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 .
Priority
This application is a Continution of 17/764,086 March 25, 2022 (PAT 12106869)
17/764,086 is a 371 of PCT/JP2020/033212 filed September 2, 2020
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 27, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 9–17 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 2, and 4–10 of U.S. Patent No. 12,106,869. Although the claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct because the limitations of claims 9–17 are embodied in the claims of the ’869 patent. Accordingly, claims 9–17 would have been obvious over, the claims of the ’869 patent.
Current Case 18/899,483
Application 17/764,086 (Patent 12,106,869)
9. A busbar assembly comprising: first and second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided therebetween; an insulative resin layer including a gap filling part filled into the gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which the first and second busbars are connected to each other by the gap filling part, and a lower surface laminated part provided on a lower surface on the other side of the busbar connecting body in the thickness direction; the upper surface laminated part having a first busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the upper surface of the first busbar, and a second busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the upper surface of the second busbar; and a part of the upper surface laminated part that is positioned between the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings forming a partitioning wall;
and wherein the lower surface laminated part having a lower surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
10. The busbar assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings are positioned in the center of the first and second busbars with respect to a longitudinal direction of the gap.
11. A busbar assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first and second busbars each have the upper surface, a lower surface on the other side in the thickness direction, a first side surface that faces the gap, a second side surface that turns to the opposite side of the gap, a third side surface that connects end portions of the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface and the second side surface that are positioned on one side of the gap in the longitudinal direction, and a fourth side surface that connects end portions of the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface and the second side surface that are positioned on the other side of the gap in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first side surface has an upper surface adjacent section that extends from the upper surface to the other side in the thickness direction, a step section that extends, from an end portion of the upper surface adjacent section that is positioned on the other side in the thickness direction, in a direction proximate to the second side surface, and a lower adjacent section that extends, from an end portion of the step section that is positioned on a side proximate to the second side surface, to the other side in the thickness direction to reach the lower surface, wherein the second side surface has an upper surface adjacent section that extends from the upper surface to the other side in the thickness direction, a step section that extends, from an end portion of upper surface adjacent section that is positioned on the other side in the thickness direction, in a direction proximate to the first side surface, and a lower surface adjacent section that extends, from an end portion of the step section that is positioned on a side proximate to the first side surface, to the other side in the thickness direction to reach the lower surface, and wherein the insulating resin layer has a side surface laminated part integrally formed with the upper surface laminated part in such a manner as to cover the side surface of the busbar connecting body while exposing the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
12. A busbar assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a frame that includes a frame body and an insulating resin layer, the frame body having an outer peripheral shape, in plan view, corresponding to an outer peripheral shape of the busbar connecting body and having, at a center in plan view, a central hole that encloses the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings, the insulating resin layer covering an outer surface of the frame body, wherein the frame is fixed to a periphery area of the upper surface of the busbar connecting body in such a manner as to enclose, in plan view, the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings.
1. A busbar assembly comprising: first and second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided therebetween; an insulative resin layer including a gap filling part filled into the
gap and an upper surface laminated part provided on an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which
the first and second busbars are connected to
each other by the gap filling part;
the
upper surface laminated part having a first busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area out of the upper surfaces of the first busbar ….. and a second busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area out of the upper surfaces of the second busbar
….; and a part of the upper surface laminated part that is positioned between the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings forming a partitioning wall; …a lower surface laminated part provided on a lower surface on the other side of the busbar connecting body in the thickness direction, …. and wherein the lower surface laminated part having a lower surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
2. The busbar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second busbar- side upper surface openings are positioned in the center of the first and second busbars with respect to a longitudinal direction of the gap.
4. A busbar assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the first and second busbars each have the upper surface, a lower surface on the other
side in the thickness direction, a first side surface
that faces the gap, a second side surface that
turns to the opposite side of the gap, a third side surface that connects end portions of the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface
and the second side surface that are positioned
on one side of the gap in the longitudinal
direction, and a fourth side surface that connects
end portions of the upper surface, the lower
surface, the first side surface and the second side surface that are positioned on the other side of
the gap in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first side surface has an upper surface adjacent
section that extends from the upper surface to
the other side in the thickness direction, a step section that extends, from an end portion of the upper surface adjacent section that is positioned
on the other side in the thickness direction, in a direction proximate to the second side surface,
and a lower adjacent section that extends, from
an end portion of the step section that is
positioned on a side proximate to the second side surface, to the other side in the thickness direction to reach the lower surface, wherein the second side surface has an upper surface adjacent section that extends from the upper
surface to the other side in the thickness
direction, a step section that extends, from an
end portion of upper surface adjacent section
that is positioned on the other side in the
thickness direction, in a direction proximate to the first side surface, and a lower surface
adjacent section that extends, from an end
portion of the step section that is positioned on a side proximate to the first side surface, to the
other side in the thickness direction to reach
the lower surface, and wherein the insulating resin layer has a side surface laminated part integrally formed with the upper surface laminated part in such a manner as to cover the side surface of the busbar connecting body while exposing the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
5. (Previously Presented) A busbar assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a frame that includes a frame body and an insulating resin layer, the frame body having an outer peripheral shape, in plan view, corresponding to an outer peripheral shape of the busbar connecting body and having, at a center in plan view, a central hole that encloses
the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings, the insulating resin layer covering an
outer surface of the frame body, wherein the frame is fixed to a periphery area of the upper surface of the busbar connecting body in such a manner as to enclose, in plan view, the first and second busbar- side upper surface openings.
