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 Interpretation
The optionally within claim 10, is being interpreted as not required as it is optional and thus not further limiting the claim.
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 and 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 2018/0145294), and further in view of Park (US 2023/0109116).
As to claim 1, Choi discloses a passive internal cooling system (figure 3 #150, [0040], shows a cooling fin within the system, discussed throughout) for a battery pack (figure 5 letter P, [0023], discussed throughout), comprising: first and second stacking frames (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0039], discussed throughout), each having mating structures for engaging and retaining the first and second stacking frames to each other (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0039], the frames have protrusions and indentation thus have a mating structure, discussed throughout), wherein each of the first and second stacking frames being configured for substantially surrounding and enclosing a surface of a battery module for retaining at least one battery (figure 2 and 3, the fames #130, surround the battery cells #110, [0039], discussed throughout).
Choi is silent to at least one thermal runaway shield (TRS) pouch, enclosed between the first and second stacking frames, the at least one TRS pouch including a thermally cooling fluid that ruptures into the battery module from heat produced in a thermal runaway event in the battery module.
Park discloses a battery module ([0010], discussed throughout) wherein a pouch battery (figure 3 #100, [0035] , discussed throughout) has a fire extinguishing unit (figure 3 #200, [0041] , discussed throughout) comprising a fire extinguishing pack (figure 3 #210, the TRS pouch, discussed throughout) including a thermally cooling fluid ([0043], discussed throughout) that ruptures into the battery module ([0044], discussed throughout) from heat produced in a thermal runaway event in the battery module ([0051], discussed throughout). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the fire extinguishing unite from Park within Choi because the unite secures safety and reduces secondary accident rate ([0010], discussed throughout).
As to claim 2, modified Choi discloses wherein, wherein the at least one TRS pouch comprises first and second TRS pouches with a spacer plate inserted therebetween, wherein the spacer plate provides a thermal barrier between the first and second TRS pouches during the thermal runaway event in the battery module (figures 2 and 3 #150, [0040], discussed throughout, note the claim does not require direct contact).
As to claim 3, modified Choi discloses wherein, each of the first and second stacking frames comprises a peripheral frame portion that sits atop a perimeter of the surface of the battery module (figures 2 and 5, this can be #300, #400 or the sides of the battery pack, discussed throughout).
As to claim 5, modified Choi discloses wherein, the mating structures comprise projections and alignment recesses formed on each of the stacking frames (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0139], discussed throughout), wherein the projections on each of the stacking frames are received within the alignment recesses of the respective other of the stacking frames (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0139], discussed throughout).
As to claim 6, modified Choi discloses wherein, the projections and alignment recesses are formed on the same surface of each of the stacking frames (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0139], discussed throughout).
As to claim 7, modified Choi discloses wherein, each of the first and second stacking frames comprise at least one peripheral groove for substantially surrounding and enclosing a perimeter of the surface of the battery module (figures 2 and 3, the groove is the location in which the battery #110 is place and it surrounds the battery and the battery module as seen in figure 2, discussed throughout).
As to claim 8, modified Choi discloses wherein, the peripheral groove of the first stacking frame substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a top surface of the battery module upon which the stacking frame rests (figures 2, 3 and 5, this can be one of the battery frames on the end, seen throughout), wherein the peripheral groove of the second stacking frame substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a bottom surface of a second battery module stacked upon the second stacking frame (figures 2, 3 and 5, this can be the battery frame on the other end, seen throughout).
As to claim 9, modified Choi discloses wherein, the battery module comprises electrical connections between the at least one battery and an external electrical system ([0087], vehicle, power tool).
