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 Status
All claim objections (Claims 9, 21, and 22) set forth in the Non-Final Rejection have been withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendments
Claims 10-20 remain withdrawn (non-elected invention)
Claims 1-6, 8, 9, 22, and 23 are under examination
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/8/2025 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Applicant states Ha et al. (KR 101026745 B1), the primary reference, does not disclose the new Claim 1 limitation the lower case includes a bottom surface supporting the plurality of battery cells, and side surfaces facing each other in the first direction and covering lateral sides of the battery stack. Applicant observes the lower case 420 of Ha does not include side surfaces facing each other in the first direction and covering lateral sides of the battery stack as presently claimed. Applicant states the remaining references cited in the rejection do not cure the deficiency of Ha.
Applicant’s new limitations are supported by the instant disclosure. Examiner agrees Ha does not disclose the lower case 420 comprises side surfaces facing each other in the first direction and covering lateral sides of the battery stack. Examiner also agrees the secondary references do not cure the deficiency of Ha. After an updated search per the amended claims, Ha’s battery module is no longer the closest prior art to the claimed invention. The claimed battery module remains obvious, but over primary reference Oh et al., US 20220115736 A1 (see enclosed PTO-892).
See updated grounds and rejection below.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh et al., US 20220115736 A1 (see enclosed PTO-892), and further in view of Chen et al., CN 112310552 A (English-equivalent US 20220140432 A1 used for citations; cited on previous PTO-892).
Regarding Claim 1, Oh discloses a battery module (battery module [0040-0051], Figs. 3 and 9-10), comprising:
a case (sealed cover comprising frame 200 and two end plates 400 [0049], Figs. 3 and 8) including a front case (end plate 400 covering front surface of the battery cell stack 100 [0041], Annotated Fig. 9), and a rear case opposing the front case (end plate 400 covering rear surface of the battery cell stack 100 [0041, 0049], Annotated Fig. 9), an upper case and a lower case opposing the upper case (frame 200 [0045], Annotated Fig. 3 for upper case and lower case);
a battery stack including a plurality of battery cells stacking in a first direction (battery cell stack 100 comprising a plurality of battery cells 110 [0041], Annotated Fig. 3 for first direction), the battery stack is accommodated in the case (frame 200 accommodates the battery cell stack 100 [0041-0045]), and each of the plurality of battery cells includes a first electrode lead protruding in a second direction toward the front case (electrode leads 111 protruding from the electrode assembly to opposite sides thereof [0042], Annotated Fig. 3 for first electrode leads and second direction), and a second electrode lead protruding in the second direction toward the rear case (electrode leads 111 [0042], Annotated Fig. 3 for second electrode leads), wherein the first and second directions are perpendicular to each other (Annotated Fig. 3),
and wherein the lower case includes a bottom surface supporting the plurality of battery cells (Annotated Fig. 3 for bottom surface), and side surfaces facing each other in the first direction and covering lateral sides of the battery stack (Annotated Fig. 3 for side surface).
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Oh – Annotated Fig. 3
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Oh – Annotated Fig. 9
Oh discloses a plurality of venting holes disposed along the first direction on the front case and along the first direction on the rear case and facing the second direction (plurality of venting holes 410’ [0068], Figs. 9-10), but Oh does not disclose the venting holes comprise a plurality of flame blocking members, each of the plurality of flame blocking members includes a plurality of exhaust passages connecting an inside and an outside of the case together, and a partition wall part disposed between the plurality of exhaust passages, wherein the plurality of flame blocking members is disposed along the first direction on the front case and along the first direction on the rear case and facing the second direction. However, Chen discloses a flame blocking member disposed in a venting hole.
Chen discloses a battery module (battery module P30 [0052-0053], Fig. 1) having a plurality of vent holes (two explosion-proof valves P10 shown in Fig. 1), wherein each vent hole has a flame blocking member disposed therein (each explosion-proof valve P10 has a flame arresting disk 112 [0056-0063], Fig. 6). Chen discloses the flame blocking members (112) have a plurality of exhaust passages connecting an inside and an outside of a case together (channels 112a [0059-0060], Fig. 7), and a partition wall part is disposed between the plurality of exhaust passages (a corrugated thin plate material and a flat plate material [0060]). Chen discloses a flame arresting disk disposed in a vent hole extinguishes flames and sparks, which prevents high-temperature thermal runaway gas from causing significant safety problems ([0055-0059]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to insert the flame blocking member disclosed by Chen, into each venting hole on the front and rear case of Oh, in order to vent Oh’s battery module with an added benefit of extinguishing flames and sparks.
