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 .
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment received on 03/19/2026:
Claims 1 and 4-11 are pending in the current application. Claims 1 and 11 have been amended.
The previous prior art-based rejection have been withdrawn in light of the amendments to the claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot due to the amendment to the claims.
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, 4-6, and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (KR20190078841A, as provided in the 03/07/2023 IDS, using US 20200168864 A1 as an English equivalent, as provided in the 03/07/2023 IDS) in view of Lee (US 20210184303 A1) in view of Ciampolini et al (US 20160254577 A1) in view of Choi et al (US 20180138472 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Seo discloses a battery module comprising:
a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked in a first direction, the battery cell stack having an upper surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, and a lower surface (cell stack 100 including battery cells 110 having a top side surface, a front side surface, a rear side surface, and a bottom side surface in Fig. 3; see entire disclosure and especially P37-38);
a module frame that wraps the upper surface, the first side surface, the second side surface, and a first portion of the lower surface of the battery cell stack and has an open part formed on the lower side, wherein a second portion of the lower surface of the battery cell stack is exposed through the open part (upper housing 500 + front and rear housings 400 in Fig. 3; the bus bar frame 410 of front/rear housing 400 is coupled to the front or rear portion of the cell stack and electrode leads are inserted into the frame; therefore, a portion of the bus bar frame (and therefore the front/rear housing) wraps a portion of the lower side of the cell stack and there is an open part formed between the two sections of the front/rear housing’s bus bar frames leaving a portion of the cell stack exposed; see entire disclosure and especially P37, 46-47).
However, Seo does not disclose an upper thermal conductive resin layer located between the upper surface of the battery cell stack and the module frame and containing a thermal conductive adhesive material.
Seo discloses a cooling structure including spacers (220 in Fig. 3) that cover the lower surface of the battery cell stack and provide a cooling medium flowing between the spacers to cool the battery cells (see entire disclosure and especially P13, 41-44, 55-63). Seo discloses an adhesive to be interposed between the cell stack and the spacer so that the cell stack is fixed to the spacer to prevent leaks and also the adhesive also serves as a gasket (see entire disclosure and especially P55).
In a similar field of endeavor, Lee teaches a cooling member (190 in Fig. 2) can dissipate heat from a lower surface of a battery cell stack and an upper surface of a battery cell stack (see entire disclosure and especially P100).
Therefore, given Lee teaches the top and bottom of a battery cell stack can have their heat dissipated by a cooling member, it would have been obvious to duplicate the cooling structure provided at the lower housing of Seo and provide a cooling structure to the upper housing of Seo (for example between the battery cells and top plate 520 or between the battery cells and sensor assembly 510). This would allow the upper surface of the battery cell stack to be cooled. The mere duplication of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Harza, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
This provides modified Seo an upper resin layer located between the upper surface of the battery cell stack and the module frame and containing an adhesive material, however, Seo does not disclose the adhesive of modified Seo to be a thermally conductive resin adhesive.
In a similar field of endeavor, Ciampolini teaches a hermetic seal of a cooling liquid can be ensured by using thermally conductive adhesives (P54).
Further, also in a similar field of endeavor, Choi teaches a cooling member may be attached to the sides of battery cells by means of a thermally conductive adhesive (see entire disclosure and especially P41). Choi teaches the thermally conductive adhesive is capable of easily transferring heat (see entire disclosure and especially P41). Choi teaches the thermally conductive adhesive can include a polymer resin (see entire disclosure and especially P41).
Ciampolini teaches a thermally conductive adhesive can be used to provide a hermetic seal for cooling liquid, and Seo teaches their adhesive serves as a gasket to prevent leaks. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have chosen a thermally conductive adhesive to be the adhesives in / of modified Seo, given it is a known kind of adhesive that can be used to provide sealing properties. Even further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention and utilized the teaching of Choi to select the thermally conductive adhesive used in modified Seo to be a thermally conductive polymer resin, given Choi teaches the thermally conductive polymer resin has adhesive capabilities and can easily transfer heat. The selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.07).
Therefore, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein the battery module includes an upper thermal conductive resin layer located between the upper surface of the battery cell stack and the module frame and containing a thermal conductive adhesive material.
