DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 6, 2026 has been entered.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed July 6, 2026, the rejection of claim 8 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) previously presented in the Office Action sent February 20, 2026 has been withdrawn.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed July 6, 2026, the rejections of claims 1-8 under 35 U.S.C. 103 previously presented in the Office Action sent February 20, 2026 have been modified only in response to the Amendments to the Claims.
Claims 1-7 are currently pending.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0012162 A1) in view of Bunea et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0006602 A1).
With regard to claim 1, Kobayashi discloses
an output line connection structure for a solar cell module (see Fig. 6A-B),
for connecting an output line that extends out of the solar cell module (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, for connecting an output line 17 that extends out of the solar cell module), with
an external connection cable (24, Fig. 6A-B), wherein the solar cell module comprises
at least one solar cell string in which a plurality of solar cells is connected in series with each other (see Fig. 5 and see [0147] teaching series connected solar cells in five strings),
the output line is provided correspondingly to the at least one solar cell string and is drawn out through a through-hole that opens to a back surface side of the solar cell module, a back surface of the solar cell module being a surface opposite to a light-receiving surface of the solar cell module (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the output line 17 is provided correspondingly to the cited at least one solar cell string and is drawn out through a through-hole 12h that opens to a back surface side 12s of the solar cell module, a back surface 12s of the solar cell module being a surface opposite to a light-receiving surface of the solar cell module), and
the output line extending in a planar direction along the back surface (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the output line 17 includes a portion between 17b and 17c extending in a planar direction along the back surface 12s),
the external connection cable has a connecting end to be connected to the output line and comprises a connection terminal at the connecting end (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the external connection cable 14 has a left connecting end to be connected to the output line 17 and comprises a connection terminal at the left connecting end, such as the portion of external connection cable 14 within box 20),
the connection terminal being provided with a holder part into which the output line is inserted (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the cited connection terminal being provided with a holder part 24t into which the output line 17 is inserted; also see [0078] teaching “cable terminals 24t may have fitting portions that are fitted to the tops of the lead wires 17”), and
a connecting portion formed by connecting the holder part to an extreme end of the output line is provided on the back surface side of the solar cell module (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, a connecting portion formed by connecting the cited holder part to 24t an extreme end 17t of the output line is provided on the back surface side 12s of the solar cell module at the portion wherein the cited holder part 24t connects to the cited extreme end 17t),
an entirety of the connecting portion being spaced from the through-hole in the planar direction along the back surface (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, an entirety of the connecting portion, recall portion where the cited holder part 24t connects to the cited extreme end 17t, being spaced from the through-hole 12h in the planar direction along the back surface 12s),
the external connection cable is arranged on the back surface side of the solar cell module (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the external connection cable 24 is arranged on the back surface side 12s of the solar cell module) and further has
a first end that is an end opposite to the connecting end of the external connection cable (as depicted in Fig. 6A-B, the cited external connection cable 24 has a first right end that is an end opposite to the cited left connecting end of the external connection cable).
Kobayashi does not disclose wherein the first end of the external connection cable is connected to an external electronic device or a terminal box.
However, Bunea et al. discloses an output line connection structure for a solar cell module (see Title and Abstract) and teaches a first end of an external connection cable 106 can be connected to an external electronic device 104 (see Fig. 1).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have combined the external electronic device exemplified by Bunea et al. with the output line connection structure of Kobayashi because the combination of elements known in the prior art supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2143 A).
With regard to claim 7, independent claim 1 is obvious over Kobayashi in view of Bunea et al. under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above.
Kobayashi does not disclose wherein the at least one solar cell string comprises a plurality of groups of solar cells in each of which a plurality of solar cells adjacent in a first direction is connected in series with each other, and an output wiring member that connects ends of the plurality of groups of solar cells in provided along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and an end of the output wiring member is drawn out of the back surface side, either along the first direction or along the second direction, to serve as the output line.
