DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/28/2026 has been entered.
Summary
The amendments to claims 1, and 17, and new claim 17 filed on 1/28/2026 are entered, no new matter has been added. Applicant’s arguments filed on 1/28/2026 have been fully considered and are not persuasive. Claims 1, and 3-18 are rejected under 102 and 103.
Response to Amendment
The amendments to claims 1, and 17 and new claim 18 filed on 1/28/2026 are entered, no new matter has been added. Claim 2 has been canceled.
Response to Argument
Applicants arguments filed on 1/28/2026 have been fully considered and are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, applicant argues the newly added limitation to claim 1 are not taught by Burrows. Examiner disagrees, as detailed in the 102 rejection below. Regarding claims 8, and 17, applicant argues that claim 1 is not taught by Burrows, these 103 rejection rely upon the 102 rejection to claim 1, thus these claims are allowable. Because claim 1 is still rejected under 102 in view of Burrows, this argument is not persuasive.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 9-16, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being unpatentable over Burrows (US 20190143836 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Burrows teaches a battery holder comprising:
a floor (68 “thermal exchange plates” taught in figure 2) and a frame (72 “battery pack walls” taught in figure 2) encircling all or part of the floor and delimiting a housing intended to receive all or part of a battery to be supported by the battery holder (64 “individual battery cells” taught by figure 2);
all or part of the floor being held in at least one internal face of all or part of the frame (taught by figure 2);
the floor comprising a plurality of profiles where each profile extends along a longitudinal direction of the profile (68a, 68b, and 68c “thermal exchange plates” taught in figure 4);
all or part of the profiles of said plurality being provided with male locking members arranged along a first longitudinal edge (84 “a male feature” taught in figure 4);
all or part of the profiles of said plurality being provided with female locking members arranged along a second longitudinal edge opposite the first longitudinal edge in a lateral direction of the profile (88 “a female feature” taught in figure 4);
wherein the male locking members comprise a projection extending from the first longitudinal edge (taught by annotated figure 4 attached below):
wherein a first lateral stop extends from an upper the surface of the projection, and a second lateral stop extends from a lower surface of the projection (taught by annotated figure 4 attached below);
wherein the female locking members comprise a first tab and an opposing second tab extending from the second longitudinal edge (taught by annotated figure 4 attached below):
wherein a first shoulder extends from an inner surface of the first tab, and a second shoulder extends from an inner surface of the second tab (taught by annotated figure 4 attached below):
wherein the first lateral stop cooperates with the first shoulder, and the second lateral stop cooperates with the second shoulder (taught by annotated figure 4 attached below);
the floor varying between:
a separate configuration in which the male locking members and the female locking members do not cooperate with each other and the profiles are separated (taught by figure 13);
a snapped configuration in which the male locking members and the female locking members cooperate with each other by interlocking in a manner ensuring that the profiles thus secured by said interlocking are on the one hand held one relative to the other in their lateral directions by the interaction of the male locking members and the female locking members to oppose a return to the separate configuration, and are on the other hand movable relative to each other according to a degree of freedom predetermined (rotation and/or translation) depending on the nature of the male locking members and female locking members (taught by figures 4 and 14);
a locking configuration in which an interlocking and sealing agent is interposed between all or part of the male locking members and all or part of the female locking members of the profiles secured by the interlocking between the male locking members and the female locking members, and wherein the interlocking and sealing agent removes (irreversibly) said degree of freedom (taught by 90 “pins” in figure 4 and paragraph 63 “In some examples, adhesives (or sealants) are used instead of, or in addition to the pins 90 to hold the male features 84 within the respective female features 88”).
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Regarding claim 3, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein each profile of the plurality of profiles has a cutting section, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which is constant along the longitudinal direction (88 “a female feature” taught by figure 4).
Regarding claim 4, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches that the male locking members delimit a cavity extending along all or part of the corresponding profile in the longitudinal direction (taught by figure 4).
Regarding claim 5, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches that the female locking members are fitted with an opening configured to allow the placement of the interlocking and sealing agent between the male locking members and female locking members from outside the profiles thus secured in the snapped configuration (taught by paragraph 63 “In some examples, adhesives (or sealants) are used instead of, or in addition to the pins 90 to hold the male features 84 within the respective female features 88”).
Regarding claim 6, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein the male locking members comprise a male cooperation surface, and wherein the female locking members comprise a female cooperation surface, said male cooperation surface being configured to be disposed opposite to the female cooperation surface; the interlocking and sealing agent being deposited on one and/or the other of said male cooperation surface and said female cooperation surface (taught by figure 4 and paragraph 63 “In some examples, adhesives (or sealants) are used instead of, or in addition to the pins 90 to hold the male features 84 within the respective female features 88”).
