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 . 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The rejection of claims 1-15 under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) as being indefinite is withdrawn because Applicant amended claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The rejection of claims 1-15 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2019/0319318 A1) in view of Albrecht et al. (US 2019/0275911 A1), hereinafter “Albrecht,” is maintained as set forth below.
Regarding claim 1, Park discloses a battery pack comprising:
a battery module (¶ [0033]; Fig. 1, reference no. 100) that includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, in this case a plurality of battery packs are arranged within the battery module (¶ [0033]), a module frame that houses the battery cell stack, in this case the cover (¶ [0033]; Fig. 1, reference no. 110), and a heat sink located below the module frame, in this case the first cooling plate (¶ [0033]; Fig. 1, reference no. 121), having a through hole formed therein, in this case the lower connection pipe that extends from the front branch (¶ [0047] & [0075]; Figs. 2, 3, 6, 9, & 10, reference nos. 150 & 153A);
a pack coolant pipe assembly configured to provide a passage for supplying or discharging a coolant to or from the heat sink, in this case a cooling medium flows within the coolant pipes (¶ [0044] & [0047]; Fig. 6, reference nos. 171-173);
a cooling port that is connected to the through hole and including an inclination part formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cooling port, in this case the upper connection pipe (¶ [0075]; Figs. 9, & 10, reference no. 153B), that includes an inclination part formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cooling part, in this case the first upper connection unit (¶ [0076]; Figs. 9 & 10, reference no. 153B-1);
a cooling connector that connects the pack refrigerant pipe assembly and the cooling port, in this case the first connection member (¶ [0076]; Figs. 9 & 10, reference no. 153C), the inclination part have a width in a horizontal direction that narrows in the direction towards the cooling connector, in this case the first upper connection unit narrows towards the first connecting member (see annotated Fig. 10, reference nos. 153B-1 & 153C-2, below); and
a ring-shaped sealing member located between the inclination part and the cooling connector, in this case the first sealing unit includes a portion positioned between the first upper connection unit and the first core member (¶ [0080]; Fig. 10, reference nos. 153B-1, 153C-2, &153C-3).
Park does not disclose that refrigerant flows within the pipes. However, Albrecht teaches that refrigerant may be used as a cooling medium for batteries (¶ [0010]. One having ordinary skill in the art would have realized that employing refrigerant as the cooling medium would have facilitated battery pack temperature control (see ¶ [0007]), thereby facilitating improved battery pack operation and safety. Therefore, it would have been obvious to have selected refrigerant as the cooling medium in order to have facilitated improved battery pack operation and safety.
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Regarding claim 2, Park further discloses that the inclination part has a truncated cone-shaped inclined surface, in this case the first upper connection unit narrows towards the first connection member (see Figs. 9 & 10, reference no. 153).
Regarding claim 3, Park further discloses that the cooling connector includes a recess in which the cooling port and the sealing member are disposed, in this case the first lower connection unit (¶ [0075]; Fig. 10, reference no. 153A-1) surrounds the sealing member (see Fig. 10, reference no. 153C-3) which in turn surrounds the cooling port (see annotated Fig. 10, above).
Regarding claim 4, Park further discloses that the sealing member is located between an inner surface of the cooling connector defined within the recess, in this case the interior layer of the first sealing unit (see Fig. 10, reference no. 153C-3) is positioned on the interior surface of the first shell member (see Fig. 10, reference no. 153C-2), and an outer peripheral surface of the inclination part (see Fig. 10, reference nos. 153C-3 and 153B-1).
Regarding claim 5, Park further discloses that the inner surface of the cooling connector includes an inclination passage part that the sealing member contacts, in this case the wider portion of the “Y” portion formed by the first sealing unit and the first body unit (see ¶ [0080]; see also Fig. 10, reference nos. 153C-2 & 153C-3).
