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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action regarding Application No. Application No. 18/034,950 to Ju et al., assigned to LG Energy Solution, Ltd., Seoul, Korea, filed 05/02/2023, and published as U.S. PG Publication 2023/0402681 on 12/14/2023 is in response to applicants’ arguments/remarks and claims amendments, and terminal disclaim all filed 04/01/2025. Applicant’s response is fully considered.
This application is a 371 national stage of PCT/KR2022/008029 filed 06/07/2022 and claims foreign priority to Korean application KR10-2021-0074425 filed 06/08/2021.
Status of Claims
In the response filed 04/01/2026 applicant has amended the claims of the application. Claim is amended by incorporation of limitation of claim 7, and new limitation regarding a cooling liquid flow path.
The status of the claims stand as follows:
Currently amended 1, 3, 8, 10
Original 2, 4-6
Canceled 7
Previously presented 9, 11-13
Claim 1-6, 8-13 are currently pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/21/2026 has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered by the examiner. A duly initialed and signed copy is attached herewith. Accordingly, information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered if signed and initialed by Examiner.
Terminal Disclaimer
Applicant has filed a terminal disclaimer on 04/01/206 in response to the non-final Office Action dated 01/02/2026 regarding the provisional rejection on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting of Claims 1-13 as being unpatentable over claims 1-6, 8-10, 12-13 of co-pending Application No. 18/034,944 filed 05/02/2023, now U.S. Patent 12,545,125 published 02/10/2026.
The terminal disclaimer filed on 04/01/2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of U.S. Patent No. 12,545, 125 (U.S. Application 18/034,944; filed 05/02/2023) has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Withdrawal of Double Patenting Rejection
The double patenting rejection over claims of U.S. Application No. 18/034,944 filed 05/02/2023 (now U.S. Patent No. 12,545,125) presented in the previous non-final Office action dated 01/02/2026 has been withdrawn in view of applicant filing of the Terminal Disclaimer filed 04/01/2026 disclaiming the terminal part of the statutory term of any patent granted on the instant application which would extend beyond the expiration date of the full statutory term of any patent granted on pending reference Application Number.
Withdrawal of Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 112
The rejection of claim 3 under 112(b) for lack of sufficient antecedent basis has been overcome by the amendment of the claim. Therefore, the rejection is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections -35 USC § 112
The previously presented rejection of claim 1-13 under 112(b) for failing to further qualify the “inlet” and “outlet” recited in claim 1 is maintained in this Office action. Applicant is required to amend the claim language and include a language that better define the “inlet” and “outlet” and is supported by the instant specification. Applicant’s argument that, “what substances or mediums ingress or egress is irrelevant to the definiteness of the terms "inlet" and "outlet"” is not persuasive. It is essential for the invention to be completely defined to fully recite if the “inlet” and “outlet” are for a coolant liquid, a coolant gas, an active material, an electrolyte, or any other material known to the inventor.
Withdrawal of Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
The rejection of Claim 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292; called EP '292) has been overcome by the amendment of claim 1. Therefore, the rejection is now withdrawn. Upon further consideration and search a new ground of rejection under 103 over previously applied reference of Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292; called EP '292) in view of newly applied reference of Liu (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0081373) in made and presented in this Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code not included in this section can be found in the prior Office Action.
Claim 1- 6, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292; hereafter EP '292) in view of Liu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0081373)
Regarding Claim 1 and 12 EP '292 discloses a battery system 100 (EP '292 Fig. 1, paragraph 0010, 0033) considered equivalent to the battery pack of claim 12 , and including battery modules comprising sub modules 40 (EP '292 Fig. 2, paragraph 0012) including. a plurality of battery cells 1 connected to each other to form a submodule and several submodules are connected to each other to form the module (EP '292 Fig. 2, paragraph 0005, 0012, 0034), the plurality of battery cells are equivalent to a cell stack assembly having a plurality of battery cells.
