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
Applicant cannot rely upon the certified copy of the foreign priority application to overcome this rejection because a translation of said application has not been made of record in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55. When an English language translation of a non-English language foreign application is required, the translation must be that of the certified copy (of the foreign application as filed) submitted together with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate. See MPEP §§ 215 and 216.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN-218069878U (hereafter CN ‘878).
With respect to claim 1, CN ‘878 teaches a layup and bussing machine configured to perform layup and busbar soldering on cell strings according to a cell string array in a photovoltaic module, the layup and bussing machine comprising a layup pickup portion, an alignment and conveying portion, a bussing pickup portion and a bussing portion, wherein the layup pickup portion is arranged upstream of the alignment and conveying portion, and the layup pickup portion is configured to pick up a cell string and place the cell string on the alignment and conveying portion according to layup requirements for positive and negative electrodes; the alignment and conveying portion is configured to receive and align the cell string placed by the layup pickup portion; the bussing pickup portion comprises string pickup assemblies arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the cell strings of the cell string array; the alignment and conveying portion is further configured to convey the aligned cell string to a string pickup station according to layup position requirements, and the bussing pickup portion moves to drive a string pickup assembly corresponding to the cell string at the string pickup station to move to the string pickup station for picking up the cell string; the bussing pickup portion moves to drive the string pickup assembly, which has picked up the cell string, to a soldering station, and the bussing portion solders a busbar to marginal solder strips at end portions of the cell string located at the soldering station; and the bussing pickup portion is further configured to move so as to lay the cell strings picked up by the string pickup assemblies on a glass plate after the soldering of the busbar to the cell strings picked up by the string pickup assemblies is completed (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 1).
With respect to claim 2, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the layup pickup portion places at least one module unit on the alignment and conveying portion at a predetermined time interval, each module unit comprising two cell strings arranged in line in a length direction of the cell strings, and a plurality of module units being arranged side by side in a width direction of the cell strings to form the cell string array; the alignment and conveying portion conveys an aligned module unit to the string pickup station at a predetermined time interval; and the bussing pickup portion moves in a downstream direction by a predetermined distance at a predetermined time interval, so as to drive the string pickup assembly corresponding to the module unit at the string pickup station to the string pickup station for picking up the module unit, while driving the string pickup assembly, which has already picked up a module unit, to the soldering station (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 2).
With respect to claim 3, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the layup pickup portion comprises a movement mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a pickup assembly, wherein the rotating mechanism is connected to a driving end of the movement mechanism, and the pickup assembly is mounted on the rotating mechanism; the movement mechanism is configured to drive the pickup assembly to translate and lift so as to pick up a cell string; the rotating mechanism is configured to drive the pickup assembly to rotate so as to rotate the cell string until the layup requirements for positive and negative electrodes are met; and the movement mechanism is further configured to drive the pickup assembly to translate and lift so as to place the picked-up cell string on the alignment and conveying portion (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 3).
With respect to claim 4, CN ‘878 teaches wherein two layup pickup portions are provided, which are a first layup pickup portion and a second layup pickup portion, respectively, wherein the first layup pickup portion is configured to place one of the cell strings of the module unit on the alignment and conveying portion, and the second layup pickup portion is configured to place the other cell string of the module unit on the alignment and conveying portion (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 4).
With respect to claim 5, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the alignment and conveying portion comprises a first alignment and conveying mechanism and a second alignment and conveying mechanism which are of the same structure, wherein the first alignment and conveying mechanism and the second alignment and conveying mechanism are arranged in line in a first horizontal direction; the first alignment and conveying mechanism and the second alignment and conveying mechanism are respectively configured to carry the two cell strings of the module unit; the first alignment and conveying mechanism comprises a first translation drive mechanism and at least one alignment platform connected to a movable end of the first translation drive mechanism, wherein the alignment platform is configured to carry one cell string and align the cell string; and the first translation drive mechanism is configured to drive the alignment platform to translate in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, so as to convey the cell string carried on the alignment platform to the string pickup station (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 5).
With respect to claim 6, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the alignment platform comprises a second translation drive mechanism, a lifting drive mechanism, a rotation drive mechanism, and an alignment carrying plate, wherein the second translation drive mechanism is connected to the movable end of the first translation drive mechanism, the lifting drive mechanism is connected to a movable end of the second translation drive mechanism, the rotation drive mechanism is connected to a movable end of the lifting drive mechanism, and the alignment carrying plate is connected to a movable end of the rotation drive mechanism; and the alignment carrying plate is configured to carry the cell string, the second translation drive mechanism is configured to drive the alignment carrying plate to translate in the first horizontal direction, the lifting drive mechanism is configured to drive the alignment carrying plate to lift, and the rotation drive mechanism is configured to drive the alignment carrying plate to rotate in a horizontal plane (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 6).
