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 .
Prelim. Amdt./Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the Preliminary Amendment filed on July 29, 2024.
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.
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) 1-10 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2021/0313727, cited by the applicant).
Re claim 1: Lee teaches a connector module (1) comprising an outer housing (11) serving as both a first connector and a first connector housing that includes a first recessed portion and a first conductive part (112) coupled to the outer housing, and an inner housing (12) serving as both a second connector coupled to the first connector and a second connector housing, wherein the inner housing (12) having at least a portion is inserted into the first recessed portion to couple the inner housing (12) to the outer housing (11), a second conductive part (13) inserted into the inner housing 320 and coupled to the inner housing so that the second conductive part is electrically connected to the first conductive part, and a terminal position assurance (TPA) member (14) serving as a coupling housing configured to couple to the inner housing and the inner housing to the second conductive part (13) (see figs. 1-4; paragraphs 0018-0038).
Re claim 2: Wherein the TPA member (14) comprises: a coupling body disposed at one side of the inner housing, and a hot stacking protrusion (141) serving as a coupling pin 430 protruding from the coupling body to pass through the inner housing and the second conductive part (fig. 4; paragraph 0030-0038).
Re claim 3: Wherein the inner housing (12) comprises a first coupling hole (124) that is penetrated by the coupling pin (141), and the second conductive part (13) comprises a second coupling hole (1321) that is penetrated by the coupling pin (141), and wherein, in a state in which the second conductive part (13) is inserted and coupled to the inner housing (12), the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole are defined in the same line overlap each other (fig. 4).
Re claim 4: Wherein, in the state in which the second conductive part (13) is inserted and coupled to the inner housing, the coupling pin (141) is disposed to integrally pass through penetrates the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole (fig. 4).
Re claim 5: Wherein the coupling pin (141) is configured to prevent the second conductive part (13) from being separated from the inner housing (fig. 4).
Re claim 6: Wherein the coupling pin (141) is configured to fix the second conductive part (13) to the inner housing (12) so as to restrict movement of the second conductive part in a direction parallel to a direction in which the second conductive part is inserted into the inner housing (fig. 4).
Re claim 7: Wherein the first conductive part (112) and the second conductive part (13) directly contact at a contact area, and the contact area between the first conductive part and the second conductive part is constantly maintained (paragraph 0020).
Re claim 8: Wherein the direction in which the second conductive part is inserted into the inner housing and a direction in which the coupling pin passes penetrates the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole are perpendicular to each other (fig. 4).
Re claim 9: Wherein the TPA member (14) further comprises a wing (143) serving as a coupling part disposed to extend from each of opposite sides of the coupling body so as to be and coupled to a side surface of the inner housing (fig. 3).
Re claim 10: Wherein the coupling part is coupled to the side surface of the inner housing through a fastening hole (124) serving as a ring structure (fig. 3; paragraph 0023).
Re claim 12: Wherein the coupling body (14) is configured to define includes a portion protruding toward the second conductive part (13) so as to be in contact with the second conductive part, and wherein the coupling pin (141) is configured to protrude protrudes from the protruding portion of the coupling body (i.e., a base portion of the hot staking protrusion serving as the protrusion portion (figs. 3 and 4).
Re claim 13: Wherein an end of the coupling pin (141a) has at least one or more of a curved shape and a horn shape (fig. 6).
Re claim 14: Wherein the direction in which the second conductive part (13) is inserted into the inner housing (12) and a direction in which the TPA member (14) is coupled to the inner housing (12) are perpendicular to each other (fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claim 11 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
None of prior art teaches the connector module comprising the coupling part having an inclined surface that is inclined toward the side surface of the second connector housing, and the side surface of the second connector housing comprises an inclined surface provided to correspond to the inclined surface of the coupling part, and wherein the ring structure of the coupling part is hooked with the side surface of the second connector housing through a sliding manner in which the inclined surface of the coupling part moves along the inclined surface of the side surface of the second connector housing, and a battery module comprising the connector module, a case, a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the accommodation space, and a control unit configured to detect electrical signals of the plurality of battery cells so as and to electrically control the plurality of battery cells wherein the connector module is configured to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells to the control unit as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shoji et al. (US 10879515) and Ito (US 11916335) teach connectors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2401. The examiner can normally be reached 7-4:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEUNG H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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