Regarding claim 6, Park further discloses that the inclination passage part becomes smaller in inner diameter in a direction towards a lower side of the cooling connector and conforms to the shape of the inclination part, in this case the passage narrows in the connection direction and has a conformal shape (see annotated Fig. 10, above).
Regarding claim 7, Park further discloses that the sealing member is located between an inner surface of the inclination passage part and the outer peripheral surface of the inclination part, in this case the first sealing unit is located between the “Y” portion and the first upper connection unit (see Fig. 10, reference nos. 153A-1, 153C-3, & 153B-1).
Regarding claim 8, Park further discloses that the through hole is a first through hole and is an inlet port and the cooling port is a first cooling port and is connected to the inlet port, the battery pack further comprising a second through hole that is an outlet port and a second cooling port connected to the outlet port, in this case there are identical through holes and associated components allowing cooling medium to flow in and out via the external connection pipe ((¶ [0047]; see Fig. 6, reference nos. 153 & 190).
Regarding claim 9, Park further discloses that the pack refrigerant pipe assembly includes supply and discharge pipes, in this case the external connection pipe includes a pipe for cooling medium flowing in and flowing out (¶ [0047]; Fig. 6, reference no. 190 & arrows).
Regarding claim 10, Park further discloses that the cooling connector is a first cooling connector and the cooling port is a first cooling port, the battery pack further comprising a second cooling connector connected to a second cooling port, and the battery pack is configured such that the refrigerant flowing along the pack refrigerant supply pipe flows into the heat sink through the first cooling connector, the first cooling port, and the inlet port, in this case there are identical through holes and associated components allowing cooling medium to flow in and out via the external connection pipe ((¶ [0047]; see Fig. 6, reference nos. 153 & 190).
Regarding claim 11, Park further discloses that the battery pack is configured such that the refrigerant is discharged our of the heat sink to the pack refrigerant discharge pipe through the outlet port, the second cooling port, and the second cooling connector, in this case there are identical through holes and associated components allowing cooling medium to flow in and out via the external connection pipe ((¶ [0047]; see Fig. 6, reference nos. 153 & 190).
Regarding claim 12, Park further discloses that the heat sink includes a lower plate joined to a bottom part of the module frame, in this case the first cooling plate (¶ [0033]; Fig. 1, reference no. 121) includes the fixing block (¶ [0057]; Fig. 7, reference no. 180), and a depressed part recessed downward from the lower plate, in this case the portions where the cooling pipes are positioned in the lower unit (¶ [0061]; Fig. 7, reference no. 182).
Regarding claim 13, Park further discloses that the through hole is formed in the depressed part, in this case the first cooling plate (¶ [0033]; Fig. 1, reference no. 121) includes the front branch unit (¶ [0047]; Fig. 3, reference no. 150) where the through hole is placed.
Regarding claim 14, Park further discloses that the battery pack is configured to receive flow of the refrigerant between the bottom part and the depressed part, in this case the flow paths are formed in the fixing block (¶ [0050]; Fig. 7, reference nos. 171A, 171B, & 180).
Regarding claim 15, Park further discloses a device (¶ [0003]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed March 13, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the claimed apparatus is not disclosed by the cited prior art.
The Office disagrees Applicant’s argument that the pipes explicitly recited by Park (e.g., ¶ [0050]) and depicted in Figures 6-8 (e.g., ref. nos. 171 & 173) are not pipes because they are “embedded” within other components. The pipes disclosed by Park continue to exist despite passing through or being contained within other components. Figure 6 depicts the arrangement of the pipes within the battery pack while Figures 7 and 8 show the structure of the pipes distinct from the adjacent components (e.g. ref. no. 171). Applicant’s argument regarding the cooling part fails because Park does indeed disclose pipes. No reasonable person would interpret Park as lacking pipes as alleged by Applicant. Therefore, Applicant’s argument is unpersuasive.
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 SCOTT J CHMIELECKI whose telephone number is (571)272-7641. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am to 5 pm.
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/SCOTT J. CHMIELECKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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