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 .
Summary
The Applicants arguments and claim amendments received December 15, 2025 have been entered into the file. Currently, claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, and 11-19 have been amended; and claim 7 has been cancelled; resulting in claims 1-6 and 8-20 pending for examination.
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 16-19 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.
Regarding claims 6 and 16-19, the claims recite the limitation "the third longitudinal direction" in line 4 of claims 6, 16, 17, and 18, and the limitation "the third direction" in line 4 of claim 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, the “third longitudinal direction” and “third direction” are both interpreted as the direction in which the battery cells are stacked.
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 1-3, 6, 8-10, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Volker, et al. (DE 102015214184 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Volker teaches a battery module for a motor vehicle (¶ [0001], Ln. 1). The battery module comprises a cell assembly with a plurality of battery cells arranged adjacent to each other in one direction of extension of the battery module (¶ [0008], Ln. 1-4). As shown in Figure 19, the module arrangement includes multiple cell assemblies enclosed by frames, including a first module (first receiving area) with a first plurality of battery cells disposed in the first module and a second module (second receiving area) with a second plurality of battery cells disposed in the second module, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged next to each other in a y-direction. The housing includes a support structure (16; housing base) designed to support the battery cells, which bounds the modules with respect to a first direction (¶ [0048], Ln. 1-2; Fig. 3). The housing also includes side walls (32, 34), which bound the modules with respect to a second direction. Volker teaches that the battery module includes cell connectors (30; conductor rails). Each battery cell has two connection elements (28; cell pole connections) on the upper side of the battery cell, and the cell connector (30) makes connection between battery cells at the connection elements (28) (¶ [0051], Ln. 1-7; Fig. 12). Volker teaches that the side walls include a coolant inlet and distribution channel (¶ [0057], Ln. 1-4) and include a receiving area (42) for the cell connector, making the top portion of the side wall a heat conducting element and the receiving area (42) a coupling device (Fig. 4, Fig. 12). Insulation (82) is arranged in the receiving area (42) to electrically isolate the cell connector (30) from the side wall (¶ [0078], Ln. 9-12). As the receiving area (42) is filled with insulation, the insulation fills the entire area between the cell connector and the top portion of the side wall, including the z-direction. With this configuration, the cell connector (30; conductor rail) is arranged on a connection element (28; cell pole connection), the insulation (82) is arranged on the cell connector (30; conductor rail), and a first connection area of the top portion of the side wall (heat conducting element) is arranged on the insulation (82).
Regarding claim 2, Volker teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the side walls include a distribution channel (44), through which coolant can flow (¶ [0057], Ln. 1-2, ¶ [0058], Ln. 7-10).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Volker teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 2 above and further teaches that the first and/or second side walls are preferably made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy (¶ [0016], Ln. 4-5).
Regarding claims 6 and 16-17, Volker teaches all of the limitations of claims 1-3 above and further teaches that the plurality of battery cells are juxtaposed in a longitudinal direction, with the adjacent pairs of battery cells in the longitudinal direction being electrically connected by the cell connectors (30), as shown in Figure 11.
Regarding claim 8, Volker teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that each battery cell has two connection elements on the upper side of the battery cell (¶ [0051], Ln. 5-6). As shown in Figure 10, the cell modules are arranged such that the first connection elements are closer to one side wall than the second connection elements, and the first connection elements are arranged along an imaginary line extending parallel to the side walls.
