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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/29/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment received 8/12/2025, the following rejections have been withdrawn from the previous office action:
35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claim 12
35 U.S.C. 102 rejections of claims 1-7 and 9-11
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foreign Publication DE102017212223A1 (supplied by applicant, used previously attached machine translation), hereafter Scharner, in view of Published Application US20200067156A1, hereafter Chi.
Regarding claim 1, Scharner discloses a battery system (6) comprising:
a battery housing (spacing elements 9 at ends of modules 4; wall 24) comprising a cover element (24);
a plurality of battery cells (8) arranged in a plurality of battery cell groups (4) within the battery housing (9,24), each battery cell group (4) has a venting side (Fig 1a bottom side of modules 4 with cooling plate 18) with a venting exit (22,28) configured to vent a venting stream from the battery cells (8) to exit the battery cell group (4) ([0044-0045] bursting membrane 28 bursts in the event of high pressure inside the cell 8), the venting side of the battery cell groups (4) facing the cover element (24) (Fig 1a); and
a separation sheet (18) between the venting sides of the battery cell groups (4) and the cover element (24) (Fig 1a), the separation sheet (18) having a plurality of openings formed therethrough adjacent to each other (see annotated Fig 1a), the separation sheet forming separate venting chambers (Fig 2, passage 20, chamber formed by walls of passage 20 and bursting membrane 28) for each of the battery cell groups (4) (Fig 1a) and forming a venting channel (16) between the separation sheet (18) and the cover element (24), the separation sheet (18) being configured to guide the venting stream leaving the venting exits (22,28) away from the battery cell groups (4) into the corresponding venting chamber (20) and through the openings (Fig 2, bottom of passage 20 in cooling plate 18) in the separation sheet (18) to the venting channel (16) ([0010], Fig 2, gas produced in cell flows out of cell through housing opening or burst membrane and through the passage of the cooling plate into the cell degassing chamber).
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Scharner is silent on the separation sheet forming a trough by protruding in a first direction between adjacent sides, the plurality of openings formed adjacent to each other in a second direction crossing the first direction, the separate venting chambers for each of the battery cell groups being formed between adjacent ones of the openings in the trough, and the stream leaving the venting exits away from the battery cell groups in the second direction.
In the analogous art of battery pack venting, Chi discloses the separation sheet forming a trough by protruding in a first direction between adjacent sides, the plurality of openings formed adjacent to each other in a second direction crossing the first direction (Fig 10, [0071] curved louver fins 720).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to select a louver structure similar to that disclosed by Chi for cooling plate 18 of Scharner in order to direct the flow of exhausted material from the battery cells in the passage 20 to the degassing chamber in the direction of the outlet. Further, it has been held that changes in shape are a matter of design choice, and thus one skilled in the art would have found a curved louver structure to further be obvious (MPEP 2144.04 (IV) (B)).
As a result of this modification, modified Scharner further discloses the limitations of the separate venting chambers for each of the battery cell groups being formed between adjacent ones of the openings in the trough, and the stream leaving the venting exits away from the battery cell groups in the second direction.
Regarding claim 2, Scharner further discloses wherein the venting channel (16) fluidly connects a system exit of the battery housing (Fig 1a, outlet of chamber) with the venting chambers (20) via the openings in the separation sheet (18) (Fig 2).
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Regarding claim 3, Scharner further discloses wherein the cover element (24) is a bottom cover (Fig 1a wall 24 is on bottom of battery module 4).
Regarding claim 4, Scharner further discloses wherein the bottom cover (24) is part of an underbody of the battery housing ([0043] wall 24 formed by protective covering arranged on underside of motor vehicle 2).
Regarding claim 5, Scharner further discloses wherein the battery cell groups (4) are supported by the separation sheet (18) (Fig 1a, cells 8 in module 4 rest on cooling plate 18).
Regarding claim 6, Scharner further discloses wherein the separation sheet is a structural member of the battery system (Fig 1a, cells 8 in module 4 are supported by cooling plate 18).
Regarding claim 7, modified Scharner further discloses wherein the separation sheet (18) comprises guiding surfaces configured to guide the venting stream in the second direction towards the nearest one of the openings (Chi, Fig 10, guiding surfaces of louvre structure 720).
Regarding claim 8, modified Scharner further discloses wherein a first one of the guiding surfaces is at a first end of the venting chamber (Scharner Fig 2, walls of passage 20 extend from housing opening 22/burst membrane 28; Chi guiding surfaces of louvre 720), and the opening is at a second end of the venting chamber opposite the first end (Scharner Fig 2, open bottom of passage 20 adjoining the degassing chamber 16) and wherein the first one of the guiding surfaces is a curved surface (Chi Fig 10, louvre 720 has curved surfaces) configured to guide the venting stream from the venting exit along the venting side towards the opening (Scharner [0010])
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Regarding claim 9, Scharner further discloses wherein each of the battery cell groups (4) is a cell stack (Fig 1a, 4 cells 8 stacked in a module 4), and each of the cell stacks (4) comprising battery cells (8) electrically connected with one another (Figs 1a, 1b, cell connector structure 12).
Regarding claim 10, Scharner further discloses wherein the battery cell groups (4) are arranged in multiple rows (Fig 1a, each row contains one cell 8), wherein for each row of the battery cell groups (4), the separation sheet (18) is arranged at the venting side of the battery cell groups (4) (Fig 1a), the separation sheet (18) forming separate venting chambers (16) (Fig 2 passage 20) for each of the battery cell groups (4) in the respective row (Fig 1a, Fig 2) for guiding the venting stream leaving the venting exits away from the battery cell groups (4) through openings in the separation sheet (18) ([0010]).
Regarding claim 11, Scharner further discloses an electric vehicle (2) comprising the battery system according to claim 1 ([0039]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Scharner further discloses wherein the separation sheet has a sidewall member having a curved upper surface to guide the venting stream from the corresponding venting exit along the venting side towards the adjacent opening in the separation sheet (Chi, Fig 10, curved upper surfaces of louvres 720 form adjacent channels), and wherein a first one of the openings is beneath a curved lower surface of the sidewall member of the adjacent opening in the separation sheet to direct the venting stream into the venting channel (Chi, Fig 10, curved lower surfaces of louvres 720 form adjacent channels).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/29/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot in view of the new 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY HEMINGWAY whose telephone number is (571)272-0235. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Susan Leong can be reached at (571) 270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T.G.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/SUSAN D LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1754