As to claim 10, Choi discloses a passive internal cooling system (figure 3 #150, [0040], shows a cooling fin within the system, discussed throughout) for a stack of battery packs (figure 5 letter P, [0023], discussed throughout), comprising:
a first stack (figure 1, one of the #10, battery module, [0086], discussed throughout) comprising:
a first stacking frame assembly including first and second stacking frames (figures 1 and 2 #130, [0039], discussed throughout), each of the first and second stacking frames of the first stacking frame assembly having mating structures for engaging and retaining the first and second stacking frames of the first stacking frame assembly to each other (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0039], the frames have protrusions and indentation thus have a mating structure, discussed throughout), wherein the first stacking frame of the first stacking frame assembly comprises a peripheral groove that substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a top surface of a first battery module upon which the first stacking frame assembly rests (figures 2 and 3 #130, one end of the battery module, discussed throughout), wherein the second stacking frame of the first stacking frame assembly comprises a peripheral groove that substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a bottom surface of a second battery module stacked upon the second stacking frame of the first stacking frame assembly (figures 2 and 3 #130, the other end of the stack of the battery modules, discussed throughout);
a second stack (figure 5 #10, [0086], a different than the first one) comprising;
a second stacking frame assembly including first and second stacking frames (figures 1 and 2 #130, [0039], discussed throughout), each of the first and second stacking frames of the second stacking frame assembly having mating structures for engaging and retaining the first and second stacking frames of the second stacking frame assembly to each other (figures 2 and 3 #130, [0039], the frames have protrusions and indentation thus have a mating structure, discussed throughout), wherein the first stacking frame of the second stacking frame assembly comprises a peripheral groove that substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a top surface of the second battery module upon which the second stacking frame assembly rests (figures 2 and 3 #130, one end of the battery module, discussed throughout), wherein the second stacking frame of the second stacking frame assembly comprises a peripheral groove that optionally substantially surrounds and encloses a perimeter of a bottom surface of a third battery module stacked upon the second stacking frame of the second stacking frame assembly (figures 2 and 3 #130, the other end of the stack of the battery modules, discussed throughout);
Choi is silent to a first TRS pouch arrangement, enclosed between the first and second stacking frames of the first stacking frame assembly, the first TRS pouch arrangement including a thermally cooling fluid that ruptures into the first battery module from heat produced in a thermal runaway event in the first battery module; and a second TRS pouch arrangement, enclosed between the first and second stacking frames of the second stacking frame assembly, the second TRS pouch arrangement including a thermally cooling fluid that ruptures into the second battery module from heat produced in a thermal runaway event in the second battery module.
Park discloses a battery module ([0010], discussed throughout) wherein a pouch battery (figure 3 #100, [0035] , discussed throughout) has a fire extinguishing unit (figure 3 #200, [0041] , discussed throughout) comprising a fire extinguishing pack (figure 3 #210, the TRS pouch, discussed throughout) including a thermally cooling fluid ([0043], discussed throughout) that ruptures into the battery module ([0044], discussed throughout) from heat produced in a thermal runaway event in the battery module ([0051], discussed throughout). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art at the time of the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the fire extinguishing unite from Park within Choi because the unite secures safety and reduces secondary accident rate ([0010], discussed throughout).
As to claim 11, modified Choi discloses wherein the first and second TRS pouch arrangements each comprise respective first and second TRS pouches with a spacer plate inserted therebetween, wherein the spacer plate provides a thermal barrier between the first and second TRS pouches during the thermal runaway event in the respective battery module (figures 2 and 3 #150, [0040], discussed throughout, note the claim does not require direct contact).
As to claim 12, modified Choi discloses further comprising at least one side member connected to the second stacking frame of the first stacking frame assembly and the first stacking frame of the second stacking frame assembly, wherein the at least one side member spans a side of the second battery module to substantially enclose the side (figures 2 and 3 #400 or figure 5 #50, discussed throughout).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-18 are allowed.
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: modified Choi is silent to the instant claimed a plurality of pins extending inwardly toward a center of the peripheral frame portion, wherein the plurality of pins engages and retains the at least one TRS pouch between the first and second stacking frames. As required by claims 4 and 13, furthermore the way the fire extinguishing unit from Park works the blades (figure 3 #222) and the coupling part (figure 3 #221), therefore there is not motivation to incorporate the instant claimed pins to hold the TRS pouch from Park. Thus, the instant claimed invention is deemed novel and non-obvious.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN R OHARA whose telephone number is (571)272-0728. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM-3:30 PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN R OHARA/Examiner, Art Unit 1724