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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 May 4, 2026 has been entered.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-4, 7-17, and 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshitake et al. (US PGPub 2012/0052359 A1, cited on the IDS dated March 24, 2023), and further in view of Lu et al. (CN 106610477 A, cited on the IDS dated May 4, 2026), Lim et al. (US PGPub 2015/0214583 A1), and Yamashita (US PGPub 2019/0157729 A1).
Regarding Claims 1, 8, 10, and 21, Yoshitake discloses in Figs. 1-2 and 5-6 a battery module ([0043]) comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (1) ([0043]);
end plates (5, 6) covering outer surfaces of outermost battery cells of the plurality of battery cells (1) and extending in a first direction, wherein each of the end plates (5, 6) comprises:
an inner plate (52, 62) configured to come into contact with the outer surface of a corresponding one of the outermost battery cells (1) ([0051]);
an outer plate (51, 61) configured to cover an outer surface of the inner plate (52, 62) ([0051]).
Yoshitake further discloses in Figs. 2 and 5-6 wherein temperature sensors (7), configured to measure temperatures of the plurality of battery cells (1), are provided at center portions of the end plates (5, 6) located at a distance from the top edge of the respective end plates (5, 6) and therefore are provided at a lower end of the inner plates (52, 62) of the end plates (5, 6) ([0050], [0056]-[0058]).
Assuming for the sake of argument that Yoshitake does not disclose in Figs. 2 and 5-6 wherein the temperature sensors are provided at a lower end of the respective end plates, the following is relied upon.
Lu teaches a battery module comprising a plurality of temperature sensors in order to accurately obtain temperature data that affects the optimization of the battery module ([0077]).
For example, Lu teaches wherein a plurality of temperature sensors (21) are provided, including a temperature sensor (21) at a center portion of a plate (12) and a temperature sensor at a lower end of the plate (12) (Fig. 2, [0066], [0078]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the battery module of Yoshitake to comprise a plurality of temperature sensors, as taught by Lu, the plurality of temperature sensors including temperature sensors provided at a center portion of the respective end plates of Yoshitake, as desired by Yoshitake, and temperature sensors provided at a lower end of the respective end plates, as taught Lu, in order to accurately obtain temperature data that affects the optimization of the battery module.
Modified Yoshitake further discloses wherein the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake), configured to measure temperatures of the plurality of battery cells (1 of Yoshitake), are embedded in a lower end of the inner plates (52, 62 of Yoshitake) of the respective end plates (5, 6 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 2 and 5-6, [0050], [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake and Fig 2 of Lu, e.g. the temperature sensors provided at the lower end of the respective end plates).
Therefore, modified Yoshitake suggests wherein an installation space is provided at a lower end of each of the end plates (5, 6 of Yoshitake), wherein the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) are disposed in the installation spaces at the lower ends of the respective end plates (5, 6 of Yoshitake), wherein an installation hole is provided in a lower end of the inner plate (52, 62 of Yoshitake), and wherein one of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) is provided in a corresponding one of the installation spaces through the installation hole in order to successfully measure the temperatures of the outermost battery cells of the plurality of battery cells (1 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 2, 5-6 and [0050], [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake).
Furthermore, Lim teaches a battery module which can improve safety by precisely measuring the temperature of a battery cell ([0007]).
Specifically, Lim teaches in Fig. 3 temperature sensor (143, 145) configured to measure the temperature of a battery cell (110), wherein the temperature sensor (143, 145) is in direct contact with the battery cell (110) so that an exact temperature measurement can be performed ([0050]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide an installation space at a lower end of each of the end plates of modified Yoshitake, wherein the temperature sensors of modified Yoshitake are disposed in the installation spaces at the lower ends of the respective end plates, such that an installation hole is provided in a lower end of the inner plate of Yoshitake, wherein one of the temperature sensors is provided in a corresponding one of the installation spaces through the installation hole, as suggested by modified Yoshitake, so that each of the temperature sensors is in direct contact with a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells of modified Yoshitake so that an exact temperature measurement can be performed, as taught by Lim, in order to improve safety of the battery module of modified Yoshitake.
Modified Yoshitake remains silent regarding the structure of the temperature sensors and consequently does not disclose sensor covers combined with outer surfaces of the end plates at points respectively provided with the temperature sensors installed therein, wherein the sensor covers include: an upper end extended in the first direction and combined with the outer surfaces of the end plates at the lower ends of the end plates; and a lower end bent to cover a lower surface of a corresponding one of the temperature sensors.
