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 .
This is a final office action in response to Applicant's remarks and amendments filed on 12/31/2025. Claims 1, 12, and 14 are currently amended. Claims 1-14 are pending review in this action. The previous 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) rejections are withdrawn in light of Applicant's amendment to Claim 14. The previous 35 U.S.C. 102 and 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections are withdrawn in light of Applicant's amendment to Claim 1, however the previously cited prior art has been upheld as reading on the claims. Updated rejections necessitated by the Applicant’s amendments are detailed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 11/13/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 5-9, 11-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kanai et al. (US 2008/0171259 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kanai discloses a battery module, comprising: a cell assembly (assembled battery, 80) including a plurality of secondary batteries (laminated battery, 1) stacked on each other (Figures 1 and 8, [0045, 0047, 0080]). Kanai further discloses a module case (housing case, 70) including a lower plate (bottom, 78), a side plate (side wall, 75), and an upper plate (lid, 50) to form an inner space so that the cell assembly (assembled battery, 80) is accommodated therein, the module case (housing case, 70) including a trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) formed in at least a part of an inner surface of the side plate (side wall, 75) to be concave outward (Figures 7 and 8, [0081-0083]). Kanai further discloses that exterior walls (see annotated Figure 7 below) defining the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) are unperforated (Figure 7).
The examiner notes that the instant claim does not require that all of the exterior walls defining the trap are unperforated. Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 1 are met.
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
Regarding Claim 2, Kanai further discloses that the plurality of secondary batteries (laminated battery, 1) are pouch-type (laminated) secondary batteries and the plurality of pouch-type secondary batteries (laminated battery, 1) are stacked in a vertical direction (Figures 1 and 7, [0045, 0047]). Thus, all of the limitations of claim 2 are met.
Regarding Claim 3, Kanai further discloses that an electrode lead (electrode terminals, 3/4) of each of the plurality of pouch-type secondary batteries (laminated battery, 1) is located in a front and rear direction of the module case (housing case, 70), and wherein the module case (housing case, 70) is configured such that at least one of front and rear sides thereof has an open portion (electrode ejection slot, 74) (Figures 1 and 7, [0048, 0081]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 3 are met.
Regarding Claim 5, Kanai further discloses that when gas is generated from the cell assembly (assembled battery, 80), the module case (housing case, 70) is configured to discharge the generated gas to at least one of front and rear sides via the gas path (77) (Figure 8, [0082-0083]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 5 are met.
Regarding Claim 6, Kanai further discloses that the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) may be formed in at least a central portion of the side plate (side wall, 75) based on a front and rear direction (Figure 7). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 6 are met.
Regarding Claim 7, Kanai further discloses that a depth of the concave portion of the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) gradually increases in a front or rear direction (see annotated Figure 7 below). Particularly, a depth of the concave portion at the ejection port (72) is greater than a depth of the concave portion at a region adjacent the ejection port (72) in the front direction (see annotated Figure 7 below). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 7 are met.
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
Regarding Claim 8, Kanai further discloses that the module case (housing case, 70) further includes a protrusion (ejection port, 72) formed on at least one end of the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) to protrude in a central direction (lateral direction in the central position of the duct, 71) (Figure 7, [0083]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 8 are met.
Regarding Claim 9, Kanai further discloses that the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) is configured such that at least one end thereof is concave in a front and rear direction (see annotated Figure 7 below). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 9 are met.
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
Regarding Claim 11, Kanai further discloses an energy storage system (battery module for electric automobile), comprising the battery module according to Claim 1 (Figure 8, [0002]). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 11 are met.
Regarding Claim 12, Kanai further discloses that the exterior walls (see annotated Figure 7 above) defining the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) comprise a first end wall (see annotated Figure 7 below), a second end wall (see annotated Figure 7 below), and a central wall (see annotated Figure 7 below) extending between the first end wall (see annotated Figure 7 below) and the second end wall (see annotated Figure 7 below) (Figure 7). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 12 are met.
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
Regarding Claim 14, Kanai further discloses that the side plate (side wall, 75) has an opening (see annotated Figure 7 below) extending in a first direction, the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) covering the opening (see annotated Figure 7 below), wherein a length of the central wall (portion of side wall where opening is not formed) in the first direction is greater than a length of the opening (see annotated Figure 7 below). Thus, all of the limitations of Claim 14 are met.
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai et al. (US 2008/0171259 A1), as applied to Claim 12 above.