Regarding claim 9, Volker teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches that the module arrangement includes multiple cell assemblies enclosed by frames, as shown in Figures 10 and 19. Also shown in these figures, each battery cell in the second cell module is arranged in the same way as the cells in the first module, such that the battery cells in the second module have two connection elements on the upper side of the battery cell (¶ [0051], Ln. 5-6), side walls separating the modules with respect to a second direction, and cell connectors connecting the connection elements and connecting to the upper side of the side walls (heat conducting element). The side walls include a receiving area (42) for the cell connector, making the top portion of the side wall a heat conducting element and the receiving area (42) a second coupling device (Fig. 4, Fig. 12). Therefore, the second cell module includes a third connection area wherein the cell connector connects the second connection elements to the top portion of the side wall (heat conducting element).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-6 and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo et al. (US 12,002,939 B2) in view of Obrist, et al. (US PGPub 2014/0178737 A1), and further in view of Omura, et al. (US PGPub 2021/0296721 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 4-5, and 20, Yoo teaches a battery module to be used in a vehicle (Col. 13, Ln. 29-32). The battery module includes a battery tray (230; battery housing) with a support portion (231; housing base) including side portions (235; side walls) (Col. 7, Ln. 54-58) and a cooling member (220; side wall) fixed to the support portion (Col. 11, Ln. 11-14). The support portion, cooling member (220; side wall), and additional side walls (235) form a first receiving area for a first row (first cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) and a second receiving area for a second row (second cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) (Col. 6, Ln. 38-45; Fig. 2). As demonstrated in Figure 2, the support portion bounds the first receiving area with respect to the z-direction (first direction) and the cooling member and side walls bound the receiving area with respect to the x-direction (second direction). Also shown in Figure 2, the rows of secondary batteries located in the first receiving area and second receiving area are arranged next to each other in a y-direction and the battery terminals (cell poles) are on the upper sides. The cooling member is formed as a cooling wall (220). Additionally, Yoo teaches that bus bars (272; conductor rails) are configured to electrically connect the plurality of secondary batteries and may have a plate shape (Col. 8, Ln. 24-27; Fig. 4). The bus bars connect the terminal of one secondary battery to the terminal of another secondary battery (conductor rails arranged on a first cell pole connection of the pair of cell pole connections) (Col. 8, Ln. 27-33).
Yoo does not expressly teach that the battery has a heat conducting element. Thus, Yoo also does not teach that the heat conducting element extends over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars (conductor rail) interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contacts the side walls.
Obrist teaches a battery that can be used in an electrically operated vehicle (¶ [0057], Ln. 7-8) with a housing (2) and cell blocks (3-6; receiving areas) which hold rows (cell stacks) of rod cells (7; battery cells) (¶ [0033], Ln. 1-4). Figures 1 and 2 show the cell blocks and rod cells with the cell poles facing upwards. Obrist additionally teaches a heat exchange pocket (19) formed by walls (21 and 22) which separates the cell blocks from each other (¶ [0041], Ln. 5-6; Fig. 1). An electrical contact plate (15; heat conducting element) extends over the rows of rod cells (7; battery cells) and connects them to one another in parallel or in series (¶ [0036], Ln. 1-5). The electrical contact plate (15; heat conducting element) is also in heat-conducting contact with the heat exchange pocket (19) through the walls (21 and 22) in order to dissipate heat produced in the rod cells (¶ [0041], 1-6). With this design, the electrical contact plate extends over the top of the cell poles and connects the cell poles to the walls of the heat exchange pocket. Obrist teaches that the cooling of cells is more effective if it takes place directly by way of their poles, rather than by way of their casing (¶ [0011], Ln. 1-5). Obrist further teaches that the electrical contact plate is formed from a metal sheet so that it can easily be punched out in a suitable shape and size (¶ [0015], Ln. 1-3), and as shown in Figure 2, extends over the cells continuously.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the battery module of Yoo to include an electrical contact plate (heat conducting element) formed from a metal sheet that is in contact with the cooling member and the terminals of the secondary batteries, based on the teachings of Obrist. It would be obvious to include an electrical contact plate that connects to a battery terminal via the bus bar, and also connects to the cooling member situated between the rows of secondary batteries in order to cool the secondary batteries directly by way of their terminals, rather than by way of their casing. One would be motivated to do this in order to cool the cells more effectively. Additionally, one would be motivated to form the electrical contact plate from a metal sheet as taught by Obrist so that it can be easily punched out in a suitable size and shape. In including the electrical contact plate such that it is a metal sheet that contacts the terminals of the secondary batteries and the cooling member situated between the rows of secondary batteries, the electrical contact plate would extend over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contact the side walls, forming a second connection area.