Lim further teaches in Fig. 3 a sensor cover (146) with the temperature sensor (143, 145) installed thereon ([0050]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form a sensor cover on each of temperature sensors of modified Yoshitake, as further taught by Lim, as such is a known configuration in the art and therefore the skilled artisan would have a reasonable expectation that such would successfully form a temperature sensor suitable for use in a battery module, as desired by modified Yoshitake.
Thus, modified Yoshitake discloses:
sensor covers (146 of Lim) combined with outer surfaces of the end plates (5, 6 of Yoshitake) respectively provided with the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake, corresponding to 143, 145 of Lim) installed therein (Fig. 2 of Yoshitake and Fig. 3 of Lim), wherein the sensor covers (146 of Lim) include:
an upper end extended in the first direction and combined with the outer surfaces of the end plates (5, 6 of Yoshitake) (e.g. see annotated Fig. 3 of Lim provided below); and
a lower end bent from the upper end towards a side of the temperature sensors (143, 145 of Lim) to cover a lower surface of a corresponding one of the temperature sensors (143, 145 of Lim) (e.g. L-shape, see annotated Fig. 3 of Lim provided below).
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Modified Yoshitake further discloses a desire to cool the plurality of battery cells (1 of Yoshitake) ([0081] of Yoshitake).
However, modified Yoshitake does not disclose a cooling channel disposed below the plurality of battery cells and a heat transfer material disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the cooling channel.
Yamashita teaches a battery module comprising a cooling channel configured to cool down a plurality of battery cells in the battery module ([0002]).
Specifically, Yamashita teaches in Figs. 1-2 a battery module (1) comprising a plurality of battery cells (21), a cooling channel (60) disposed below the plurality of battery cells (21), and a heat transfer material (70) disposed between the plurality of battery cells (21) and the cooling channel (60) ([0043], [0054], [0056]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to dispose a cooling channel below the plurality of battery cells of modified Yoshitake and to dispose a heat transfer material between the plurality of battery cells and the cooling channel, as taught by Yamashita, in order to cool down the plurality of battery cells in the battery module of modified Yoshitake, as desired by modified Yoshitake.
Regarding Claims 4, 15, and 17, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein each of the temperature sensors (143, 145 of Lim) is covered with a lower end of a corresponding one of the sensor covers (146 of Lim) (Fig. 3 of Lim) and is spaced apart from the cooling channel (60 of Yamashita) or the heat transfer material (70 of Yamashita) (Fig. 2 of Yoshitake and Fig. 2 of Yamashita, wherein the temperature sensor 7 of Yoshitake corresponding to 143, 145 of Lim is positioned corresponding to a middle of the plurality of cells 1 of Yoshitake and wherein the cooling channel 60 of Yamashita and heat transfer material 70 of Yamashita are disposed below the plurality of cells 1 of Yoshitake, corresponding to 21 of Yamashita).
The Examiner notes that the limitation “wherein the sensor covers are configured to prevent thermal interference due to the cooling channel or the heat transfer material” is intended use and therefore is not given any patentable weight aside from the structure required to perform such function.
Thus, because each of the temperature sensors (143, 145 of Lim) is covered with a lower end of a corresponding one of the sensor covers (146 of Lim) (Fig. 3 of Lim) and is spaced apart from the cooling channel (60 of Yamashita) or the heat transfer material (70 of Yamashita) (Fig. 2 of Yoshitake and Fig. 2 of Yamashita), such reads on the limitation “wherein the sensor covers are configured to prevent thermal interference due to the cooling channel or the heat transfer material”, as evidenced by [0012] of the instant specification.
Regarding Claims 3 and 16, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein:
each of the installation spaces comprises an installation hole configured to receive a corresponding one of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) in the lower end of each of the end plates (5,6 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 5-6, [0050], [0058] of Yoshitake, [0050] of Lim); and
each of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) is located in the installation space and pressed against a lower end of a side surface of a corresponding one of the outermost battery cells (1 of Yoshitake) opposite the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 5-6, [0050], [0058] of Yoshitake and [0050] of Lim).