13. A method for manufacturing a busbar assembly including first and second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided between adjacent busbars, and an insulating resin layer including a gap filling part filled into the gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which the first and second busbars are connected to each other by the gap filling part, and a lower surface laminated part provided on a lower surface on the other side of the busbar connecting body in the thickness direction,
wherein the upper surface laminated part has a first busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the upper surface of the first busbar,
and a
second busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the upper surface of the second busbar,
and a part
of the upper surface laminated part that is positioned between the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings forms a partitioning wall, and wherein the lower surface laminated part has a lower surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars, the method comprising: a process of preparing a busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate having a busbar assembly forming area that forms the first and second busbars; a slit forming process of forming, in the busbar assembly forming area, a slit penetrating between an upper surface on one side and a lower surface on the other side in the thickness direction and having a width same as the gap so as to define first and second busbar forming sites corresponding to the first and second busbars; a process of providing an insulative resin material in the slit and on an entirety of the upper surface and the lower surface of the busbar assembly forming
area; a process of curing the insulative resin material to form the insulating resin layer including the gap filling part the upper surface laminated part and the lower surface laminated part; a laser beam irradiating process of irradiating a laser beam to areas out of the upper surface of the upper surface laminated part that correspond to the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings to form the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings and irradiating a laser beam to the predetermined area of the lower surface laminated part to form the lower surface opening; and a cutting process of cutting the busbar assembly forming area from the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate, wherein the laser beam irradiating process is configured to repeat a laser irradiating operation several times, the laser irradiating operation including a large pulse width laser irradiating operation in which the entirety of the corresponding area is irradiated with a large pulse width laser and a small pulse width laser irradiating operation in which the entirety of the corresponding area is irradiated with a small pulse width laser.
14. The method for manufacturing the busbar assembly according to claim 13, wherein the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate integrally has a plurality of the busbar assembly forming areas arranged in series in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the slit, and connecting areas connecting between adjacent busbar assembly forming areas, and wherein the slit formed in one busbar assembly forming area has one side in the longitudinal direction extending into one connecting area connected to the one side in the first direction of the one busbar assembly forming area, and another side in the longitudinal direction extending into another connecting area connected to another side in the first direction of the one busbar assembly forming area.
15. The method for manufacturing the busbar assembly according to claim 13, further comprising: a process of preparing a frame-directed conductive metal flat plate that includes a frame forming area having an outer peripheral shape, in plan view, corresponding to the busbar assembly forming area; a process of forming, in the frame forming area, a central hole that encloses, in plan view, the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings to form a frame body forming site; a process of applying an insulating resin material to an outer surface of the frame body forming site; a process of curing the insulating resin material to form an insulating resin layer enclosing the outer surface of the frame body forming site; and a metal flat plate fixing process of fixing the frame-directed conductive metal flat plate to the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate in a state where the frame-directed conductive metal flat plate is overlapped with the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate, wherein cutting process is performed after metal flat plate fixing process.
6. A method for manufacturing a busbar
assembly including first and second busbars
formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided between adjacent busbars, and an insulating
resin layer including a gap filling part filled into
the gap, an upper surface laminated part
provided on an upper surface on one side in a
plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting
body in which the first and second busbars are connected to each other by the gap filling part,
a lower surface laminated part provided on a
lower surface on the other side of the busbar connecting body in the thickness direction, ……..