Although Yoo teaches that the bus bars (272; conductor rails) are configured to connect the plurality of secondary batteries to each other via connection to the positive and negative electrode terminals, and Obrist teaches an electrical contact plate (heat conducting element) used to connect the cell poles to the walls of the heat exchange pocket (21 and 22), the combination of references does not expressly teach a coupling device further comprising an electrical insulation arranged between the bus bar and the electrical contact plate and configured to fill an entire area in a z-direction between the bus bar and the electrical contact plate, such that the bus bar is arranged on the electrode terminal, electrical insulation is arranged on the bus bar, and a first connection area of the electrical contact plate is arranged on the electrical insulation. Yoo therefore additionally does not teach electrical insulation that completely fills a space between the electrical contact plate and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction.
Omura teaches a battery pack including a battery pack case (10; battery housing), a plurality of battery groups (21; cell stacks), and a cooling plate (50) (¶ [0053], Ln. 17-21, [0054], Ln. 1-3); Fig. 1). The battery groups contain a plurality of batteries (31; battery cells) which are arranged in a stacking direction in the x-direction (third direction) (¶ [0053], Ln. 17-21). Bus bars (40; conductor rails, coupling devices) connect the positive terminal (42; cell pole) of one to the negative terminal (43; cell pole) of another battery and are plate-shaped members made from a conductive material such as metal (¶ [0059], Ln. 1-8). The batteries are arranged so that the output terminals (42, 43; cell poles) are located on the upper side, and the cooling plate (50) is in contact with the bus bar (¶ [0055], Ln. 1-7). Omura additionally teaches that the bus bar includes an insulating part (40b; electrical insulation), which covers the lower face of the bus bar and is formed from an insulating material such as a silicon-based resin (plastic) (¶ [0069], Ln. 4-13). Omura teaches that the insulating part insulates the metal part of the bus bar from the cooling plate, which reliably prevents a short circuit between the batteries (¶ [0079]-[0080]). As shown in Figure 2, the insulating part is located between the bus bar and the cooling plate, spanning the entire distance between the two elements in the z-direction (configured to fill an entire area in a z-direction between the conductor rail and the heat conducting element).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the bus bars (272; conductor rails) of Yoo to include an insulating part (coupling device comprising electrical insulation) made of silicon-based resin in between the metal of the bus bar and the electrical contact plate (heat conducting element) based on the teachings of Omura. In doing so, the insulating part would be arranged between an area of the upper side of the secondary battery and the electrical contact plate so that the insulating part fills the area between the two elements in the z-direction. One would be motivated to make this modification in order to insulate the metal part of the bus bar from the electrical contact plate, reliably preventing short circuit between the secondary batteries. With this configuration, the bus bar would arranged on the electrode terminal, the insulating part would be arranged on the bus bar, and a first connection area of the electrical contact plate would be arranged on the electrical insulation. Additionally, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the insulating part would completely fill a space between the electrical contact plate and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction, in order to reliably prevent short circuit between the metal of the bus bar from the electrical contact plate.
Regarding claim 2, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura, teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and Yoo additionally teaches that the cooling member (220; side wall) has a coolant channel (228; integrated cooling channel) for coolant to circulate (Col. 10, Ln. 41-47). Yoo does not expressly teach that each side wall has a coolant channel for coolant to circulate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the additional side walls of Yoo to include coolant channels. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that, with the combination of references, cooling is achieved by way of the cell terminals contacting the cooling side wall through the electrical contact plate. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to include additional cooling channels in the side walls contacting the electrical contact plate in order to achieve better cooling. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to include the additional coolant channels in the same way the coolant channels are included in the first cooling member in order to more effectively cool the battery cells.
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura, teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 2 above. Obrist further teaches that the electrical contact plate (15; heat conducting element) is made from a metal sheet (¶ [0015], Ln. 1-3). Obrist teaches that the plate should be a metal sheet in order to provide good conduction and corrosion resistance (¶ [0015], Ln. 1-4). Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura does not expressly teach a heat conducting element formed of aluminum.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the electrical contact plate (heat conducting element) from aluminum, based on the teachings of Obrist that the plate should be a metal sheet with good conduction and heat resistance. One of ordinary skill in the art would know that aluminum is well-known for having high thermal conductivity and is resistant to corrosion. Additionally, aluminum is commonly used in battery housings for its light weight and high strength.
