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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-3 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR’942 (KR 2010-0081942) in view CN’799 (CN 207587799) and Jeon et al. (US 2022/0052392).
Regarding claims 1-2 and 13, FIG. 2 of KR’942 teaches a battery module 400 comprising a battery cell stack and a module frame that houses the battery cell stack. The module frame 422, 424 includes an inner surface, an outer surface, an end plate, and a gas outlet 450 (“venting part”).
KR’942 is silent to the venting part comprising a pattern part having a concentric diagram shape and a support part configured to support the pattern part. However, in the same field of endeavor of battery modules, CN’799 teaches a battery comprising a battery box (“module frame”) comprising a radiating hole 2. The radiating hole is for heat dissipation and dehumidification, “venting” the battery. The radiating hole is arranged to form a venting pattern having a concentric diagram shape and a support part having an X-shape (claim 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the module frame of KR’942 with a venting pattern including a pattern part having a concentric diagram shape and a support part configured to support the pattern part having an X-shape (claims 1-2) because CN’799 teaches a battery comprising a battery box including a radiating hole 2 to effectively dehumidify the inside of the battery box by dissipating heat, which is venting and the arrangement of the radiating hole satisfies the claimed venting part and providing a known venting arrangement; such as, one disclosed by CN’799 yields predictable results of venting the battery.
KR’942 is silent to the claimed blocking sheet. However, Jeon et al. teaches a battery module comprising a battery cell stack, a module frame having discharge/venting holes 45, and a flame retardant cover 21 with a flame retardant member 25 disposed between the upper surface of the battery cell stack 1 and the flame retardant cover 21 (FIG. 4). The combination of the flame retardant member 25 and the flame retardant cover 21 corresponds to the claimed blocking sheet [0096]-[0106], FIG. 2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the battery module of KR’942 with a blocking sheet located at an inlet port of the venting part, and a material of the blocking sheet melts or opens in accordance with one of a specific temperature or higher and a specific pressure or higher that is inside the module frame because Jeon et al. teaches a battery module comprising a fire retardant member 25 and a flame retardant cover 21 to prevent fire and flame propagation and [0122] teaches it is possible to completely block the spread of the flame through the flame retardant member 25, the discharge hole 45 of the module frame and the gas outlet 22 of the flame retardant cover 21 may be arranged to overlap each other. This arrangement of Jeon et al. renders obvious the blocking sheet (fire retardant member 25 and a flame retardant cover 21) being located an inlet port of the venting part that is open during high temperature. The discharge holes 45 is used as a passage for discharging gas [0119] (claim 13).
Regarding claim 3, FIG. 5 of KR’942 illustrates a vent hole and CN’799 teaches a suitable venting pattern rendering the claimed limitation obvious.
Regarding claims 9-10, page 4 of the machine translation of KR’942 discloses the gas outlet 450 is formed on one side of the upper end of the case 420 which satisfies the claimed limitations.
Regarding claim 11, FIG. 13 of KR’942 teaches each battery cell having two electrode leads 110 and 120 protruding opposite to each other. An electrode lead is provided on the front surface and also the rear surface of the battery cell stack.
Regarding claim 12, KR’942 teaches the battery module is of a high capacity and a large-sized battery pack (abstract).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR’942 (KR 2010-0081942) in view CN’799 (CN 207587799) and Jeon et al. (US 2022/0052392), as applied to claim 1, further in view of KR’700 (KR 102088700).
Regarding claim 8, while Jeon et al. does not disclose the material of the fire retardant member, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the battery of KR’942 having a flame retardant member made from a group consisting of inorganic carbonate, inorganic phosphate, and inorganic sulfate because (1) Jeon et al. teaches a battery comprising a flame retardant cover 21 and a flame retardant member 25 for flame resistance performance and (2) KR’942 teaches a battery comprising a fire extinguishing agent made of foam containing at least one selected from the group consisting of inorganic carbonate, inorganic phosphate, and inorganic sulfate (last page of the machine translation) and (3) utilizing known material for the same function (fire extinguishing agent/retardant) for the same field of endeavor (batteries) yields predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
For claim 14, the prior art of record fails to render obvious a battery module comprising a venting part including “a terminal region including an inlet portion or an outlet port of a venting hole of the venting part, and the terminal region has a reverse tapered shape” in combination with the remaining claimed subject matter of claim 14.
For claim 15, the prior art of record fails to render obvious a battery module comprising a venting part “based on an axial cross section of a venting hole of the venting part, a side surface of the venting hole extending between an inlet port and an outlet port has a round shape, and an effluent flowing in through the inlet port is moved to the outlet port along the round shape of the venting hole” in combination with the remaining subject matter of claim 15.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 4-5 are 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:
For claim 4, the prior art of record fails to render obvious a battery module comprising a venting part including “a terminal region including the inlet portion or the outlet port of the venting hole, and the terminal region has a reverse tapered shape” including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
For claim 5, the prior art of record fails to render obvious a battery module comprising a venting part “based on an axial cross section of the venting hole, a side surface of the venting hole extending between the inlet port and an outlet port has a round shape, and an effluent flowing in through the inlet port is moved to the outlet port along the round shape of the venting hole” including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered and are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection presented in this office action.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, 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 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 KENDRA LY whose telephone number is (571)270-7060. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Katelyn B Smith can be reached at 571-270-5545. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENDRA LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749