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 .
The Applicant has amended dependent claims 3, 16, 22. The pending claims are claims 1-13 and claims 15-20, 22, 23.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/4/2025 has been entered.
Drawings
Applicant argues that the is a typographical error in the Specification regarding the labeling of the drawings. “The Specification is amended herein to refer only to Fig. 10 in each instance…The amendment is fully supported by the application as originally filed.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The Applicant teaches that the ”path the coolant travels sequentially within the first housing part 3a and the second housing part 3b creates a u-shape”. The Rejection is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 1-5 and 19-20, 22, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han, US 2011/0305930.
Regarding claim 1, Han teaches a battery cell tray (battery pack; Fig. 1-2) comprising:
a main body (50 ribs) having a plurality of holes extending therethrough from a first face to a second face (Fig. 1-2; ribs 50),
a plurality of battery cells (battery cells 10), each cell retained in a respective hole of the main body (Fig. 1-2);
wherein each cell protrudes out of the main body on both the first and the second faces (Fig. 3, 5, 6), further comprising one or more coolant flow openings within the cell tray to permit coolant flow to pass from one side of the cell tray to the other (0043; “an air circulation space for cooling secondary batteries 10”) (0045; ventilation paths 43).
Regarding claim 2, Han teaches wherein the cells (batteries 10) are supported by the cell tray substantially at the mid point of the cell (ribs, grooves; 0011) (Fig. 1-4).
Regarding claim 3, Han teaches wherein each cell has a pair of terminals (0039), one at each end (first end surfaces 10a; second end surfaces 10b), and wherein the terminals of each cell are exposed outside the main body of the cell tray (frame 40) and contained by the two enclosed regions of the two-part housing (two parts; top and bottom structures; Fig. 4-6) (0039; “terminals for electrically connecting secondary batteries 10 to external elements”).
Regarding claim 4, Han teaches wherein the cells (batteries 10) are configured in a staggered pattern across the longitudinal plane of the cell tray (Fig. 1-2).
Regarding claim 5, although Han does not teach wherein some cells have a reversed orientation with respect to other cells, the particular placement of the batteries was held to be an obvious matter of design choice (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). In addition, Han teaches a series or parallel connection (if some cells are reversed orientation, then 91 and 92 would be connected; if series orientation, then 91 is connected to other 91’s)(0046).
Regarding claim 19, Han teaches further comprising a plurality of flow openings (ventilation holes 40a; ventilation paths 53) (Fig. 2) within the cell tray to permit coolant flow to pass from one side of the cell tray to the other (Fig. 2, 5).
Regarding claim 20, Han teaches wherein the flow openings are larger towards the most distal part of the housing (0045; Fig. 2; ventilation holes 40a to ventilation paths 53).
Regarding claim 22, Han teaches the first enclosed region (two-parts; top and bottom structures in Fig. 4-6) is formed by first face of the cell tray (frame 40: Fig. 1; 0011) and a first part of the two-part housing enclosing first terminal ends of the plurality of battery cells (frame 40; Fig. 1; 0011), and the second enclosed region is formed by the second face of the cell tray (two parts; top and bottom structures; Fig. 4-6) and a second part of the two-part housing enclosing second terminal ends of the plurality of battery cells (frame 40; Fig. 1; 0011).
Regarding claim 23, Han teaches coolant flows (0043; “an air circulation space for cooling secondary batteries 10”) (0045; ventilation paths 43) in the module along the first face of the cell tray (battery pack; Fig. 1-2) to cool at least a first terminal (0039) of a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells, through the coolant flow openings to the second face of the cell tray, and along the second face of the cell tray to cool at least a second terminal (0039) of the battery cell of the plurality of battery cells (0035; 0043; 0063).
Although Han does not teach the “u-shape” through the module, Han teaches “ frame 40 may be formed by shaping a metallic material such as aluminum (Al) into a frame form” (0036), and one of ordinary skill in the art could provide a U-shape through the module, depending on one’s design choice.
8. Claim(s) 6-13, 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han, US 2011/0305930, in view of Osakabe et al., JP 2013008655.
Regarding claim 6, Han does not teach wherein a face of the main body has a recessed portion configured to receive a resin.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein a face of the main body has a recessed portion (battery holding hole 32) (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9) configured to receive a resin (0006-0008).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to add a resin to the recess because “the gap between the side of the battery and the battery facing side of the holder is filled with resin by flowing the resin into the gap and solidifying it, so the adhesive force between the resin and the battery and/or holder is used. The battery can be held in a holder. Therefore, the battery can be made more difficult to fall out of the holder than in the past.” (0006-0008).
