DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This is the first action on the merits for application 19/269,180, filed 7/15/2025.
This is a continuation of PCT/JP2023/017536, filed on 5/10/2023.
Claims 1-10 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group II in the reply filed on July 15, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 1 and 2 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on July 15, 2026.
Claims 3-10 are pending.
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 6, and 8-10 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 6 refers to the positive and negative electrode cables and their extension “to the outside”. It is not clear what outside the claim is referring to. Please make clear if the intention is for extension to be outside the terminal box main body, outside the confines of the module or a different meaning. This is interpreted to require the cable to extend to the outside of the respective terminal box main body for the purposes of this action.
Claims 8-10 are rejected as being dependent on rejected base claim 6.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AGATSUMA et al (US PG PUB 2015/0020870), in view of SHINOHARA (US PG PUB 2013/0263910).
Regarding claim 3, AGATSUMA et al teaches a solar cell unit (solar cell module, title) comprising:
a solar cell element (20, solar cell element) having a monolithic structure (paragraph [0030] teaches a scribed, deposited CIGS solar cell element, interpreted to read on a monolithic structure) and including a positive electrode terminal (11a, including vertical portion shown in figure 2) and a negative electrode terminal (11b, including vertical portion shown in figure 2); and
a positive electrode terminal box (12a, “cathode terminal box”) connected to the positive electrode terminal (11a, shown as vertical portion of 11 in figure 2) and a negative electrode terminal box (12b, “anode terminal box”) connected to the negative electrode terminal (11b, shown as vertical portion of 11 in figure 2), wherein
the positive electrode terminal box (12a and associated cathode connectors) includes:
a positive electrode terminal box main body (12a) attached to the solar cell element (shown in figures 1a-c, 2) and having a positive electrode connection portion (13a/14a, “cathode cables”) electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal of the solar cell element (cathode designation indicates connection to the positive electrode components including the terminal);
a first positive electrode connection terminal (16a, cathode connector) electrically connected to the positive electrode connection portion (14a) and disposed at a distal end of a positive electrode cable (14a) extending to the outside from the positive electrode terminal box main body (see figure 1B); and
a second positive electrode connection terminal (15a, cathode connector) electrically connected to the positive electrode connection portion (13a), and configured to be connected to the first positive electrode connection terminal of another solar cell unit (wherein pargaraphs [0034] and [0036] teach connection between the male and female portions 15a/16a with neighboring modules),
the negative electrode terminal box (12b and associated anode connectors) includes:
a negative electrode terminal box main body (12b) attached to the solar cell element (shown in figures 1A-C, 2) and having a negative electrode connection portion (13b/14b, anode cables) electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal of the solar cell element (anode designation indicates connection to the negative electrode components including the terminal);
a first negative electrode connection terminal (15b, anode connector) electrically connected to the negative electrode connection portion (13b) and disposed at a distal end of a negative electrode cable (13b) extending to the outside from the negative electrode terminal box main body (see figure 1B); and
a second negative electrode connection terminal (16b, anode connector) electrically connected to the negative electrode connection portion (14b), and configured to be connected to the first negative electrode connection terminal of the another solar cell unit (paragraphs [0034] and [0036] teach the connection between the male and female portions 15b/16b of neighboring modules), and
the first positive electrode connection terminal (16a) and the first negative electrode connection terminal (15b) are connectable to each other (paragraph [0034], 16a female, 15b male, rendering connection capable of connection).
AGATSUMA et al teaches the second positive and negative electrode connection terminals (15a and 16b respectively) and at the end of cables (13a/14b) and therefore fails to teach the connection terminals to be formed on an outer surface of the positive electrode terminal box main body and the negative electrode terminal box main body, respectively.
SHINOHARA teaches the connection between adjacent solar moules via cables with a socket connector at one end and the terminal box on the other, as discussed in the abstract and shown in figures 2 and 11, just as in AGATSUMA et al. SHINOHARA et al further teaches the cable to be within the terminal box and the connector to be integrally fixed to the side of the terminal box as described in paragraph [0084] and shown in figure 10.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to fix the second positive and negative electrode connection terminals of AGATSUMA et al to the side of the terminal box (containing the cable therein), just as in SHINOHARA, as opposed to the extension of the cable outside the terminal box, as the substitution of one known method of electrical connection (cabling within the terminal box and connection on the side of the terminal box) for another (extended cables for connection a distance from the terminal box) would render the same predictable result of module connection. In making the above substitution, modified AGATSUMA et al teaches the connection terminals to be formed on an outer surface of the positive electrode terminal box main body and the negative electrode terminal box main body, respectively.
Regarding claim 4, AGATSUMA et al teaches a shape of the first positive electrode connection terminal (16a) and a shape of the first negative electrode connection terminal (15b) are different (see female and male respectively in figure 1B).