EP '292 discloses a cooling fin 68 interposed between adjacent battery cells (EP '292 Fig. 4, paragraph 0012). EP '292 discloses a module housing to accommodate the sub module (EP '292 paragraph 0010, 0012), and having a pair of side plates 31, a front sealing plate 33 and a rear sealing plate 33 configured to cover openings at a first longitudinal side and at a second longitudinal side of the module housing opposed the first longitudinal side, a bottom plate 32 and upper plate 34 (EP '292 Fig. 2). EP '292 discloses the carrier frame, equivalent to the housing comprise coolant ports configured to be connected to cooling cannels (EP '292 paragraph 0021, 0041), the ports are considered equivalent to the inlet and outlet.
EP '292 discloses battery module comprise sensing unit 35 including sensors and electronic including printed circuit board (EP '292 paragraph 0048) considered equivalent the sensing assembly; the battery cells are electrically connected to the sensing unit by voltage supervision circuit (EP '292 paragraph 0015) considered equivalent to being configured to sense voltage of the battery cells.
Regarding the wing cover portion EP '292 discloses the cooling fin 68 interposed between adjacent battery cells is a flat-shape plate includes a body portion interposed between adjacent battery cells (EP '292 Fig. 4, paragraph 0012). But EP '292 is silent about a wing cover portion bent at one of top and bottom of a body contact portion to cover a cell wing portion.
Liu discloses a battery module including a battery stacked body wherein the battery stacked body includes a plurality of stacked batteries (Liu Fig. 1-3, paragraph 0004, 0005) the battery stacked body includes heat-conducting fins 3, wherein each battery 4 is at least in thermal contact with one heat-conducting fin 3 (Liu Fig. 2, paragraph 0014, 021, 0054) and each of the heat-conducting fins 3 is provided with a bending portion 31 (Liu Fig. 2, 3, 6., paragraph 0021, 0029, 0054); the heat-conducting fin 3 is considered equivalent to the cooling fin, and the bending portion is equivalent to the wing cover portion. The heat conducting fin 3 includes a body contact portion interposed between adjacent battery cell 4 and a bend (wing) cover portion 31 bent at one of a top and bottom of the body contact portion to cover a battery cell side portion (Liu Fig. 2, 3, 6), equivalent to the cell wing portion of the battery cell.
Liu discloses the heat-conducting fin uses its bend or wing portion to covey heat from the battery cells to a heat transfer device (Liu paragraph 0059). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have modified the flat-shape plate cooling fin of EP ‘292 by the disclosure of Liu and made a bend wing-portion in the cooling fin of EP ‘292 for conveying heat from the battery cell to a heat transfer device. Such a modification according to the MPEP is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Regarding the passage of a cooling liquid EP '292 discloses the carrier frame, equivalent to the housing comprise coolant ports configured to be connected to cooling cannels (EP '292 paragraph 0021, 0041), the ports are considered equivalent to the inlet and outlet. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have made the cooling path in the module of EP ‘292 as modified by the wing portions of Liu (Liu Fig. 2, 3, 6., paragraph 0021, 0029, 0054) formed between the cell wing portion of the individual cell such as the cell wing portion and wing cover portion (MPEP 2143 I C).
Regarding claim 2 EP '292 discloses the sensing unit 35 may be provided between the ell cover 34 and the top part of the battery sub module (EP '292 Fig. 2, paragraph 0048), the sensing unit is considered equivalent to the sensing assembly.
Regarding claim 3 the sensing unit 35, equivalent to the sensing assembly, has a sensing line connected to the plurality of battery cells (EP '292 paragraph 0050), and since the voltage sensing lines electrically connect all the plurality cells (EP '292 paragraph 0014, 0049) it extends from one end of the battery module to the other end, considered equivalent to first longitudinal end of the battery cells to a second longitudinal end. .
Regarding Claim 4 EP '292 discloses the sensing unit 35, equivalent to the sensing assembly, has a sensing line connected to the plurality of battery cells (EP '292 paragraph 0050), but is silent about the sensing line is interpose between a cell body of the battery cells and a cell wing portion folded towards the cell body portion.