With respect to claim 7, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the bussing pickup portion further comprises a stepping drive mechanism and a first mounting bracket, wherein the first mounting bracket is connected to a movable end of the stepping drive mechanism, and the string pickup assemblies are jointly mounted on the first mounting bracket; and the stepping drive mechanism is configured to drive, in a stepping manner, the string pickup assemblies to translate, so as to drive the string pickup assembly corresponding to a module unit at the string pickup station to the string pickup station for picking up the module unit, while driving the string pickup assembly, which has already picked up a module unit, to the soldering station (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 7).
With respect to claim 8, CN ‘878 teaches a cell string supply portion, wherein the cell string supply portion is configured to produce a cell string and provide the produced cell string to the layup pickup portion (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 8).
With respect to claim 9, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the cell string supply portion comprises a soldering stringer, a discharge conveyor line, a turnover mechanism, and a temporary storage mechanism, wherein the soldering stringer is configured to produce a cell string; the discharge conveyor line is configured to output the cell string produced by the soldering stringer; the temporary storage mechanism is arranged on a side of the discharge conveyor line, and the turnover mechanism is configured to pick up the cell string from the discharge conveyor line, turn over the picked-up cell string by 180° and then place the cell string on the temporary storage mechanism; and the layup pickup portion picks up the cell string from the temporary storage mechanism (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 9).
With respect to claim 10, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the cell string supply portion further comprises an Electroluminescence (EL) testing mechanism, the EL testing mechanism is arranged on the discharge conveyor line and is configured to test the cell string output by the discharge conveyor line, and the turnover mechanism is configured to pick up the cell string that has passed the test carried out by the EL testing mechanism from the discharge conveyor line (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 10).
With respect to claim 11, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the EL testing mechanism comprises a first activation mechanism and a second activation mechanism which are arranged on the discharge conveyor line in a conveying direction of the discharge conveyor line, and an EL camera arranged above or below the discharge conveyor line; the first activation mechanism and the second activation mechanism are configured to activate the cell string located on the discharge conveyor line from two ends; and the EL camera is configured to acquire an infrared image of the activated cell string so as to test the cell string (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 11).
With respect to claim 12, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the turnover mechanism comprises a first lifting drive module, a second lifting drive module, a turnover motor, and a turnover suction assembly, wherein the turnover motor is connected to a driving end of the second lifting drive module; a first end of the turnover suction assembly is connected to a driving end of the first lifting drive module, and a second end of the turnover suction assembly is connected to a driving end of the turnover motor; and the first lifting drive module and the second lifting drive module cooperate with each other to drive the turnover suction assembly to lift, and the turnover motor is configured to drive the turnover suction assembly to be turned over between the discharge conveyor line and the temporary storage mechanism, so as to drive the turnover suction assembly to suck the cell string from the discharge conveyor line and turn over the sucked cell string to the temporary storage mechanism (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 12).
With respect to claim 13, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the temporary storage mechanism comprises a second mounting bracket, a plurality of carriers, a first carrier pushing mechanism and a second carrier pushing mechanism, wherein the plurality of carriers are stacked on the second mounting bracket in a vertical direction, and each carrier is connected to the second mounting bracket via a slide rail; the first carrier pushing mechanism is configured to push one carrier out of the second mounting bracket toward a first side each time, so as to receive the cell string transferred by the turnover mechanism; and the second carrier pushing mechanism is configured to push one carrier carrying the cell string out of the second mounting bracket toward a second side each time, so as to provide the cell string to the layup pickup portion (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 13).
With respect to claim 14, CN ‘878 teaches wherein the bussing portion comprises a busbar preparation portion, a busbar handling portion, a busbar carrying portion, and a soldering portion; the busbar preparation portion is configured to prepare a busbar; the busbar handling portion is configured to handle the busbar to the busbar carrying portion; the busbar carrying portion is configured to move the busbar to the position of a corresponding marginal solder strip; and the soldering portion is configured to solder the busbar carried by the busbar carrying portion to the marginal solder strip (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 14).
With respect to claim 15, CN ‘878 teaches a glass plate conveyor line, wherein the glass plate conveyor line is arranged below the alignment and conveying portion and the bussing portion and has the same conveying direction as the alignment and conveying portion, and the glass plate conveyor line is configured to convey a glass plate to a discharging station downstream of the soldering station; and after the soldering of the busbar to the cell strings picked up by the string pickup assemblies is completed, the bussing pickup portion discharges the cell strings picked up by the string pickup assemblies onto the glass plate at the discharging station (figures 1-9; paragraphs 51-129; and claim 15).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KILEY SHAWN STONER whose telephone number is (571)272-1183. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached on 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KILEY S STONER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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