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 .
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) 1-8 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Han 2012/0301747.
Regarding claim 1, Han discloses a battery management system (BMS) assembly (par 0005) comprising: a circuit board (150, Fig 7c) in which a first coupling hole (151, Fig 7a) for grounding is defined (grounding formed from positive/negative depending reference point, par 0138); a first casing mold (130, Fig 7b) configured to accommodate the circuit board (Figs 7b, 7c), and comprising a bushing part (135, Fig 7c) that is disposed inside a second coupling hole (hole thru 135, Fig 7c) recessed from an outside (recessed from outside of 142, Fig 7c); and a coupling unit (155, Fig 7c) passing through the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole (see Fig 7c), and configured to allow the circuit board and the bushing part to be in contact with each other (Fig 7c) while pressing a top surface of the bushing part (Fig 7), wherein the bushing part comprises: a vertical part (vertical portion of 135, Fig 7c) provided in a direction parallel to the second coupling hole (Fig 7c); and a horizontal part (horizontal portion of 135 and/or including 156b/c-e, Fig 7c) extending from an end of the vertical part in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the vertical part is provided (see Fig 7c), and wherein the coupling unit is electrically connected to a case (142, Fig 7c; par 0063), in which a plurality of batteries are accommodated (110, Fig 7b), to ground the circuit board (par 0138).
Regarding claim 2, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, wherein the bushing part comprises an electrically conductive metal material (see par 0052, 0063).
Regarding claim 3, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, wherein the vertical part is provided along a circumference of an inner lower end of the second coupling hole (see Figs 7b, 7c), and wherein the horizontal part is provided on an upper end of the vertical part (Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 4, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling unit is in contact with a top surface of the horizontal part (at 156d, Fig 7c) to press the horizontal part downwardly (Fig 7c), and wherein the horizontal part extends so that the top surface thereof is wider than an area on which the coupling unit is in contact with the top surface of the horizontal part (see Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 5, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of a bottom surface of the horizontal part is exposed to face the circuit board (at 156b, Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 6, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 5, wherein the vertical part provides a stepped portion in the second coupling hole (vertical part 135 considered stepped to receive threaded component, Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 7, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling unit comprises a bolt and a nut (bolt head of coupling unit 155 able to receive nut, see par 0049), wherein the bolt passes through the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole, and wherein the nut is coupled to the bolt and presses the top surface of the bushing part (par 0049, Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 8, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a third coupling hole (hole through 132, Fig 7c), through which the coupling unit passes is defined, in a lower portion of the circuit board: and a second casing mold (132, Fig 7c) configured to accommodate the circuit board (atop thereof, Fig 7c).
Regarding claim 16, Han discloses a battery module comprising: a battery module case (housing/case, see Abstract) accommodating a plurality of batteries (110, Fig 7b); and a battery management system (BMS) assembly (par 0005) coupled to the battery module case (Figs 7a-7c), wherein the BMS assembly comprises: a circuit board (150, Fig 7c) in which a first coupling hole (151, Fig 7a) for grounding is defined (grounding formed from positive/negative depending reference point, par 0138); a first casing mold (130, Fig 7b) configured to accommodate the circuit board (Figs 7b, 7c), and comprising a bushing part (135, Fig 7c) disposed inside a second coupling hole (hole thru 135, Fig 7c) recessed from an outside (recessed from outside of 142, Fig 7c); and a coupling unit (155, Fig 7c) passing through the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole (see Fig 7c), and configured to allow the circuit board and the bushing part to be in contact with each other (Fig 7c) while pressing a top surface of the bushing part (Fig 7), wherein the bushing part comprises: a vertical part (vertical portion of 135, Fig 7c) provided in a direction parallel to the second coupling hole (Fig 7c); and a horizontal part (horizontal portion of 135 and/or including 156b/c-e, Fig 7c) extending from an end of the vertical part in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the vertical part is provided (see Fig 7c), and wherein the coupling part is electrically connected to the battery module case (142, Fig 7c; par 0063) to ground the circuit board (par 0138).
Regarding claim 17, Han discloses a battery pack (Title) comprising: a battery pack case accommodating a plurality of battery modules (housing/case, see Abstract), each battery module in which accommodating a plurality of secondary batteries (110, Fig 7b); and a battery management system (BMS) (par 0005) coupled to the battery pack case (see Figs 7a-7c), wherein the BMS assembly comprises: a circuit board (150, Fig 7c) in which a first coupling hole (151, Fig 7a) for grounding is defined (grounding formed from positive/negative depending reference point, par 0138); a first casing mold (130, Fig 7b) configured to accommodate the circuit board (Figs 7b, 7c), and comprising a bushing part (135, Fig 7c) disposed inside a second coupling hole (hole thru 135, Fig 7c) recessed from an outside (recessed from outside of 142, Fig 7c); and a coupling unit (155, Fig 7c) passing through the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole (see Fig 7c), and configured to allow the circuit board and the bushing part to be in contact with each other (Fig 7c) while pressing a top surface of the bushing part (Fig 7), wherein the bushing part comprises: a vertical part (vertical portion of 135, Fig 7c) provided in a direction parallel to the second coupling hole (Fig 7c); and a horizontal part (horizontal portion of 135 and/or including 156b/c-e, Fig 7c) extending from an end of the vertical part in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the vertical part is provided (see Fig 7c), and wherein the coupling part is electrically connected to the battery module case (142, Fig 7c; par 0063) to ground the circuit board (par 0138).
Regarding claim 18, Han discloses the BMS assembly of claim 1, wherein a portion of the first casing mold encircles the vertical part of the bushing part (Figs 7a-7c).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the
limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 9. The BMS assembly of claim 8, further comprising: a leg unit configured to support a lower portion of the second casing mold, the leg unit having a fourth coupling hole through which the coupling unit passes is defined, and which is and the leg unit being in contact with and electrically connected to the coupling unit. *Claims 10-11 depend directly on claim 9 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 12. The BMS assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a connector disposed between the horizontal part and the circuit board and having one end in contact with a bottom surface of the horizontal part, and another end in contact with a top surface of the circuit board, and the connector being configured to electrically connect the bushing part to the circuit board. *Claims 13-15 depend either indirectly or directly from claim 12 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/IMANI N HAYMAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
