DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
1. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
3. In response to the amendment received on 12/30/2025:
Claims 1-14 are pending in the current application. Claims 1, 3, and 11 have been amended.
The previous objection to the claims has been overcome in light of the amendment.
The cores of the previous prior art-based rejections have been maintained in light of the amendment and are reworded to reflect new claim limitations. All changes made to the rejection are necessitated by the amendment.
Claim Interpretation
4. All “wherein” clauses are given patentable weight unless otherwise noted. Please see MPEP 2111.04 regarding optional claim language.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. Claims 1-2 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Yoon US PG Publication 2011/0293974.
Regarding Claims 1-2 and 14, Yoon discloses a vehicle (a device under broadest reasonable interpretation, meeting Claim 14) comprising battery pack 1000 comprising a first battery module 1100 including a first battery cell stack in which a plurality of first battery cells are stacked, a first module frame (e.g. including restraint plates 40 and including upper plate of cooling pack 270 on which the cells directly sit) for accommodating the first battery cell stack and a first cooling plate (cooling pack) 270, located below a bottom portion of 40) (Figs. 4/8, paras 0056-0064), a second battery module 1001 including a second battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a second module frame (e.g. including restraint plates 40) for accommodating the second battery cell stack and a second cooling plate (cooling pack) 270, located below a bottom portion of 40) (Figs. 2/4, paras 0053-0064), a pack frame (housing) 100 for accommodating first 1100 and second 1001 battery modules, and a cooling pipe (cooling tubes collectively) 210a connecting the first and second cooling plates and formed along one side part of the first battery module (see Fig. 2 which shows the cooling tube in front of 1100) and discloses at least one mounting member (battery pack interface) 200 which couples to the housing 100 and couples to a lower end of the cooling pipe, meeting Claim 2) (Fig 2, para 0054, 0069) (see entire disclosure and especially Figs 1-8; paras 0050-0068). Yoon does not specifically show an embodiment wherein the first and second cooling plates (lower plates of 270) are vertically stacked. Figs 2 and 8 show assemblies of stacked battery modules and it is understood that Fig 4’s embodiment where cooling plate (lower plate of 270) is disposed under the stacked cells can be applied to the battery pack of Figs 2 and 8. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to design the battery pack of Yoon such that the cooling plate configuration of Fig. 4 is used in the pack of Figs 2/8 in order to save space laterally and cool the bottoms of the modules since Yoon teaches this configuration and the combination of familiar elements is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. __,__, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, A.).
Yoon further teaches wherein the cooling pipe 210a extends in a lateral direction along one side part of the first battery module between the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate, via side cooling plates 270 (resulting in e.g. the embodiment in Fig. 2 having side cooling plates 270 surrounding the modules, in addition to lower cooling plates 270) since all 210a pipes are connected together as part of the circulating cooling system, which would include the first and second cooling plate. Although Yoon does not specifically disclose wherein the side cooling plates 270 and cooling pipes 210a within connect first and second cooling plates, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to connect first and second cooling plates via cooling pipes in the side plates since the side plate cooling pipes are positioned between said cooling plates and this configuration would improve the effect and the efficiency in cooling and piping, and the mere rearrangement of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
6. Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon US PG Publication 2011/0293974, as applied to Claim 1, and further in view of Kenney US PG Publication 2016/0204486.
Regarding Claim 11, Yoon discloses the claimed battery pack as described in the rejection of Claim 1, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Yoon fails to specifically teach wherein the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames constitutes an upper plate of the first and second cooling plates, respectively, and the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames comes into contact with the refrigerant. However, in the same field of endeavor of battery module cooling system design, Kenney teaches a cooling plate (heat exchanger) 10 design including a primary heat transfer surface (cover plate) 26 that comes into direct (surface-to-surface) contact with battery cells 12, fluid flow passages in the heat exchanger having single-pass counter flow arrangement, and teaches that this design allows for improved temperature uniformity across the surface of the plate and therefore more consistent cooling to battery cells in the module(s), and that this design allows for the provision of heat exchangers of various sizes without costly tooling changes (see entire disclosure and especially e.g. Figs. 1-4 and paras 0007-0009, 055-0062). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to use the cooling plates of Kenney as the cooling plates in the battery pack of Yoon such that the battery cells rest directly on the top surface of the cooling plate, resulting in a design where each of the first and second module frames constitutes an upper plate of the first and second cooling plates, respectively, and the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames comes into contact with the refrigerant, because Kenney teaches that this design allows for improved temperature uniformity across the surface of the plate and therefore more consistent cooling to battery cells in the module(s), and that this design allows for the provision of heat exchangers of various sizes without costly tooling changes.
Regarding Claims 12 and 13, Yoon fails to specifically disclose wherein each of the first and second module frames includes a module frame protrusion portion formed by protruding the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames, and a through hole into which a sealing member is inserted is formed in the module frame protrusion portion of each of the fist and second module frames, and wherein each of the first and second cooling plates includes a cooling plate protrusion portion protruding from one side of the first and second cooling plates to a portion where the module frame protrusion portion of each of the first and second cooling plates are located, respectively. However, Kenney teaches the use of a manifold 28 as the way to provide cooling fluid to the cooling plate 10, of which the top plate 26 forms the bottom portion of the first and second frames of Yoon and Kenney, such that the manifold 28 of each cooling plate has embossments 56 that are a module frame protrusion portion formed by protruding the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames, and a through hole 62 into which a sealing member (inlet and outlet fittings) 101/102 is inserted (necessarily sealing, otherwise fluid would leak from the connection) is formed in the module frame protrusion portion of each of the first and second module frames (see e.g. Fig. 4 and 9G, paras 0061-0063, 0078), and Kenney further teaches each of the first and second cooling plates 24 including a cooling plate protrusion portion (embossments) 74 protruding from one side of the first and second cooling plates 24 to a portion where the module frame protrusion portion of each of the first and second cooling plates are located, respectively, i.e. corresponding to the same end of the plates 10 where the manifolds are located. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to design the battery pack of Yoon and Kenney such that wherein each of the first and second module frames includes a module frame protrusion portion formed by protruding the bottom portion of each of the first and second module frames, and a through hole into which a sealing member is inserted is formed in the module frame protrusion portion of each of the first and second module frame, and wherein each of the first and second cooling plates includes a cooling plate protrusion portion protruding from one side of the first and second cooling plates to a portion where the module frame protrusion portion of each of the first and second cooling plates are located, respectively because Kenney teaches that these designs are parts of the structure to provide cooling fluid to the cooling plate. The combination of familiar elements is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. __,__, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, A.).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 3-7 are allowed. Claim 3 recites a tapping portion to which the mounting member is formed in at least one of the upper or lower end of the cooling pipe. There is no reasonable way to modify the closest prior art, Yoon, such that it would be obvious to include a tapping portion “in” at least one of the upper and lower ends of the cooling pipe of Yoon.
Response to Arguments
8. Applicant's arguments with respect to the claims are based on the claims as amended. The amended claims have been addressed in the new rejection above. Further, the Office notes that the cooling pipes of the prior art are three-dimensional and therefore extend in all directions.
Conclusion
9. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA S PARK whose telephone number is (571)270-3597. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 5:30a to 3p Eastern Time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ula Tavares-Crockett can be reached on 5712721481. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LISA S PARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729