloses a base unit ( Fig.-3, Item- 110, 109, 108) having a power source distribution circuit component includes part of a power source distribution circuit (Fig. 3, Item- 210, Multi-modular battery system), a battery connection terminal electrically connected to a battery and constituting part of a battery circuit (Fig-3, 102, 202), and a case in which the power source distribution circuit component and the battery connection terminal are held (Fig. 3, Item- 103, 108, 109 and 110), and a battery circuit bus bar which is detachably mounted to the battery connection terminal provided in the base unit and electrically connected to the battery connection terminal to constitute part of the battery circuit (Fig,-11, Item- 700, 702, 704), wherein the battery circuit bus bar includes: a normal bus bar without a relief terminal; and a relief terminal-provided bus bar having the relief terminal, and at least one of the normal bus bar and the relief terminal-provided bus bar is selectively mounted to the battery connection terminal (Fig,-11, Item- 700).
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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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huff; Brian R (US 20180351144 A1), as detailed in claim rejection 1 above, and further in view of OKACHI; Tomohiro (US 20210094439 A1).
Regarding Claim-2, Huff; Brian R (US 20180351144 A1) doesn’t disclose the base unit includes a load connection terminal which is electrically connected to a load, thereby constituting part of the battery circuit, and which is held in the case, the normal bus bar is a bus bar which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, the relief terminal-provided bus bar includes a normal bus bar portion which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, and a relief terminal portion which is connected continuously to the normal bus bar portion and serves as the relief terminal, and the normal bus bar or the relief terminal-provided bus bar is selectively mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal. However, OKACHI; Tomohiro (US 20210094439 A1)- discloses that the base unit includes a load (Fig.-4, Item- 15, 16 & 17) connection terminal which is electrically connected to a load (Fig. 3, Item- 22N & 22P), thereby constituting part of the battery circuit (Fig.-3, Item- 20), and which is held in the case (Fig.-3, Item- 23) , the normal bus bar is a bus bar (Fig.-3, Item- 24A) which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, the relief terminal-provided bus bar includes a normal bus bar portion which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal (Fig.-3, Item- 24A), and a relief terminal portion which is connected continuously to the normal bus bar portion and serves as the relief terminal (disclosing only normal bus bar), and the normal bus bar or the relief terminal-provided bus bar is selectively mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal (Fig.-3, Item- 24 & 24A). Refer to the diagrams below for all the references disclosed above. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have- the base unit including a load connection terminal which is electrically connected to a load, thereby constituting part of the battery circuit, and which is held in the case, the normal bus bar is a bus bar which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, the relief terminal-provided bus bar includes a normal bus bar portion which is mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal and is capable of electrically connecting the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal, and a relief terminal portion which is connected continuously to the normal bus bar portion and serves as the relief terminal, and the normal bus bar or the relief terminal-provided bus bar is selectively mounted to the battery connection terminal and the load connection terminal as shown by OKACHI; Tomohiro (US 20210094439 A1), with the electrical battery of Huff; Brian R (US 20180351144 A1), since its shown by OKACHI, this commonly done for electrically charging the battery, for example an alternator can be used for the load.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims-3 and 4 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion:
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OBAIDUL GANI
Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
Prosecution Insights