Further, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the upper thermal conductive resin layer comprises a first upper thermal conductive resin layer and a second upper thermal conductive resin layer that are spaced apart from each other (given the spacers 220 and adhesive of Seo have been duplicated and placed on the upper surface of the battery cell stack; there are three spacers 220 on the lower surface of the battery cell stack, therefore, there would be three spacers on the upper surface of the battery cell stack; the three spacers 220 have spaces S1 and S2 between them; see entire disclosure and especially Fig. 4 and P61-63).
Even further, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the battery cells comprise electrode leads that are protruded in a second direction (pair of electrode leads 111 in Fig. 3; see entire disclosure and especially P39), and the first lower thermal conductive resin layer and the second lower thermal conductive resin layer are located apart from each other in the second direction (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the module frame comprises a ceiling part for covering the upper surface of the battery cell stack (upper housing 500 in Fig. 3), and a first side surface part and a second side surface part covering the first side surface and the second side surface, respectively, of the battery cell stack (pair of side housings 300 in Fig. 3; see entire disclosure and especially P37).
Regarding claim 5, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein the module frame comprises a first extension part extending in parallel to a lower surface of the battery cell stack from one end of the first side surface part, and a second extension part extending in parallel to the lower surface of the battery cell stack from one end of the second side surface part (the first extension part is drawn to the portion of the bus bar frame 410 that extends under the electrode leads inserted therethrough on front housing 400; the second extension part is drawn to the portion of the bus bar frame 410 that extend under the electrode leads inserted therethrough on rear housing 400; these parts extend in parallel with the lower surface of the battery cell stack in a cell-stacking direction, see Fig. 3; see the rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 6, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the open part is formed between the first extension part and the second extension part (see Fig. 3 and the rejection of claim 5 above).
Regarding claim 8, modified Seo meets the limitation a battery pack (battery module 10 in Figs. 2-3; see entire disclosure and especially P35, 37) comprising: the battery module as set forth in claim 1 (see Fig. 3); a pack frame for housing the battery module (lower housing 200 in Fig. 3; lower housing 200 houses the battery cells on top as they are stacked thereon); and a lower thermal conductive resin layer located between the battery module and the a bottom part of the pack frame (the adhesives of spacers 220 on the lower surface of the battery cells in Fig. 3; the adhesives were modified to be thermally conductive polymer resin via Ciampolini and Choi in the rejection of claim 1 above; see entire disclosure and especially P13, 41-44, 55-63).
Regarding claim 9, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the battery cell stack is in contact with the lower thermal conductive resin layer through the open part (see Fig. 3; see entire disclosure and especially P13, 41-44, 55-63).
Regarding claim 10, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the lower thermal conductive resin layer comprises a first lower thermal conductive resin layer and a second lower thermal conductive resin layer that are spaced apart from each other (there are three spacers 220 on the lower surface of the battery cell stack; the three spacers 220 have spaces S1 and S2 between them; see entire disclosure and especially Fig. 4 and P61-63).
Regarding claim 11, modified Seo meets the limitation wherein: the first lower thermal conductive resin layer and the second lower thermal conductive resin layer are located apart from each other in the second direction (see Fig. 3).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (KR20190078841A, as provided in the 03/07/2023 IDS, using US 20200168864 A1 as an English equivalent, as provided in the 03/07/2023 IDS) in view of Lee (US 20210184303 A1) in view of Ciampolini et al (US 20160254577 A1) in view of Choi et al (US 20180138472 A1) as applied to claim 5, further in view of Choi et al (US 20180331336 A1, hereinafter referred to as Choi ‘336).
Regarding claim 7, modified Seo does not meet the limitation wherein: the ceiling part, the first surface part, the second side surface part, the first extension part and the second extension part are integrally formed.
In a similar field of endeavor, Choi ‘336 teaches a cooling plate, two side plates, and an upper plate can be integrated rather than being combined after separately manufactured (see entire disclosure and especially P133). Choi ‘336 teaches since the cooling plate, the side plates, and the upper plate are integrated without a separate coupling configuration therebetween, a process of manufacturing the module case may be facilitated, a period of time for manufacturing the module case may be reduced, and the stiffness of the module case may be effectively improved (see entire disclosure and especially P137).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized the teaching of Choi ‘336 and provided to modified Seo wherein the ceiling part, the first surface part, the second side surface part, the first extension part and the second extension part are integrally formed, given Choi ‘336 teaches this can reduce a period of time for manufacturing by not needing separate parts and separate coupling configurations and provides improved stiffness.
Conclusion
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/MARY GRACE HARRIS/Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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