Regarding claims 6 and 16-19, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura, teaches all of the limitations of claims 1-5 above, and Yoo additionally teaches a plurality of secondary batteries (first cell stack) arranged in a longitudinal direction (Col. 6, Ln. 3-5; Fig. 1). Yoo also teaches that the terminal of a secondary battery is electrically connected to the terminal of another secondary battery in the stack (Col. 8, Ln. 29-32) by a bus bar (272; conductor rail). It can be seen in Figure 4 that the bus bars connect adjacent pairs of secondary batteries in the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 8, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura, teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, and Yoo additionally teaches that the secondary batteries have two terminals (Fig. 2, Ref. 111 and 112) facing upwards (a first and second cell pole connection on the upper side). As seen in Figure 2, there are two rows (first and second cell stacks) of secondary batteries in respective receiving areas formed by the battery tray and cooling member. Figure 2 also shows the positioning of the secondary batteries in the stack, such that the one terminal is closer to the cooling member and the other terminal is closer to the other side wall. The terminals are arranged in the y-direction, parallel to the cooling member.
Regarding claim 9, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura, teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, and Yoo teaches that the row of secondary batteries in the second row have battery terminals on the upper sides, with the cooling wall separating the first receiving area from the second receiving area, as shown in Figure 2. Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura teach an electrical contact plate (heat conducting element) formed from a metal sheet that is in contact with the cooling member and the terminals of the secondary batteries and an insulating part (coupling device comprising electrical insulation) made of silicon-based resin in between the metal of the bus bar and the electrical contact plate. The combination of references does not expressly teach a second insulating part creating a third connection area to the third terminal connections of each secondary battery in the second row.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the battery module of Yoo to include the electrical contact plate and insulating part over the second row of secondary batteries in the same manner as the first row of secondary batteries. One of ordinary skill in the art would use the same method of cooling the secondary batteries for each row of secondary batteries in a module. In duplicating the method of cooling for the second row of secondary batteries, the module would include a third connection area connecting to the third terminal connections of each secondary battery via the second insulating part.
Regarding claims 11-12, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura teaches all of the limitations of claims 2-3 above. As detailed above, in applying the teachings of Obrist and Omura to the battery module of Yoo, the insulating part would completely fill a space between the electrical contact plate and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction.
Regarding claims 13-15, Yoo in view of Obrist and Omura teaches all of the limitations of claims 2-4 above. As detailed above, in applying the teachings of Obrist and Omura to the battery module of Yoo, the electrical contact plate would extend over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contact the side walls.
Claims 1-6 and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo et al. (US 12,002,939 B2) in view of Bernath, et al. (WO2023110543 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 4-5, and 20, Yoo teaches a battery module to be used in a vehicle (Col. 13, Ln. 29-32). The battery module includes a battery tray (230; battery housing) with a support portion (231; housing base) including side portions (235; side walls) (Col. 7, Ln. 54-58) and a cooling member (220; side wall) fixed to the support portion (Col. 11, Ln. 11-14). The support portion, cooling member (220; side wall), and additional side walls (235) form a first receiving area for a first row (first cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) and a second receiving area for a second row (second cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) (Col. 6, Ln. 38-45; Fig. 2). As demonstrated in Figure 2, the support portion bounds the first receiving area with respect to the z-direction (first direction) and the cooling member and side walls bound the receiving area with respect to the x-direction (second direction). Also shown in Figure 2, the rows of secondary batteries located in the first receiving area and second receiving area are arranged next to each other in a y-direction and the battery terminals (cell poles) are on the upper sides. The cooling member is formed as a cooling wall (220). Additionally, Yoo teaches that bus bars (272; conductor rails) are configured to electrically connect the plurality of secondary batteries and may have a plate shape (Col. 8, Ln. 24-27; Fig. 4). The bus bars connect the terminal of one secondary battery to the terminal of another secondary battery (conductor rails arranged on a first cell pole connection of the pair of cell pole connections) (Col. 8, Ln. 27-33).
Yoo does not expressly teach that the battery has a heat conducting element. Thus, Yoo also does not teach that the heat conducting element extends over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars (conductor rail) interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contacts the side walls.