Regarding claim 5, in a first interpretation, AGATSUMA et al teaches the solar cell element (20) has a scribe line (annotated in figure 1A below as vertical, y-axis) extending in a first direction (annotated), and
when a direction parallel to a surface of the solar cell element and orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction (annotated horizontal, x-axis), the positive electrode terminal (11a) is disposed at an end part on a first side of the solar cell element in the second direction (left side), and the negative electrode terminal (11b) is disposed at an end part on a second side of the solar cell element in the second direction (right side).
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In a second interpretation of claim 5, while AGATSUMA et al teaches the scribe lines to be vertical and diagonal, SHINOHARA teaches the cells to be divided in both horizontal and vertical directions, in figure 3, wherein the selection of this division of cells is a manner of engineering choice which will render the same desired separation of cells, just in a different shape. Upon doing so, selection of horizontal scribe lines, would render the first and second directions opposite from the above annotated figure 1A, with first direction being horizontal across figure 1A and the second direction being vertical.
Regarding claim 6, in accordance with the first interpretation of claim 5, AGATSUMA et al teaches all the claimed items including the positive electrode cable (14a), the positive electrode terminal box (12a), the second positive electrode connection terminal (15a), the negative electrode cable (13b), the negative electrode terminal box (12b), and the second negative electrode connection terminal (16b), but orients the positive components to extend vertically (first direction) from the box and from the same side of the terminal box. The selection to dispose the electrode cables and second electrode connection terminals on opposing sides of the terminal box and transpose which side of the box comprises the cable and which has the terminal is well within the ambit of one of ordinary skill and a matter of engineering choice. The rearrangement of the parts present in modified AGATSUMA et al is non-critical and obvious.
Moreover, consistent with the second interpretation of claim 5, modified AGATSUMA et al teaches (in figure 1B) the positive electrode cable (14a, AGATSUMA et al) extends to the outside of the module from a first side (left side) of the positive electrode terminal box main body (12a) in the first direction (horizontal),
the second positive electrode connection terminal (15a) is formed on a second side (right side) of the positive electrode terminal box main body (12b) in the first direction (attachment of the connector to the right side of the terminal box, as in SHINOHARA, where cable 13a extends from the terminal box 12a, but ultimately extension to the right side for ease of access) in the first direction (horizontal),
the negative electrode cable (13b) extends to the outside of the module from the right side of the negative electrode terminal box main body (12b) in the first direction (horizontal direction), and
the second negative electrode connection terminal (16b) is formed on the left side of the negative electrode terminal box main body (12b) in the first direction (horizontal).
The claim seeks for the first positive and negative electrode connection terminals to extend or be present on the same side in the first direction and the second positive and negative electrode connection terminals to extend from the same side in the first direction, while modified AGATSUMA et al shows the first positive and negative and second positive and negative to be in opposing directions. Paragraph [0007] teaches the connections of the wires can be drawn from the terminal box to allow for series or parallel connection. Reallocation of the first positive and negative electrode connection terminals and the second positive and negative electrode connection terminals on the same sides in the first direction is well within the ability of one of ordinary skill in the art, as allocation of the components in different directions is a manner of engineering choice and will provide the same predictable result of parallel electrical connectivity.
Regarding claim 7, AGATSUMA et al teaches the solar cell element contains a transparent cuprous oxide semiconductor (paragraphs [0030] and [0031] teaches a CIGS cell, containing copper and oxides, and with transparency interpreted to be obvious).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AGATSUMA et al, in view of SHINOHARA and YAMASHITA et al (WO2022/059058A1, wherein the English equivalent US PG PUB 2023/0207714 is cited herein.).
Regarding claim 8, modified AGATSUMA et al teaches a plurality of solar cell units (modules, as in figure 1B) according to claim 6 are disposed to be aligned in the first direction (horizontal connection, consistent with the second interpretation of claim 5), and when, of a pair of solar cell units (module 1B) adjacent to each other in the first direction (modules A or B), the solar cell unit on a first side in the first direction is defined as a first solar cell unit (consistent with the module of figure 1B) and the solar cell unit on a second side in the first direction (module A) is defined as a second solar cell unit, the second positive electrode connection terminal (15a) of the first solar cell unit (figure 1B) is connected to the first positive electrode connection terminal (16a) of the second solar cell unit (unit A of figure 1B, wherein the connections as shown are connected as shown, and as in parallel as identified in paragraph [0020]), and the second negative electrode connection terminal of the first solar cell unit (16b, but modified to switch side location to the position of component 15b per the modification in the rejection of claim 6) is connected to the first negative electrode connection terminal (15b, but modified to switch side location to the position of component 16b on module A of figure 1B, per the modification in the rejection of claim 6) of the second solar cell unit (unit A). Moreover, AGATSUMA et al teaches the use of a positive cord and negative cord to attach neighboring terminals as in 13a/14a and 13b/14b, and as discussed in paragraph [0036]. Attachment of an exposed first positive electrode terminal (16a) and an exposed first negative terminal (15b, but present on the left side of the module of figure 1B upon modification) via a cable is well established (as in the cable and connectors of figure 1B).
