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 .
Response to Amendment
Upon consideration, the previous rejection of record was withdrawn in light of new amendments. However new rejection is applied to the amended claims. All changes made in the rejection are necessitated by the amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 13-16, 18-24, and 26-32 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 13-16, 18-24, and 26-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0014923 hereinafter Girmscheid in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2016/0248134 hereinafter Morse and U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2015/0214586 hereinafter Yeow.
Regarding Claims 13, 15-16, 18-19, 21, 24, 26-27, 29, and 31-32, Girmscheid teaches a battery module comprising: battery cells; and a battery cooler [1] that comprises a structure plate (cold plate) [2] (paragraph 38-39), wherein the structure plate (cold plate) [2] has top and bottom plates coupled to the battery cell and configured to circulate a refrigerant (coolant) through flow channels [8] thereof, wherein the structure plate (cold plate) [2] comprises an inlet and outlet ports [6] in fluid communication with the flow channels to absorb heat from the cooling surfaces, the flow channels being formed in a multi-path pattern defined by multiple channel sections that flow one into the other to form a serpentine counter flow pattern (see annotated figure 3 below, paragraphs 42-43), and the flow channels [8] comprising successive first, second, third and fourth channel sections, wherein the first channel section communicates with the inlet port [6], the fourth channel section communicates with the outlet port [6], and the first and fourth channel sections are in parallel adjacent relation to form a counterflow arrangement, and the flow channels having grooves formed downstream of the flow channels to provide uniform temperature gradient across the structure plate (see annotated figure 3 below).
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Girmscheid teaches a battery module as described above but does not specifically disclose that the battery module comprises a first group of battery cells, a second group of battery cells, and a cold plate arranged between the first and second group of battery cells.
However, Morse teaches a battery cooling system [100] that comprises first group battery cells [102], a second group of battery cells [102], and a cooling plate [104] disposed between the first and second group of battery cells (see figure 1), wherein the cooling plate [104] comprises coolant flow channels through which coolant is circulated to regulate the temperature of the battery packs (paragraph 31). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form such battery pack having the cooling system as described above before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Morse discloses that such configuration can provide mechanical strength to support that battery cells and effectively regulate the battery temperature (paragraphs 30-31).
With regards to the configuration of the turbulator, Morse teaches that the cooling plate [402] includes turbulator designs on one or more areas of the flow channel and further teaches that the turbulator may comprise one or more features defined by the flow channels configured to create more turbulent flow of coolant through the flow channels during operation, thereby improving thermal performance of the cooling system (paragraph 46).
Morse teaches that the turbulator can be incorporated into an area of a central coolant delivery system facilitating coolant flow and the turbulator may comprise a separate component mechanically affixed to a flow channel of the associated cooling plate [402] (i.e., a turbulator disposed in the downstream channel section of the coolant channel) (paragraphs 48-49, see annotated figure 10A and 10B).
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The use of a known technique (i.e., a turbulator disposed in the downstream channel section of the coolant channel) to improve similar products (devices) in the same way is likely to be obvious. (See MPEP § 2143, C.).
The combination does not specifically disclose that the turbulator is configured to reduce a temperature gradient of a cooling surface of the cold plate coupled to the battery cells when coolant flows in an unrestricted and free manner from the upstream channel section to the downstream channel section.
However, Yeow teaches a battery module incorporating a thermal management system (paragraph 33), the system comprises a plurality of battery cells [24] coupled to a composite cooling plate, wherein the composite cooling plate comprises heat spreaders [40a, 40b, 40c] made of the thermal pyrolytic graphite (TPG) (paragraphs 39-41 [i.e., heat spreaders functioning as the turbulator]). Yeow further teaches that the composite cooling plate having heat spreaders made of TPG is configured to reduce temperature gradient of the cooling surface of the plate and improve the uniformity of the cell temperature distribution (paragraphs 60-62).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form such composite cooling plate in the battery module before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Yeow discloses that such configuration can reduce temperature gradient of the cooling surface of the plate and improve the uniformity of the cell temperature distribution (paragraphs 60-62 [see MPEP § 2143, C as described above]).
The combination teaches that the turbulator can be incorporated into an area of a central coolant delivery system facilitating coolant flow and the turbulator may comprise a separate component mechanically affixed to a flow channel of the associated cooling plate [402] (paragraphs 48-49 of Morse disclose that a number of variations can be made to the flow channels with the turbulator features) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding Claim 14, 23, 30, the combination teaches that the structure plate (cold plate) [2] comprises a plate-like configuration which is defined by said top and bottom plates and defines first and second cooling surfaces which transfer heat from the battery cells to the refrigerant in the flow channels (see figure 1, paragraph 31 of Morse).
Regarding Claims 20 and 28, the combination teaches that the structure plate (cold plate) [2] comprises a plate-like configuration which is defined by said top and bottom plates and defines first and second cooling surfaces which transfer heat from the battery cells to the refrigerant in the flow channels (see figure 1 and paragraph 31 of Morse).
Regarding Claim 22, the combination teaches a thermal interface material disposed between the cooling plate and the battery cells (paragraph 43 of Morse).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752