In Regards to Claim 13 (Dependent Upon Claim 12):
Kanai discloses the battery module of Claim 13 as set forth above. Kanai further discloses that the central wall (see annotated Figure 7 above) is the shape of a straight line (see annotated Figure 7 above).
Kanai is deficient in disclosing that the central wall is V-shaped.
However, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to select for the shape of the central wall of Kanai, a V-shape configuration, as it has been held that mere changes in shape of an object is a matter of design choice absent persuasive evidence the particular shape of the claimed object is significant (MPEP 2144.04 IV). Upon the above modification, all of the limitations of Claim 13 are met.
Claims 4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai et al. (US 2008/0171259 A1), as applied to Claims 1 and 3 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2016/0233465 A1).
In Regards to Claim 4 (Dependent Upon Claim 3):
Kanai discloses the battery module of Claim 3 as set forth above. Kanai further discloses that the electrode leads (electrode terminals, 3/4) are located in a front and rear direction of the module case (housing case, 70) wherein open portion (electrode ejection slot, 74) is located (Figure 7).
Kanai is deficient in disclosing a bus bar assembly located at the open portion of the module case and configured to be coupled with the electrode leads of the plurality of secondary batteries.
Lee discloses a battery module comprising a plurality of pouch-type secondary batteries (100) stacked together, wherein each of the pouch-type secondary batteries (100) comprise an electrode lead (101) (Figure 2, [0056, 0060]). Lee further discloses a bus bar assembly (320) connected to the electrode leads (101), which serves to electrically connect the electrode leads (101) to one another (Figure 2, [0105]).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to modify the battery module of Kanai to include a busbar assembly in order to electrically connect the electrode leads of the plurality of secondary batteries which is a common approach to connecting a plurality of battery cells together, as taught by Lee.
Upon the above modification, the skilled artisan would appreciate that as the electrode leads of Kanai are located at an open potion of the module case, when the busbar assembly is implemented, it would also be located at the open portion of the module case. As such, all of the limitations of Claim 4 are met.
In Regards to Claim 10 (Dependent Upon Claim 1):
Kanai discloses the battery module of Claim 1 as set forth above.
Kanai is deficient in disclosing a battery pack, comprising a plurality of battery modules according to Claim 1.
Lee discloses a battery module comprising a plurality of pouch-type secondary batteries (100) stacked together, wherein each of the pouch-type secondary batteries (100) comprise an electrode lead (101) (Figure 2, [0056, 0060]). Lee further discloses that one or more battery modules may be connected together to form a battery pack [0141].
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to connect multiple battery modules of Kanai together to form a battery pack, as such a configuration is known in the art as suitable method of scaling the output of a battery configuration, as taught by Lee. Upon the above modification, all of the limitations of Claim 10 are met.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 12/31/2025 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of any patent granted on Application Number 18/029,608 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant highlights that instant Claim 1 has been amended to require that exterior walls defining the trap are unperforated, as shown in instant Figure 2. The Applicant also notes that the purpose of the trap in the instant Application is to prevent flames or sparks from escaping the battery module. The Applicant argues that the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) of Kanai et al. (US 2008/0171259 A1) fails to meet this claim limitation, and that Kanai teaches away from preventing flames or sparks from escaping by providing the ejection port (72).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. First, as noted above in the rejection of Claim 1, Kanai discloses a module case (housing case, 70) including a lower plate (bottom, 78), a side plate (side wall, 75), and an upper plate (lid, 50) to form an inner space so that the cell assembly (assembled battery, 80) is accommodated therein, the module case (housing case, 70) including a trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) formed in at least a part of an inner surface of the side plate (side wall, 75) to be concave outward (Figures 7 and 8, [0081-0083]). Kanai further discloses that exterior walls (see annotated Figure 7 below) defining the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) are unperforated (Figure 7).
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Annotated Figure 7 (Kanai US 2008/0171259 A1)
The examiner notes that the instant claim does not require that all of the exterior walls defining the trap are unperforated, thus as at least two of the exterior walls of the trap (duct, 71, and ejection port, 72) are unperforated, the limitation is met. As such, the skilled artisan would appreciate that Kanai meets all of the limitations of Claim 1 as currently written.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., that flames and sparks are prevented from escaping the battery module) are not recited in the rejected claims. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMILY E FREEMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1498. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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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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/E.E.F./Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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