Bernath teaches an electrical energy storage device for use in a motor vehicle (¶ [0003], Ln. 21-23). The electrical energy storage device includes several battery cells (11) which are clamped together to form battery cell groups (cell stacks) (¶ [0051], Ln. 575-576). The battery cells have contact poles (cell poles) which are arranged on the upper side of the battery cells (¶ [0053], Ln. 598-603). In order to cool the battery cells, Bernath teaches a temperature control plate (30) which spans the entire battery cell group (¶ [0056], Ln. 638-642). Bernath also teaches a heat conducting device (40; heat conducting element) which is located between the temperature control plate and battery cells (11) (¶ [0062], Ln. 727-729). The heat conducting device includes a contact rail (42a; conductor rail; coupling device), which directly connects the contact poles to each other (¶ [0067], Ln. 800-801). Bernath teaches that the heat conducting device allows for direct temperature control of the electrical components by enabling transport of heat between the temperature control plate and the contact poles (¶ [0014], Ln. 139-147).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the battery module of Yoo to include a heat conducting device (heat conducting element) that is in contact with the cooling member (220; side wall) and the terminals of the secondary batteries, and that extends continuously over terminals of the secondary batteries and the bus bars, connecting the first terminals, based on the teachings of Bernath. It would be obvious to include a heat conducting device that connects to a battery terminal via the bus bar, and also connects to the cooling member situated between the rows of secondary batteries in order to control the temperature of the electrical components. One would be motivated to do this in order to allow for direct temperature control of the electrical components. In including the heat conducting device such that it connects to a battery terminal via the bus bar, and also connects to the cooling member situated between the rows of secondary batteries, the heat conducting device would extend over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contact the side walls, forming a second connection area.
Yoo does not expressly teach that the bus bar comprises electrical insulation, wherein the electrical insulation is arranged between the bus bars and the heat conducting device and configured to fill an entire area in a z-direction between the bus bars and the heat conducting device such that the bus bar is arranged on the electrode terminal, electrical insulation is arranged on the bus bar, and a first connection area of the heat conducting device is arranged on the electrical insulation. Yoo therefore additionally does not teach electrical insulation that completely fills a space between the heat conducting device and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction.
Bernath teaches that insulation (60-62; electrical insulation) is included in the electrical energy storage device (¶ [0067], Ln. 804-805). Bernath teaches that electrical insulation is made of plastic (¶ [0023], Ln. 270-272). Figure 3C demonstrates arrangements of insulation wherein the insulation (61, 62; electrical insulation) is arranged between the contact rail (42a; conductor rail; coupling device) and the wall (41a) of the heat conducting device, and additionally between the upper side of the battery cell and the heat conducting device (Fig. 3C). In this configuration, the insulation covers any area of the contact rail that could contact the heat conducting device. Bernath teaches that the insulation provides galvanic isolation between the electrically conductive components, specifically in the case where the heat conducting device is made of an electrically conductive material (¶ [0067], Ln. 805-808).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the bus bars of Yoo to include a plastic insulation (coupling device comprising electrical insulation) in between the metal of the bus bar and the heat conducting device based on the teachings of Bernath. In doing so, the insulation would be arranged between an area of the upper side of the secondary battery and the heat conducting device so that the insulating part fills the area between the two elements, preventing contact between the two, which would fill the area in a z-direction. One would be motivated to make this modification in order to insulate the metal part of the bus bars from the electrically conductive heat conducting device, reliably providing galvanic isolation between electrically conductive components. With this configuration, the bus bar would arranged on the electrode terminal, the insulation would be arranged on the bus bar, and a first connection area of the heat conducting device would be arranged on the electrical insulation. Additionally, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the insulating part would completely fill a space between the heat conducting device and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction, in order to reliably isolate the metal part of the bus bar from the electrically conductive heat conducting device.