As Oh’s venting holes 410’ are disposed along the first direction on the front case and along the first direction on the rear case and facing the second direction, the flame blocking member of Chen (112) would also be disposed along the first direction on the front case and along the first direction on the rear case and facing the second direction:
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Modified Oh
Regarding Claim 2, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the plurality of flame blocking members has a thickness in the second direction, and the plurality of exhaust passages and the partition wall part extend in the second direction (Chen, flame arresting disk 112 has a partition wall thickness and exhaust passage direction in “thickness direction T” [0061], Fig. 6; “thickness direction T” is consistent with Oh’s second direction).
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Chen – Fig. 6
Regarding Claim 3, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the plurality of flame blocking members (Chen, flame arresting disk 112) includes sheet members having a corrugated form (Chen, [0022-0023, 0060]), and the plurality of exhaust passages are defined by spaces formed between the sheet members (Chen, flow channels [0059-0060]).
Regarding Claim 4, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the plurality of flame blocking members (Chen, flame arresting disk 112) has a shape in which a first sheet member (Chen, flat plate material [0060]) and a second sheet member (Chen, corrugated thin plate material [0060]) disposed on the first sheet member are wound (Chen, [0060], Fig. 7), and the plurality of exhaust passages include spaces formed between the first sheet member and the second sheet member, and the partition wall part includes the first sheet member and the second sheet member (Chen, [0059-0060], Fig. 7).
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Chen – Fig. 7
Regarding Claim 5, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the first sheet member is flat (Chen, flat plate material [0060]) and the second sheet member includes a plurality of uneven portions (Chen, corrugated thin plate material [0060]).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the second sheet member has a form in which a plurality of valleys and a plurality of ridges are alternately arranged (Chen, corrugated thin plate material [0060], Fig. 7).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Oh, or in the alternative, modified Oh further in view of Sugeno, US 20190334143 A1 (cited on previous PTO-892).
Regarding Claim 8, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh discloses the plurality of flame blocking members includes irregular holes, and the irregular holes constitute at least a portion of the plurality of exhaust passages (Chen, flame arresting disk 112 provides zigzag flow channels for flames [0060]).
Note: Applicant discloses “irregular holes” have a structure similar to a sponge at [0078-0079] of the published application. Should modified Oh’s disclosure not be sufficient, irregular holes with a sponge structure are disclosed by Sugeno.
Sugeno discloses a battery pack tray lid comprising a sponge layer, wherein the sponge layer functions as a fire wall with numerous exhaust passages ([0061-0062]). Sugeno discloses the sponge layer prevents surrounding batteries from catching fire, and the sponge also prevents other battery components from being rubbed, scratched, or perforated ([0062]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a sponge flame blocking member with irregular holes, as disclosed by Sugeno, in the flame blocking member of modified Oh, in order to prevent surrounding batteries from catching fire, as well as prevent other battery components from being rubbed, scratched, or perforated.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Oh as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Franssen et al., “Fire Design of Steel Structures - Annex A: Thermal Data for Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel Sections,” 2010, pg. 319-345 (cited on previous PTO-892).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh does not disclose the flame blocking member includes a material having a thermal conductivity of 5W/mK or more. However, modified Oh discloses the flame arresting disk may be made of a stainless steel sheet (Chen, [0060]). Although modified Oh does not disclose the exact grade of stainless steel, Franssen et al. discloses the k value of stainless steel is ≥ 15 W/mK across various operating temperatures (pg. 336-337, Fig. A.5).
Additionally, without showing unexpected results, the claimed thermal conductivity of 5W/mK or more cannot be considered critical. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current would have optimized, by routine experimentation, thermal conductivity of the flame blocking member of modified Oh to be within the claimed range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of the claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. [MPEP 2144.05].
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Franssen et al. – Fig. A.5
Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Oh as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Miyawaki, US 20170033343 A1 (see enclosed PTO-892).
Regarding Claims 22 and 23, modified Oh discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Oh does not disclose the plurality of flame blocking members is disposed at a lower level than the first electrode lead and the second electrode lead (Claim 21), and disposed on a lower portion of the front case and the rear case (Claim 23). However, the importance of having a battery gas discharge portion at the lowest area of a module casing side wall is disclosed by Miyawaki.
Miyawaki discloses a gas discharge portion 50 with a plurality of openings 51 is positioned at a lowermost position of a battery module side wall 14 ([0054, 0088, Fig. 4). Miyawaki discloses by disposing at least a portion of the openings at the lowermost position of the side wall, a foreign substance such as rain water can exit the case, and the gas discharged from the module is safely directed away from the top portion, where a user may be present ([0023-0027, 0090-0091]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place the plurality of flame blocking members at a lower level than the first electrode lead and the second electrode lead, in the battery module of modified Oh, as Miyawaki discloses safety advantages for discharging gas from a lowermost portion of a battery module sidewall.
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Miyawaki – Fig. 4
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 BETHANY C GARCIA whose telephone number is (571)272-2475. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 0800 - 1730 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allison Bourke can be reached at 303-297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BETHANY C GARCIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721