Regarding Claims 7 and 20, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses a lower plate (60a of Yamashita) combined with lower ends of the plurality of battery cells (1 of Yoshitake, corresponding to 21 of Yamashita) through the heat transfer material (70 of Yamashita), wherein the lower plate (60a of Jung) is configured to define an upper end of the cooling channel (60 of Yamashita) (Figs. 1-2, [0043], [0054], [0056] of Yamashita).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein the inner plate (52, 62 of Yoshitake) comprises a molded insulation material configured to insulate the plurality of battery cells (1 of Yoshitake) from an outside ([0051], [0053], [0015], [0065] of Yoshitake), and the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) comprises a molded metal ([0051], [0053], [0015] of Yoshitake).
The Examiner notes that the limitation “configured to reinforce rigidity” is intended use and therefore is not given patentable weight aside from the structure required to perform such function.
Thus, because modified Yoshitake discloses wherein the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) comprises a molded metal ([0051], [0053], [0015], [0065] of Yoshitake), such reads on the limitation “configured to reinforce rigidity” as evidenced by [0053] of the instant specification.
Regarding Claim 11, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein each of the installation spaces is provided in the inner plate (52, 62 of Yoshitake) and wherein the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) covers an outer surface of the temperature sensor (7 of Yoshitake) provided in the inner plate (52, 62 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 2 and 5-6, [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake).
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Regarding Claims 12-13, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein each of the sensor covers (146 of Lim) covers an outer surface of a portion of the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) provided with a corresponding one of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) installed therein (Figs. 2 and 5-6, [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake, Fig. 3, [0050] of Lim).
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The Examiner notes that the limitation “wherein the sensor covers are configured to prevent thermal interference with the temperature sensor due to external environments” is intended use and therefore is not given any patentable weight aside from the structure required to perform such function.
Thus, because modified Yoshitake discloses wherein each of the sensor covers (146 of Lim) covers an outer surface of a portion of the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) provided with a corresponding one of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake) installed therein (Figs. 2 and 5-6, [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake, Fig. 3, [0050] of Lim), such reads on the limitation “wherein the sensor covers are configured to prevent thermal interference with the temperature sensor due to external environments”, as evidenced by [0020] of the instant specification.
Regarding Claim 14, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein each of the sensor covers (146 of Lim) is adhered to the outer plate (51, 61 of Yoshitake) (Figs. 2 and 5-6, [0056]-[0058] of Yoshitake) and is provided with the lower end bent to be adhered to a lower end of the corresponding one of the temperature sensors (7 of Yoshitake, corresponding to 143, 145 of Lim) (Fig. 3, [0050] of Lim).
Claims 5-6 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshitake et al. (US PGPub 2012/0052359 A1, cited on the IDS dated March 24, 2023) in view of Lu et al. (CN 106610477 A, cited on the IDS dated May 4, 2026), Lim et al. (US PGPub 2015/0214583 A1), and Yamashita (US PGPub 2019/0157729 A1), as applied to Claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Lee (KR 2000-0066690 A, see also the provided English translation obtained from Global Dossier).
Regarding Claims 5-6 and 18-19, modified Yoshitake discloses all of the limitations as set forth above and further discloses wherein the sensor covers (146 of Lim) comprise a resin ([0050] of Lim).
However, modified Yoshitake does not disclose wherein the sensor covers comprise a polymer or nonwoven fabric that is a thermal insulation material.
Lee teaches wherein a cover for a battery comprises a polymer resin that is a thermal insulation material ([0031]-[0032], e.g. polyimide, polyurethane, polyamide, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).
Specifically, Lee teaches that polymer resin has excellent moldability to easily be molded into any shape while having high strength ([0047]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the sensor covers of modified Yoshitake from a polymer resin, as taught by Lee, as such has excellent moldability to easily be molded into any shape while having high strength and therefore the skilled artisan would have reasonable expectation that such could successfully be used to form the sensor covers desired by modified Yoshitake.
The Examiner notes that the limitation “configured to prevent indirect thermal interference with the temperature sensors due to the cooling channel or the heat transfer material” is intended use and therefore is not given any patentable weight aside from the structure required to perform such function.