wherein the upper surface laminated part has a
first busbar-side upper surface opening that
exposes a predetermined area out of the upper surfaces of the first busbar …………………
and a
second busbar-side upper surface opening that exposes a predetermined area out of the upper surfaces of the second busbar ……
and a part
of the upper surface laminated part that is
positioned between the first and second busbar-side upper surface openings forms a partitioning
wall, and wherein the lower surface laminated
part has a lower surface opening that exposes a predetermined area of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars, the method comprising:
a process of preparing a busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate having a busbar
assembly forming area that forms the first and second busbars; a slit forming process of forming,
in the busbar assembly forming area, a slit penetrating between an upper surface on one
side and a lower surface on the other side in the thickness direction and having a width same as
the gap so as to define first and second busbar forming sites corresponding to the first and
second busbars; a process of providing an
insulative resin material in the slit and on an
entirety of the upper surface, the lower surface
and a side surface of the busbar assembly forming area; a process of curing the insulative resin material to form the insulating resin layer including the gap filling part the upper surface laminated part, the lower surface laminated part and the side surface laminated part; a laser beam irradiating process of irradiating a laser beam to areas out of the upper surface of the upper surface laminated part that correspond to the first and second busbar- side
upper surface openings to form the first and
second busbar-side upper surface openings and irradiating a laser beam to the predetermined
area of the lower surface laminated part to form the lower surface opening; and a cutting process of cutting the busbar assembly forming area from
the busbar- directed conductive metal flat plate, wherein the laser beam irradiating process is configured to repeat a laser irradiating operation several times, the laser irradiating operation including a large pulse width laser irradiating operation in which the entirety of the
corresponding area is irradiated with a large
pulse width laser and a small pulse width laser irradiating operation in which the entirety of the corresponding area is irradiated with a small pulse width laser.
7. The method for manufacturing the busbar assembly according to claim 6, wherein the
busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate
integrally has a plurality of the busbar assembly forming areas arranged in series in a first
direction along a longitudinal direction of the slit,
and connecting areas connecting between
adjacent busbar assembly forming areas, and
wherein the slit formed in one busbar assembly forming area has one side in the longitudinal direction extending into one connecting area connected to the one side in the first direction of
the one busbar assembly forming area, and
another side in the longitudinal direction
extending into another connecting area
connected to another side in the first direction of
the one busbar assembly forming area.
8. The method for manufacturing the busbar assembly according to claim 6, further
comprising: a process of preparing a frame-
directed conductive metal flat plate that includes
a frame forming area having an outer peripheral shape, in plan view, corresponding to the busbar assembly forming area; a process of forming, in
the frame forming area, a central hole that
encloses, in plan view, the first and second
busbar-side upper surface openings to form a
frame body forming site; a process of applying an insulating resin material to an outer surface of
the frame body forming site; a process of curing
the insulating resin material to form an insulating resin layer enclosing the outer surface of the
frame body forming site; and a metal flat plate
fixing process of fixing the frame-directed
conductive metal flat plate to the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate in a state where the frame-directed conductive metal flat plate is overlapped with the busbar-directed conductive metal flat plate, wherein cutting process is performed after metal flat plate fixing process.
16. A busbar assembly comprising: first and second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided therebetween; an insulative resin layer including a gap filling part filled into the gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which the first and second busbars are connected to each other by the gap filling part, and a lower surface laminated part provided on a lower surface on the other side of the busbar connecting body in the thickness direction; the upper surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side upper surface openings that respectively expose parts of the upper surfaces of the first and second busbars; the lower surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side lower surface openings that respectively expose predetermined areas of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars, respectively.
10. A busbar assembly comprising: first and
second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a
gap provided there between; an insulative resin
layer including a gap filling part filled into the
gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on
an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which
the first and second busbars are connected
to each other by the gap filling part, a lower
surface laminated part provided on a lower
surface on the other side of the busbar
connecting body in the thickness direction, the
upper surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side upper surface openings that respectively expose parts of the upper surfaces of the first and second busbars; and the lower surface
laminated part having a single lower surface opening that integrally exposes both of the predetermined areas of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
17. A busbar assembly comprising: first and second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a gap provided therebetween; an insulative resin layer including a gap filling part filled into the gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which the first and second busbars are connected to each other by the gap filling part, and a lower surface laminated part provided on a lower surface
the upper surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side upper surface openings that respectively expose parts of the upper surfaces of the first and second busbars; and the lower surface laminated part having a single lower surface opening that integrally exposes both of the predetermined areas of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have a single lower surface opening , since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
9. A busbar assembly comprising: first and
second busbars formed by a conductive flat plate member and disposed in a common plane with a
gap provided there between; an insulative resin
layer including a gap filling part filled into the
gap, an upper surface laminated part provided on
an upper surface on one side in a plate thickness direction of a busbar connecting body in which the first and second busbars are connected to
each other by the gap filling part, a lower
surface laminated part provided on a lower
surface on the other side of the busbar
connecting body in the thickness direction,
…the upper surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side upper surface openings that respectively expose parts of the upper surfaces of the first and second busbars; the lower
surface laminated part having first and second busbar-side lower surface openings that respectively expose predetermined areas of the lower surfaces of the first and second busbars, respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Erdle (US 4,517,406) teaches a laminated bus bar; Nakagawa (US 11, 127,672) teaches a busbar assembly.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTAL ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9258. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5 M-F.
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/KRYSTAL ROBINSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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