Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/837,967

BUSBAR-FREE ASSEMBLY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR, AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING BATTERY TO SOLDER RIBBON

Final Rejection §112
Filed
Aug 13, 2024
Examiner
TRIVISONNO, ANGELO
Art Unit
1722
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Zhejiang Znergy Solar Co. Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Final)
53%
Grant Probability
Moderate
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 9m
To Grant
79%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 53% of resolved cases
53%
Career Allow Rate
350 granted / 664 resolved
-12.3% vs TC avg
Strong +26% interview lift
Without
With
+26.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
43 currently pending
Career history
707
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
53.2%
+13.2% vs TC avg
§102
15.8%
-24.2% vs TC avg
§112
25.5%
-14.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 664 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION This is the second Office Action regarding application number 18/838,245, filed on 08/14/2024, which is a 371 of PCT/CN2023/101917, filed on 06/21/2023, and which claims foreign priority to CN 202211220767.6, filed on 10/08/2022. This action is in response to the Applicant’s Response received 12/12/2025. Status of Claims Claims 1-6, 8-17, and 19 are currently pending. Claims 7, 18, and 20-22 are canceled. Claim 19 is amended. Claims 1-6 and 8-17 are withdrawn. Claim 19 is examined below. The rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102 has been withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s amendments. The rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103 has been withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s amendments. No claim is allowed. Response to Arguments The Applicant’s arguments received 12/17/2025 have been carefully considered but they are only partially compelling. Please see additional rejection issues of section 112 below. The examiner generally finds the applicant’s remarks regarding XAVIER teaching only a back-contact solar cell with the adhesion promoter. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 Indefiniteness The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (B) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 19 recites the limitation “the upper cover plate”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 19 is also generally unclear and indefinite because the newly added final limitation seems to suggest that other method steps are occurring that are also not previously recited, since there are multiple front/back surface wires/films/adhesives/cover plates, etc. The applicant is required to more clearly recite the method invention steps. Claim 19 also recites “an interconnect wire” and “a laid interconnect wire”. The applicant is required to use clearer terms to connect together these two phrases. Claim 19 continues to be indefinite and unclear although the applicant deleted the phrase “with relevant components” (previously rejected). The recitation “and assembling the laminate” is unclear because there is no context here that would be useful to skilled artisans attempting to understand what is included in the “assembling” step. Conclusion No claim is allowed. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Contact Information Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELO TRIVISONNO whose telephone number is (571) 272-5201 or by email at <angelo.trivisonno@uspto.gov>. The examiner can normally be reached on MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00a-5:00pm EST. The examiner's supervisor, NIKI BAKHTIARI, can be reached at (571) 272-3433. /ANGELO TRIVISONNO/ Primary Examiner
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 13, 2024
Application Filed
Sep 12, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §112
Dec 12, 2025
Response Filed
Mar 17, 2026
Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
53%
Grant Probability
79%
With Interview (+26.2%)
2y 9m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 664 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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