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 .
Status of Claims
Claim 1 is amended. Claims 1-9 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1, 5-6 & 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saab (US 2015/0034272 A1).
Regarding claim 1, 5-6 & 9, Saab teaches an electrically driven vehicle comprising at least one battery (13/30) and an electric machine such as an electric drive motor and/or an AC-DC converter (Figs. 1 & 5; [0056] & [0091]-[0098]) and a thermoregulation system thereof, the thermoregulation system comprising: a coolant circuit (3), having a first branch (5) and a second branch (30), in which circulates a coolant (Figs. 1 & 5; [0046]); a pump (12) for circulating the coolant (Figs. 1 & 5; [0055]); at least one battery exchanger (11) connected to the first branch of the coolant circuit so that the coolant may circulate through the battery exchanger, and configured for exchanging heat between the coolant and said at least one battery (13/30) to cool said at least one battery (Figs. 1 & 5; [0055]-[0056] & [0114]); a main exchanger (36) separate from the at least one battery exchanger, connected to the first branch of the coolant circuit (i.e via pump 34, circuit 30, interconnection 6 and circuit 5), wherein the main exchanger is located upstream of the at least one battery exchanger and configured for transferring heat from the coolant of the first branch outside the vehicle (Figs. 1, 5 & 7-8; [0081], [0087], [0099] & [0132]-[0134]). a secondary exchanger (32) connected to the second branch of the coolant circuit so that the coolant may circulate through the secondary exchanger, and configured for transferring heat between the coolant and the electric machine (Figs. 1 & 5; [0091]-[0095]); a heating device (8) adapted to heat up the coolant circulating in the at least one battery exchanger (Figs. 1 & 5; [0050] & [0060]-[0063]); wherein the coolant circuit comprises a bypass line (16) allowing isolation of the battery exchanger from the coolant circuit and a pump (12) for running coolant circulation in the at least one battery exchanger when the at least one battery exchanger is isolated form the coolant circuit (Fig. 1; [0055]-[0056] & [0059]). While Saab does not explicitly teach a first temperature of the coolant in the first branch being lower than a second temperature of the coolant in the second branch, it is noted that Saab discloses an exchange of calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in the first branch (5) and the coolant via an exchanger (15) (Fig. 5; [0107] & [0113]-[0116]). Thus, when calories are transferred from the heat transfer fluid in the branch (5) to the coolant, the temperature of the heat-transfer fluid is reduced such that the battery can then be cooled using the heat transfer fluid with the reduced temperature via interconnection device (17) and pump (12) (Fig. 5 & [0113]-[0016]). Saab further teaches the second branch (30) comprising at least one exchanger (32, 38, 39) for thermally exchanges between the heat transfer fluid and various electrical components of the electric power train (Fig. 5; [0095]-[0098]). Saab further discloses a heating mode in which calories are collected at the least one exchanger of the electric power train and sent to toward the heat transfer fluid ([0106]-[0107] & [0112]). In this case, the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is increased. Therefore, a first temperature of the coolant in the first branch (5) (i.e heat transfer fluid with a reduced temperature after heat exchange with coolant in exchanger (15)) is lower than a second temperature of the coolant in the second branch (30) (i.e heat transfer fluid with increased temperature after exchanging calories with power train components via at least one exchanger (32, 38, 39)).
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.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saab (US 2015/0034272 A1) in view of Herntier (US 2016/0351980 A1).
Regarding claims 2-4, Saab teaches the thermoregulation system of claim 1 but is silent as to the thermoregulation system comprising several battery exchangers configured for exchanging heat between the coolant and several batteries of the vehicle, said several battery exchangers being interconnected by a battery coolant loop connected to the coolant circuit, and adapted to be isolated from the coolant circuit by the bypass line. Herntier teaches a thermoregulation system for an electric drive vehicle, the system comprising at least one group of battery exchangers (i.e cooling plate may also be of multi-part design. It is also possible for two, three or more mutually adjacent cooling plates 6 to be provided similarly to the arrangement of mutually adjacent battery modules) in parallel configured for exchanging heat between a coolant and several batteries (i.e three mutually adjacent battery module groups) of the vehicle (Figs. 1 & 3; [0037]-[0049]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to include at least one group of battery exchangers (6) in parallel configured for exchanging heat between a coolant and several batteries (i.e three battery module groups) of the vehicle in view of ensuring reliable uniform cooling of the battery modules as taught by Herntier ([0045]). It is noted that Saab already discloses isolating batteries along with dedicated exchangers from the coolant circuit via the bypass line as noted above. Furthermore, when Herntier’s battery exchangers are used to exchange heat between a coolant and several batteries in Saab’s modified configuration, the coolant in Saab’s coolant circuit is required to be connected to each duct (13) of the battery module groups in parallel such that the battery exchangers are interconnected to the coolant circuit.
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saab (US 2015/0034272 A1) in view of Johnston (US 2019/0118610 A1).
Regarding claims 7-8, Saab teaches the thermoregulation system of claim 1 but is silent as to a control unit adapted to control various working parameters of the thermoregulation system. However, the use of a control unit for controlling various working parameters of a thermoregulation system for an electric drive vehicle, including a valve allowing coolant circulation in a bypass line and a heating device for heating up a coolant circulating in a battery exchanger is known in view of Johnston ([0070]-[0081]). “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MPEP 2144.07.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 09/03/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to Applicant’s arguments that Saab does not fairly teach “a first temperature of the coolant in the first branch being lower than a second temperature of the coolant in the second branch”, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Specifically, applicant argues that there is no disclosure in Saab of creating a temperature difference between the battery 13 in branch 5 and the electrical component in branch 30 such that even if the fluid temperature in branch 5 decreases and the fluid temperature in branch 30 increases, there is no disclosure, either explicitly or implicitly, that the fluid temperature in branch 5 is lower than that in the branch 30 since their initial temperatures are unknown and not necessarily the same. However, contrary to applicant’s assertions, the fluid passing through the radiator 36 flows through the heat transfer loop 30 via pump 34 or via pump 7 before passing through the interconnection device 6 and flowing through the heat transfer loop 5 to heat the batteries 13 via battery heat exchanger 11 (see fig. 5). Saab explicitly discloses a heating mode for heating the temperature of the batteries 13 by flowing the heat transfer fluid through the batteries via pump 7 and the interconnection device 6 ([0081]) as well as another heating mode in which pump 34 is actuated so that the heat transfer fluid collects calories from electric components of the electric power train (Figs. 7 & 8; [0124]). Accordingly, the temperature of the heat transfer fluid leaving the radiator 36 would be expected to be lower than the temperature of the heat transfer fluid entering the battery exchanger since the temperature is necessarily raised (i.e by passing through the electric heat source 8) in order to provide the calories necessary to heat the batteries as illustrated in fig. 3 ([0081]-[0083]).
Thus, in view of the foregoing, claims 1-9 stand rejected.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL T ZEMUI whose telephone number is (571)272-4894. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BARBARA GILLIAM can be reached on (571)272-1330. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANAEL T ZEMUI/Examiner, Art Unit 1727