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 .
Status of claims
The amendment to claims filed on 12/15/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 1-3, 5-6 are amended. Currently, claims 1-6 are pending in the application.
Previous prior art rejection is modified to address the above amendment.
Claims 1-6 are rejected. See the rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 depends on claim 1 and recites “each of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units comprises a bus bar connected to a starting end or a terminal end of one corresponding one of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units, such that the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units comprises a plurality of bus bars, including the bus bar, and all of the plurality of bus bars are connected to the one or more output wiring members” (emphasis added) in lines 1-7, while claim 1 recites “one or more turn-back portions, at each of which two of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units are connected in series to each other” in lines 10-11 and “each of the one or more-turn back portions is provided with an output wiring member such that the one or more turn back portions are provided with one or more output wiring members” in lines 17-19. As such, it is unclear if “a bus bar … a plurality of bus bars” recited in claim 2 is the same as or different from “one or more turn back portions” recited in claim 1.
Claim 3 is rejected on the same ground as claim 2.
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.
(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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2012/0262948).
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module (figs. 1-5) comprising:
a photovoltaic string (see the array of solar cells 130 in figs. 1 and 3-4); and
a terminal box (see junction box 200, figs. 2, 4-6);
wherein the photovoltaic string comprises
a plurality of photovoltaic cells (130, figs. 1 and 3-4) connected in series with each other (see figs. 1-5, [0029]),
a plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (see 2 adjacent columns of cells in annotated fig. 1 below) in each of which the plurality of photovoltaic cells (130) adjacent to each other in a first direction (or vertical direction) is connected in series to each other (see figs. 1-5, [0029]), and
one or more turn-back portion (145b and 145d, see annotated fig. 1 below, also see fig. 4) at which two of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of cells) are connected in series to each other (see figs. 1 and 4, and [0029] as Lee et al. teaches solar cells 130 are connected in series), wherein the two photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of cells) being adjacent to each other in a second direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the first direction (or vertical direction, see figs. 1-5); and
wherein the terminal box (see junction box 200, figs. 2, 4-6) comprising a plurality of bypass diodes (see bypass diodes Da, Db and Dc, figs. 1-6, [0032], [0041], [0045-0046], [0056-0058], [0068]);
wherein each of one or more turn-back portion (145b and 145d) is provided with an output wiring member (135b and 135c, see figs. 1-2, 4-6) such that one or more turn-back portions (145b and 145d) are provided with one or more output wiring members (135b and 135c, see figs. 1, 3 and 4);
wherein each of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of the cells 130) is connected in parallel with corresponding one of the bypass diodes (Da, Db, Dc; see annotated fig. 1 and fig. 4).
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Regarding claim 2, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module as in claim 1 above, and teaches each of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of cells 130, see annotated fig. 1 above) comprises a bus bar (145b or 145d) to a starting end or terminating end of a corresponding one of the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units such that the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units comprises a plurality of bus bars (145b and 145d) including the bus bar (145b or 145d, see annotated fig. 1 above), and all of the plurality of bus bars (or 145b or 145d) are connected to the one or more output wiring members (135b and 135c, see annotated figs. 1-6)
Regarding claim 3, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module as in claim 2 above, and teaches the terminal box (200) comprises a plurality of terminals (a, b, c, d) connected to the plurality of bypass diodes (Da, Db, Dc), and the output wiring member (135b or 135c) has an end thereof connected to the bus bar (145b or 145d) and has another end thereof connected, directly or via a connection cable, to corresponding one of the terminals (a, b, c, d; see figs. 1-6).
Regarding claim 4, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module as in claim 1 above, and teaches the photovoltaic string comprises the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of cells) in the first direction (or vertical direction, see figs. 1, 3-4).
Regarding claim 5, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module as in claim 1 above, and shows the photovoltaic string (140) is sealed between a transparent substrate (see front substrate 160, fig. 3, [0026], [0040]) and a back surface protection member (see rear substrate 110, fig. 3, [0026] and [0036]), and the output wiring member (135b or 135c) is arranged between the plurality of photovoltaic cell connection units (or two adjacent columns of the cells) and the back surface protection member (see rear substrate 110, fig. 3) and is led out to the terminal box (200, see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Lee et al. discloses a photovoltaic module as in claim 1 above, and teaches the photovoltaic string (140) is sealed between a transparent substrate (see front substrate 160, fig. 3, [0026], [0040] and a back surface protection member (see rear substrate 110, fig. 3, [0026] and [0036]), and the output wiring member (135b or 135c) penetrates the back surface protection member (110) via openings to the terminal box (200, fig. 2, [0032]) to be drawn out to an outside of the back surface protection member, and is connected to the terminal box via a connection cable (135d, 135c, 135b, 135a, see fig. 2, [0032]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/15/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Lee does not “each of the one or more turn back portions is provided with an output wiring member such that the one or more turn back portions are provided with one or more output wiring members” as claimed, because Lee shows the turn back portions at the bottom of the panel, e.g. 145a, 145c and 145e, are not provided with an output wiring member.
The examiner replies that Lee teaches the turn back portions 145b and 145d each provided with an output wiring member 135b and 135c. Also see the rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH-TRUC TRINH whose telephone number is (571)272-6594. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 6:00pm.
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THANH-TRUC TRINH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/THANH TRUC TRINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726