However, Bunea et al. discloses wherein the solar cell string comprises a plurality of groups of solar cells in each of which a plurality of solar cells adjacent in a first direction is connected in series with each other (as depicted in Fig. 1-2, a plurality of groups/rows of solar cells 110 in each of which a plurality of solar cells 110 adjacent in a first horizontal direction is connected in series with each other), and an output wiring member that connects ends of the groups of solar cells in provided along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction (as depicted in Fig. 1-2, an output wiring member 208 that connects ends of the groups of solar cells in provided along a second vertical direction that is orthogonal to the first direction), and an end of the output wiring member is drawn out of the back surface side, either along the first direction or along the second direction, to serve as the output line (see Fig. 1-3).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have substituted the solar cell string design of Kobayashi for the solar cell string design of Bunea et al. because the simple substitution of a known element known in the art to perform the same function, in the instant case a solar cell string design in a solar cell module, supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2143 B).
Claim(s) 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0012162 A1) in view of Bunea et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0006602 A1), and in further view of Su et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,033,741 B2).
With regard to claims 2-4, independent claim 1 is obvious over Kobayashi in view of Bunea et al. under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above.
Kobayashi does not disclose wherein the output line is a band-like conductor plate, the holder part has a tubular shape with a clearance, and the extreme end of the output line is inserted in, and crimped on, the holder part.
However, Su et al. discloses an output line connection structure (see Title and Abstract) and teaches an output line is a band-like conductor plate (see output line 32 depicted in Fig. 6-7 as a band-like conductor plate), the holder part has a tubular shape with a clearance (as depicted in Fig. 4, a holder part 43 has a tubular shape with a clearance), and the extreme end of the output line is inserted in, and crimped on, the holder part (as depicted in Fig. 4-7, the extreme end of the output line 32 is inserted in, and crimped on, the holder part 43). Su et al. discloses wherein the output line has a tapered portion narrowing towards the extreme end (see Fig. 6-7 depicting the cited output line 32 has a tapered portion narrowing towards the extreme right end). Su et al. discloses wherein the holder part has a tubular shape with a clearance (as depicted in Fig. 4, a holder part 43 has a tubular shape with a clearance), the extreme end of the output line has a tubular shape narrowing toward an extremity thereof and insertable in the holder part (as depicted in Fig. 4-7, the extreme right end of the output line 32 has a tubular shape narrowing toward an extremity thereof and insertable in the holder part 43), and the extreme end of the output line is inserted in, and crimped on, the holder part (as depicted in Fig. 4-7, the extreme right end of the output line 32 is inserted in, and crimped on, the holder part 43).
Su et al. teaches the output line connection structure design allows for simple insertion, assembly, replacement, and repair (see Abstract).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the shape of the holder part and extreme end of the output line in the structure of Kobayashi to include the design suggested by Su et al. because it would have allowed for simple insertion, assembly, replacement, and repair.
Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0012162 A1) in view of Bunea et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0006602 A1), and in further view of Bunnell et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,310,211).
With regard to claims 5 and 6, independent claim 1 is obvious over Kobayashi in view of Bunea et al. under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above.
Kobayashi does not disclose further comprising an elastic contact piece provided inside the holder part and configured to hold the output line in a pinched manner, the output lone comprises a bent portion that is a turn-back portion of the extreme end, and the bent portion is engaged with the elastic contact piece.
However, Bunnell et al. discloses an output line connection structure for a solar cell module (see Title and Abstract) and teaches an elastic contact piece 88/90 provided inside the holder part 76 and configured to hold the output line 18/16 in a pinched manner (see Fig. 1-2), the output line comprises a bent portion that is a turn-back portion of the extreme end (as depicted in Fig. 1, the output line 18/16 comprises a bent portion at the top of 16 that is a turn-back portion of the extreme end), and the bent portion is engaged with the elastic contact piece (as depicted in Fig. 1-2, the cited bent portion is engaged with the cited elastic contact piece 88/90).
Bunnell et al. teaches the output line connection structure design allows for quick and positive connection (see Abstract).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the shape of the holder part and extreme end of the output line in the structure of Kobayashi to include the design suggested by Bunnell et al. because it would have allowed for quick and positive connection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 6, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant notes the newly added claimed limitations are not found within the previously cited prior art references. However, this argument is addressed in the rejections of the claims above.
Conclusion
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/DUSTIN Q DAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 September 14, 2026
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