Regarding claim 2, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 above and Yoo additionally teaches that the cooling member (220; side wall) has a coolant channel (228; integrated cooling channel) for coolant to circulate (Col. 10, Ln. 41-47). Yoo does not expressly teach that each side wall has a coolant channel for coolant to circulate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the additional side walls of Yoo to include coolant channels. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that, with the combination of references, cooling is achieved by way of the cell terminals contacting the cooling side wall through the electrical contact plate. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to include additional cooling channels in the side walls contacting the electrical contact plate in order to achieve better cooling. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to include the additional coolant channels in the same way the coolant channels are included in the first cooling member in order to more effectively cool the battery cells.
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 2 above. Bernath teaches that the heat conducting device (40; heat conducting element) is made from metal to ensure good heat conduction (¶ [0061], Ln. 715-716). Yoo in view of Bernath does not expressly teach a heat conducting element formed of aluminum.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to make the heat conducting device from aluminum, based on the teachings of Bernath that the device should be metal to ensure good heat conduction. One of ordinary skill in the art would know that aluminum is well-known for having high thermal conductivity. Additionally, aluminum is commonly used in battery housings for its light weight and high strength.
Regarding claims 6 and 16-19, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claims 1-5 above, and Yoo additionally teaches a plurality of secondary batteries (first cell stack) arranged in a longitudinal direction (Col. 6, Ln. 3-5; Fig. 1). Yoo also teaches that the terminal of a secondary battery is electrically connected to the terminal of another secondary battery in the stack (Col. 8, Ln. 29-32) by a bus bar (272; conductor rail). It can be seen in Figure 4 that the bus bars connect adjacent pairs of secondary batteries in the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 8, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, and Yoo additionally teaches that the secondary batteries have two terminals (Fig. 2, Ref. 111 and 112) facing upwards (a first and second cell pole connection on the upper side). As seen in Figure 2, there are two rows (first and second cell stacks) of secondary batteries in respective receiving areas formed by the battery tray and cooling member. Figure 2 also shows the positioning of the secondary batteries in the stack, such that the one terminal is closer to the cooling member and the other terminal is closer to the other side wall. The terminals are arranged in the y-direction, parallel to the cooling member.
Regarding claim 9, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, and Yoo additionally teaches that the row of secondary batteries in the second row have battery terminals on the upper sides, with the cooling wall separating the first receiving area from the second receiving area, as shown in Figure 2. Yoo in view of Bernath teaches a heat conducting device (heat conducting element) that is in contact with the cooling member (220; side wall) and the terminals of the secondary batteries, and that extends continuously over terminals of the secondary batteries and the bus bars, and insulation arranged between an area of the upper side of the secondary battery and the heat conducting device so that the insulating part fills the area between the two elements. The combination of references does not expressly teach a second insulating part creating a third connection area to the third terminal connections of each secondary battery in the second row.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the battery module of Yoo to include the heat conducting device and insulating part over the second row of secondary batteries in the same manner as the first row of secondary batteries. One of ordinary skill in the art would use the same method of cooling the secondary batteries for each row of secondary batteries in a module. In duplicating the method of cooling for the second row of secondary batteries, the module would include a third connection area connecting to the third terminal connections of each secondary battery via the second insulating part.
Regarding claims 11-12, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claims 2-3 above. As detailed above, in applying the teachings of Bernath to the battery module of Yoo, the insulating part would completely fill a space between the heat conducting device and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction.
Regarding claims 13-15, Yoo in view of Bernath teaches all of the limitations of claims 2-4 above. As detailed above, in applying the teachings of Bernath to the battery module of Yoo, the electrical contact plate would extend over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contact the side walls.
Response to Arguments
Response-Claim Objections
The previous rejection of claim 1 for minor informalities has been overcome by the Applicant’s amendment to claim 1 in the response filed December 15, 2025.
Response-Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 112
The previous rejections of claims 1 and 8, and by dependency claims 2-6 and 8-20 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 have been overcome by the Applicant’s amendments to claims 1 and 8 in the response filed December 15, 2025. However, in the light of the amendments, new issues under 112(b) are presented in the office action above.
Response-Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 103
In light of the Applicant’s amendments to claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, and 11-19 in the response filed December 15, 2025, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 under Yoo et al. (US 12,002,939 B2) in view of Obrist, et al. (US PGPub 2014/0178737 A1), and further in view of Omura, et al. (US PGPub 2021/0296721 A1) and under Yoo et al. (US 12,002,939 B2) in view of Bernath, et al. (WO2023110543 A1) have been modified in the office action above. Any arguments with respect to the references still deemed valid will be addressed herein.