Regarding claim 7, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein the interlocking and sealing agent comprises a seal, an adhesive bond associated or not with a gasket (taught by paragraph 63 “In some examples, adhesives (or sealants) are used instead of, or in addition to the pins 90 to hold the male features 84 within the respective female features 88”).
Regarding claim 9, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein said at least one internal face of all or part of the frame comprises a groove having a profile complementary to that of the floor facing the groove, and in which a fixing piece is interposed at the interface between the frame and the floor (taught by 68a “thermal exchange plate” and 72 “battery pack wall” in figure 6).
Regarding claim 10, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches the frame has the shape of a parallelepiped defining two parallel longitudinal sides and two parallel lateral sides (taught by figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 9, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein each profile of the plurality of profiles has a length adapted to the length of the groove included on the longitudinal sides of the frame (taught by figures 2 and 6).
Regarding claim 12, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 9, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein the lateral dimension of the floor, in the snapped configuration of the profiles of the plurality of profiles, is adapted to the width of the groove included on the lateral sides of the frame (taught by figures 2 and 6).
Regarding claim 13, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches that the frame comprises at least one frame profile comprising at least one chamber extending longitudinally in the frame profile, said at least one chamber allowing the circulation of a coolant (I and O “inlet” and “outlet” taught by figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches that the plurality of profiles comprises extruded profiles (68a-c taught in figure 4 and paragraph 66 “The thermal exchange plates 68a-68c can be extruded structures”) delimiting at least one channel oriented in the longitudinal direction of the profiles and configured to allow circulation of a coolant and to ensure heat exchange between the coolant and the material of the floor (80 “coolant channels” taught by figures 2 and 5).
Regarding claim 15, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 14, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein each channel comprises fins providing a heat exchange surface between the coolant and the material of the floor (taught by annotated figure 3 attached below).
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Regarding claim 16, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 13, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches that the plurality of profiles comprises extruded profiles (68a-c taught in figure 4 and paragraph 66 “The thermal exchange plates 68a-68c can be extruded structures”) delimiting at least one channel oriented in the longitudinal direction of the profiles and configured to allow circulation of a coolant and to ensure heat exchange between the coolant and the material of the floor (80 “coolant channels” taught by figures 2 and 5); wherein a part of the at least one channel is in fluidic connection with a part of the at least one chamber (taught by figure 2, figure 5, and paragraph 70 “The coolant moves through the inlet I and then is directed along a path P, in part by a baffle 98a of the manifold 76a, to move axially through the coolant channels 80 on a first lateral side of the thermal exchange plate 68a”).
Regarding claim 18, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows also teaches wherein the projection is insertable laterally between the first tab and the second tab of the female locking members (taught by figures 4, 11, and 13).
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 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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burrows (US 20190143836 A1) in view of Tyler (US 20150072209 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows does not teach wherein the interlocking and sealing agent comprises a weld, in particular obtained by laser welding.
Tyler teaches the interlocking and sealing agent comprises a weld, in particular obtained by laser welding (taught by paragraph 230 “several components within the battery module 22 may be connected through laser welds”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the interlocking and sealing agent to be a laser weld as taught by Tyler, with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because a laser weld offers the high strength bond of a weld with increased weld speed by using a laser.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burrows (US 20190143836 A1) in view of Kuboki (US 10170805 B2).
Regarding claim 17, Burrows teaches the Battery holder according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Burrows does not teach wherein the first tab and the second tab are deformable elastically when the male locking member is inserted laterally into the female locking member.
Kuboki teaches wherein the tab is deformable elastically (47B “elastic contacting piece” taught by column 6 lines 63-67 “the female terminal 47 is retained by being locked to the lance 39C, and the elastic contacting piece 47B of the connection portion 47A of the female terminal 47 and the male tab 45B elastically come into contact with each other” and figure 15) when the male locking member is inserted laterally into the female locking member (taught by figure 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first tab and the second tab of Burrows, to be deformable elastically as taught by Kuboki, with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because if the tabs are elastically deformable, then the male locking member may be more easily inserted because it may be moved exclusively laterally, and no transverse or rotational motion would be necessary.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS KANDAS whose telephone number is (571)272-5628. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
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/NICHOLAS R. KANDAS/Examiner, Art Unit 3613
/JAMES A SHRIVER II/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3613