Thus, because modified Yoshitake discloses wherein the sensor covers (146 of Lim) comprise a thermal insulation material ([0032] of Lee), such reads on the limitation “configured to prevent indirect thermal interference with the temperature sensors due to the cooling channel or the heat transfer material” as evidenced by [0014] of the instant specification.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 24, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding independent Claims 1, 8, and 21, the Applicant argues that nothing in the combination proposed discloses or suggests “an installation space that is provided at a lower end od each of the end plates” and “temperature sensors disposed in the installation spaces at the lower ends of the respective end plates” as recited by Claim 1. The final action alleges that the combination includes this feature with a mere assertion that Yoshitake’s “temperature sensors 7 are provided at a distance from the top edge of the respective end plates 5, 6 and therefore are provided at a lower end of the inner plates 52, 62 of the end plates 5, 6”. However, this assertion is not supported by the disclosure of Yoshitake. Moreover, this reasoning is flawed as the final action conflates a feature being blow the top edge of an end plate with a feature being at the lower end of the end plate.
Instead of a temperature sensor (7) positioned at a lower end of the end plate, Yoshitake discloses that the “temperature sensor 7 is embedded in a plate surface center portion of each resin plate 52” ([0056]-[0057]).
The Examiner respectfully disagrees and notes neither the independent claims nor the instant specification define “a lower end” and therefore the Examiner has relied on the broadest reason interpretation.
In other words, the Examiner notes that the independent claims do not require the lower end to be a specific area of the end plate and therefore any area located at a distance from the top edge of the respective end plates may read on the lower end of the end plates.
The Examiner suggests that the Applicant could amend a lower end of the end plate to be “a lower edge of the end plates” in light of Figs. 3-4 of the instant specification.
Assuming for the sake of argument that Yoshitake does not disclose wherein the temperature sensors are positioned at a lower end of the end plates, new teaching reference Lu has been relied upon.
Next, the Applicant argues that, as a consequence of Yoshitake’s explicit placement of the temperature sensor (7) in a center portion of the metal plate 51 of the end plate 5, nothing in the combined teachings of Yoshitake, Lim, and Yamashita discloses, teaches, or suggests moving Yoshitake’s temperature sensor from a center portion of an outermost end plate to a lower end of the outermost end plate.
The Examiner notes that none of the cited prior art has been relied on to teach moving Yoshitake’s temperature sensor and therefore such an argument is moot.
The Applicant argues that the combination of Yoshitake, Lim, and Yamashita cannot (and does not) disclose “sensor covers that include: an upper end extended in the first direction and combined with outer surfaces of the end plates at the lower ends of the end plates; and a lower end bent from the upper end towards a side of the temperature sensor to cover a lower surface of a corresponding one of the temperature sensors” as recited by the amended independent claims. To meet such a feature, the temperature sensor (7) would need to be placed at the lower end of the end plates. Furthermore, in the combination relied upon in the final action, Yoshitake’s temperature sensor (7) protrudes through the metal plate (51) of Yoshitake’s end plate (5) (Fig. 1). Lim’s “resin portion” (146) is U-shaped (Fig. 3). As a consequence, any attempt to modify Yoshitake to include Lim’s U-shaped “resin portion” (146) as an alleged sensor cover would result in Lim’s U-shaped “resin portion” (146) having sides that base at the surface of Yoshitake’s metal plate (51) of the end plate (5) and extend upward and away from Yoshitake’s metal plate (51) in a substantially perpendicular manner, which would separate the upper end of Lim’s “resin portion” a distance that is the length of the side walls of Lim’s “resin portion”, see the annotated Fig, 1 of Yoshitake provided by the Applicant.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees and notes that annotated Fig. 1 of Yoshitake provided by the Applicant has Lim’s U-shaped resin portion (146) orientated incorrectly.
The Examiner notes that the temperature sensor illustrated in Fig. 3 of Lim would be orientated so as to be rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees in order to successfully allow for the temperature sensor (143, 145 of Lim) to be in direct contact with one of the battery cells (1 of Yoshitake, corresponding to 110 of Lim) so that an exact temperature measurement can be performed ([0050] of Lim), thereby achieving the advantages taught by Lim. In such a configuration, the sides of the sensor cover (146) of Lim referenced by the Applicant would extend toward Yoshitake’s metal plate (51) in the first direction. See rotated Fig. 3 of Lim provided below as an example.
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Therefore, the Applicant’s arguments directed to the erroneous orientation of the sensor cover (146) taught by Lim in modified Yoshitake are moot.
Thus, the arguments are not found to be persuasive.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY WYLUDA whose telephone number is (571)272-4381. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7 AM - 3 PM EST.
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/KIMBERLY WYLUDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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