DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Group I, claims 1-2, were elected without traverse in the March 25, 2026 response. Group II, claim 3 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b).
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zanella (US 4,584,155).
As to claim 1, Zanella teaches a metal mold (4:51; Fig. 8) capable of the stated intended use of covering a side face of a battery with resin.
Zanella provides a space (Fig. 8, item 15) in which a first end portion of an article (item 1 to left of 20 and 21) can be placed. Zanella teaches a fixing member (item 20) which can fix the first end portion of the article in the space (item 15). The Zanella article (item 1) has a second end portion (item 1 to right of 20 and 21) opposite the first end portion that protrudes from the space. Zanella teaches a fixed part (item 21) which supports a first end face of the article in a thickness direction and a movable part (item 20) movable in the thickness direction to press against a second end face of the article on an opposite side of the first end face. The Zanella article (item 1) can be fixed by sandwiching the first end face and second end face between the fixed and movable parts (as shown in Fig. 8). The pressure applied to the article by the movable part is established by the spring (22) and is therefore at most a threshold value established by the spring (and its spring constant).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zanella (US 4,584,155) in view of Sano (US 4,470,786). Zanella teaches the subject matter of claim 1 above under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1).
As to claim 2, Zanella is silent to the claimed movable part first inclined portion and auxiliary part with a second inclined portion and moving the movable part in the thickness direction by moving the movable auxiliary part and contact between the first and second inclined portions.
Sano teaches a first inclined portion (item 23) with a retractable (movable) support pin (item 14) that moves in the thickness direction to contact a preform. Sano provides a movable auxiliary part (item 22) with a second inclined portion where contact between the first (item 23) and second (item 22) inclined portions causes movement of the movable part. In the combination with Zanella, one would have recognized that the inclined interface taught by Sano could be used to actuate the Zanella movable part.
It would have been prima facie obvious to incorporate the Sano actuation device into Zanella because (a) Zanella teaches/suggests applying pressure to an article in the thickness direction and Sano teaches a device for applying pressure to an article in the thickness direction within the scope of the Zanella teaching/suggestion, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized there was a reasonable expectation of success in light of the fact that both references operate in the thickness direction. Alternatively, (b) Zanella teaches/suggests applying pressure to an article in the thickness direction and Sano teaches a device for applying pressure to an article in the thickness direction that one would have recognized to be an obvious interchangeable substitute device for applying pressure in a thickness direction. One of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted one pressure element for another to provide the predictable result that the Zanella seal would still apply pressure in the thickness direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references are cited on the attached PTO-892. However, none of the references actually show the claimed fixing member with a fixed part and movable part as claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J DANIELS whose telephone number is (313)446-4826. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00 pm.
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/MATTHEW J DANIELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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