Regarding claim 7, Han does not teach wherein the recessed portion extends around at least part of the end of a cell hole.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein the recessed portion (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9) extends around at least part of the end of a cell hole (battery holding hole 32).
Regarding claim 8, Han does not teach a battery cell tray according to claim 7, wherein multiple recessed portions (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9) are provided in a face, each recessed portion extending around at least part of the end of a respective cell hole (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9).
Regarding claim 8, Osakabe et al., teaches a battery cell tray (battery holding structure) (abstract) according to claim 7, wherein multiple recessed portions (first recess 51; second recess 60) are provided in a face, each recessed portion extending around at least part of the end of a respective cell hole (battery holding hole 32).
Regarding claim 9, Han does not teach wherein each cell hole has at least one recessed portion extending around at least part of an end of the hole.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein each cell hole (battery holding hole 32) has at least one recessed portion (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9) extending around at least part of an end of the hole (Fig. 5, 7-9).
Regarding claim 10, Han does not teach wherein the recessed portion extends around the ends of a plurality of the cell holes.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein the recessed portion (first recess 51; second recess 60) extends around the ends of a plurality of the cell holes) (battery holding hole 32) (Fig. 5, 7-9).
Regarding claim 11, Han does not teach wherein each recessed portion contains a resin for retaining the cells in the holes.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein each recessed portion contains a resin for retaining the cells in the holes (0006-0008).
Regarding claim 12, Han does not teach further comprising at least one recessed portion on each face.
Osakabe et al., teaches further comprising at least one recessed portion on each face (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9).
Regarding claim 13, Han does not teach wherein there is a step change between a cell hole and a respective recessed portion.
Osakabe et al., teaches wherein there is a step change between a cell hole (battery holding hole 32) and a respective recessed portion (first recess 51; second recess 60) (Fig. 5, 7-9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Osakabe et al., into Han because Osakabe teaches “to provide a battery holding structure that makes it more difficult for a battery to come out of a holder than in the past, and that can suppress the influence of the dimensions of the battery on the outermost shape of the holder.” (0005-0008).
Regarding claim 15, Han teaches wherein the cells are supported by the cell tray substantially at the mid point of the cell (frame, ribs, grooves; 0011) (Fig. 1-4).
Regarding claim 16, Han teaches wherein each cell has a pair of terminals, one at each end, and wherein the terminals of each cell are exposed outside the main body of the cell tray (0039; “terminals for electrically connecting secondary batteries 10 to external elements”).
Regarding claim 17, Han teaches wherein the cells (batteries 10) are configured in a staggered pattern (Fig. 1-3).
Regarding claim 18, although Han does not teach wherein some cells have a reversed orientation with respect to other cells (0039), the particular placement of the batteries was held to be an obvious matter of design choice (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950).
Response to Arguments
9. Applicant's arguments filed 9/4/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant argues that “Presumably, the Examiner is using the frame 40 of Han as the two-part housing forming two enclosed regions although doesn't specify it. Applicants respectfully request clarification as to how Han is being applied to show each and every element of the claim.”
Han teaches:
-30 battery group
-40 frame
-50 first ribs
-41 first side plate
-42 second side plate
-10 batteries
-50b first ends
-51 supporting groove
-20 battery rows
-53 ventilation paths
-50a second ends
-40a and 40b ventilation holes
-41b and 42b protrusion flanges
-10a and 10b first and second end surfaces
-58 first external surfaces
-49 second side surface
-48 first side surface
-150 and 160 and 170 first and second and third ribs
-153 and 163 ventilation paths
As seen in Fig. 5 of Han, the two-part housing is the frame 40 (one part of housing) and the 153 and 163 (ventilation paths) which is the second part of housing.
The Applicant argues that the “frame 40 of Han is clearly “open”.”
However, the two-part housing is the frame 40 (one part of housing) and the ventilation paths 153 and 163 which is the second part of housing.
The Applicant argues that “The Examiner has failed to provide any teaching or suggestion in Han of the desirability for the claimed flow path or equivalent functionality of configuring the frame 40 so that the flow path is u-shaped. Han's description that a frame 40 may be shaped into "a frame form" is not sufficient to assert it is design choice to create a frame form that ensures the coolant flows through the module along a u-shape path.”
Although Han does not teach a “desirability for the claimed flow path or equivalent functionality of configuring the frame 40 so that the flow path is u-shaped,” as seen in Fig. 5 of Han, the flow paths (ventilation paths 153 and 163) and frame (40) have configurations of u-shapes in Fig. 5. Additionally, regarding the shapes in the structure,
In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.).
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Barbara Gilliam can be reached at 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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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727