The Applicant argues that Yoo does not teach a first receiving area and a second receiving area with a first cell stack disposed in the first receiving area and second cell stack disposed in the second receiving area; that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura provide the claimed structural arrangement of the conductor rail arranged on a first cell pole connection, the electrical insulation arranged on the conductor rail, and a first connection area of the heat conducting element arranged on the electrical insulation; that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura disclose electrical insulation completely filling a space between the heat conducting element and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first cell pole connection, and the conductor rail in the first direction; that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura disclose that the heat conducting element extends over all first cell pole connections and the conductor rail interconnecting the first cell pole connections and directly contacts the plurality of side walls in a second connection area; and that Yoo does not disclose that the first cell stack comprises a plurality of battery cells juxtaposed in a stack longitudinal direction and only adjacent pairs of the first battery cells juxtaposed in the third longitudinal direction are electrically connected via a plurality of conductor rails.
With respect to the argument, see pages 9-10 of the remarks, that Yoo does not teach a first receiving area and a second receiving area with a first cell stack disposed in the first receiving area and second cell stack disposed in the second receiving area, this argument is not persuasive. As shown in Figure 2, the battery module includes a battery tray (230; battery housing) with a support portion (231; housing base) including side portions (235; side walls) (Col. 7, Ln. 54-58) and a cooling member (220; first side wall) fixed to the support portion (Col. 11, Ln. 11-14). The support portion, cooling member (220; first side wall), and additional side walls (235) form a first receiving area for a row (first cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) and a second receiving area for a second row (second cell stack) of secondary batteries (battery cells) (Col. 6, Ln. 38-45; Fig. 2).
With respect to the argument, see pages 10-11 of the remarks, that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura provide the claimed structural arrangement of the conductor rail arranged on a first cell pole connection, the electrical insulation arranged on the conductor rail, and a first connection area of the heat conducting element arranged on the electrical insulation, this argument is not persuasive. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
With respect to the argument, see page 11 of the remarks, that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura disclose electrical insulation completely filling a space between the heat conducting element and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first cell pole connection, and the conductor rail in the first direction, this argument is not persuasive. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). In using the teachings of Omura and Bernath to provide insulation, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the insulating part would completely fill a space between the electrical contact plate/heat conducting device and an assembly comprising a respective battery cell, the first connection to the battery terminal, and the bus bar in the first direction, in order to reliably insulate the metal part of the bus bar from the electrically conductive electrical contact plate/heat conducting device.
With respect to the argument, see pages 11-12 of the remarks, that neither Obrist, Bernath, nor Omura disclose that the heat conducting element extends over all first cell pole connections and the conductor rail interconnecting the first cell pole connections and directly contacts the plurality of side walls in a second connection area, this argument is not persuasive. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). In using the teachings of Obrist and Bernath to provide a heat conducting element, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the heat conducting element such that it contacts the terminals of the secondary batteries and the cooling member situated between the rows of secondary batteries, and therefore, the electrical contact plate would extend over all the first terminal connections of the first row of secondary batteries and all the bus bars interconnecting the terminal connections, and also directly contacts the side walls.
With respect to the argument, see page 12 of the remarks, that Yoo does not disclose that the first cell stack comprises a plurality of battery cells juxtaposed in a stack longitudinal direction and only adjacent pairs of the first battery cells juxtaposed in the third longitudinal direction are electrically connected via a plurality of conductor rails, this argument is not persuasive. Yoo teaches a plurality of secondary batteries arranged in a longitudinal direction (Col. 6, Ln. 3-5; Fig. 1). Yoo also teaches that the terminal of a secondary battery is electrically connected to the terminal of another secondary battery in the stack (Col. 8, Ln. 29-32) by a bus bar (272; conductor rail). It can be seen in Figure 4 that the bus bars connect adjacent pairs of secondary batteries in the longitudinal direction.
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.
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/SARAH J JACOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1785
/MARK RUTHKOSKY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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