Modified AGATSUMA et al does not expressly teach a parallel connection body comprising: a plurality of parallel connection bodies disposed to be aligned in the second direction, in which when, of a pair of parallel connection bodies adjacent to each other in the second direction, the parallel connection body on a first side in the second direction is defined as a first parallel connection body, and the parallel connection body on a second side in the second direction is defined as a second parallel connection body, the first negative electrode connection terminal of the solar cell unit at an end part on the first side of the first parallel connection body in the first direction is connected to the first positive electrode connection terminal of the solar cell unit at an end part on the first side of the second parallel connection body in the first direction; and connection between the first positive electrode terminal and first negative electrode terminals of panels stacked orthogonal to those of the panel and panel A of AGATSUMA et al.
YAMASHITA et al teaches a plurality of parallel connected solar modules in figure 3 (row 11R), just as in modified AGATSUMA et al via components 13 and 14. YAMASHITA et al teaches an array of parallel connected strings (11R) connected to each other via components 20/21. YAMASHITA et al further teaches the use of a parallel connection body (21, inter-panel bus bar) in figure 3 which connects the parallel cells of row 11R to the next row up, as discussed in paragraph [0025] by connecting the negative and positive terminals (series) with the opposing terminal from the next row to continue connectivity and power generation within the larger array. A plurality of rows and parallel connection bodies are situated parallel within their group and orthogonal to each other (first and second directions).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to utilize the parallel connection body of YAMASHITA et al to connect the module and module A of figure 1B of AGATSUMA et al with an identical row present thereon so as to allow for greater power generation via the addition of another row of panels. Connection of the exposed positive end terminal (16a) and exposed negative end terminal (15b) of stacked panels at the end of the row via the parallel device of YAMASHITA et al would obviously render the claimed device.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AGATSUMA et al, in view of SHINOHARA, YAMASHITA et al and YAGISAWA (JP 2015154049A, as supplied by the Applicant in the IDS, wherein citations are made to the English machine translation attached herein).
Regarding claim 9, the device of modified AGATSUMA et al will have a pair of exposed terminals (positive and negative, 15a/16b) at the end of the row on the second side, but modified AGATSUMA et al fails to teach a positive electrode cap attached to the second positive electrode connection terminal and a negative electrode cap attached to the second negative electrode connection terminal of the solar cell unit at an end part on the second side of the parallel connection body in the first direction.
YAGISAWA et al is directed to a solar cell module comprising terminals, just as in modified AGATSUMA et al, as discussed in paragraph [0070]. This citation further teaches the use of a cap fixed to the terminals to prevent electrical leakage and damage to the terminals.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a protective cap in the exposed terminals of modified AGATSUMA et al, as discussed in YAGISAWA et al, to prevent electrical leakage and damage to the terminals.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AGATSUMA et al, in view of SHINOHARA, YAMASHITA et al and HORIOKA et al (US PG PUB 2005/0061360).
Regarding claim 10, while AGATSUMA et al teaches the use of a bypass diode in paragraph [0035] and connection between the second positive electrode connection and second negative electrode connection via parallel body (21), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 8 in YAMASHITA et al, modified AGATSUMA et al fails to disclose a bypass diode connected between the second positive electrode connection terminal and the second negative electrode connection terminal of the solar cell unit at an end part on the second side of the parallel connection body in the first direction.
HORIOKA et al teaches positive to negative connection between two cables of adjacent modules in figure 10C, just as in modified AGATSUMA et al. HORIOKA et al further teaches the use of a bypass diode (55) between adjacent connections (or ultimately anywhere in the wiring, paragraph [0080]), as in paragraph [0077]-[0080] so as to prevent backflow of generated current.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to place a bypass diode, as in HORIOKA et al, anywhere between the adjacent connections of modified AGATSUMA et al to prevent backflow of generated current, rendering modified AGATSUMA et al to disclose a bypass diode connected between the second positive electrode connection terminal and the second negative electrode connection terminal of the solar cell unit at an end part on the second side of the parallel connection body in the first direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PG PUB 20110048507 also teaches the use of a terminal within the terminal fox, consistent with claim 3. The pairing of this reference with that of the AGATSUMA et al provides another viable rejection of at least claim 3.
US Patent 6,268,559 figure 7 also teaches the use of parallel connections with terminal and cable arrangements consistent with claim 3. The use of this reference with that of ‘507 or SHINOHARA can be used to address the subject matter of claim 3.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KOURTNEY SALZMAN CARLSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5117. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-3PM EST M-F.
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/KOURTNEY R S CARLSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 9/4/2026
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