Liu is silent about a sensing line interposed between the cell body portion and the wing-like portion. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have modified the battery cells of EP '292 as modified by conducting fin of Liu having the wing-like portion to also cover the sensing line for added protection of the sensing line so that the sensing line is interposed between the battery cell body and the wing-like portion of Liu. According to the MPEP such a modification can be considered as the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Regarding claim 5 EP '292 discloses the sensing unit, equivalent to the sensing assembly may include a cell temperature supervision circuit (EP '292 paragraph 0014, 0015) and temperature sensors for temperature supervision of the cells (EP '292 paragraph 0050).
Regarding claim 6 EP '292 is silent about the temperature sensor being interposed between a cell body portion of the battery cell and a cell wing portion folded towards the cell body. However, it would have also been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have interposed the temperature sensors for temperature supervision of the cells disclosed by EP '292 (EP '292 paragraph 0050) between the battery cell body and the insulation member having the wing-like portion as disclosed by Liu (Liu Fig. 2, 3, 6) for added protection of the temperature sensor (MPEP 2143 I C).
Regarding claim 13 EP '292 discloses a vehicle including the disclosed battery system (EP '292 paragraph 0024).
Claim 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292; called EP '292) in view Liu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0081373) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jo et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2020/0076025)
The discussion of EP '292 and Liu as applied to claim 1 above is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitation of the claim in this section.
Regarding claim 8 EP '292 discloses the battery system has bus bar for the interconnecting of positive and negative terminals of the battery cells (EP '299 paragraph 0050), but EP '299 is silent about the submodule include front bus bar frame assembly and a rear busbar frame assembly.
Jo discloses a battery module comprising cell assembly having plurality of secondary batteries (Jo paragraph 0013, 0014). Jo discloses the battery module has a bus bar assembly located at a front side or a rear side of the cell assembly (Jo paragraph 0014), the front side and rear side are equivalent to the first longitudinal side of the cell stack and the second longitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side. Jo is silent that the bus bar assembly are found on both front end and rear end. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have made the bus bar of Jo in the battery stack of EP '292 in both the front end and rear end of the cell assembly since such a modification is considered duplication of parts. According to the MPEP, duplication of parts or rearrangement of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is provided. According to the MPEP mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. See MPEP 2144.04 VI B.
Regarding claim 9 Jo discloses the battery module includes an end cover coupled to an outer side surface of the bus bar assembly and having a vent hole H2 communicating with the coolant moving portion so that the coolant is introduced from the outside or discharged to the outside (Jo Fig. 1, paragraph 0014, 0033), and the vent hole may communicate with the insert hole formed in the bus bar frame (Jo paragraph 0091), the holes in the busbar cover communicating with the insert hole formed in the bus bar is considered equivalent to the cooling liquid holes recited in claim 9. But Jo is silent about the vent hole is positioned between the module housing and the cell wing portion, and between the wing cover portion and the cell wing portion, since the vent holes communicate with the insert holes of the bus bar (Jo paragraph 0092) the holes are positioned between the module housing and the battery cells as the bus bar is located between the housing the battery cells (Jo Fig. 2). Further to make the cooling liquid contact the body of the battery cells for an efficient cooling of the battery cells it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have also placed the cooling liquid holes between the wing cover portion and the cell wing portion wing portion folded toward the cell body disclosed by Liu (Liu Fig. 2, 3, 6) Such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Claim 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292; called EP '292) in view of Liu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0081373) and further in view of Jo et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2020/0076025) as applied to claim 9 above, and Deng et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2017/0162923; cited in the IDS dated 05/02/2023)
Regarding claim 10 and 11 Jo discloses a cell assembly having plurality of secondary batteries and a coolant introduced to the cell assembly from outside and discharged to the outside (Jo paragraph 0014, 0031), the coolant flows through the housing (Jo paragraph 0079); thus, the coolant is a liquid and is considered equivalent to the cooling liquid. Jo is silent about the coolant, considered equivalent to the cooling liquid, is an insulating cooling liquid as recited in claim 10 and 11.
Deng discloses a liquid-cooled battery pack system including a battery module, the battery case and a cooling insulating liquid (Deng paragraph 0016). Deng discloses the cooling liquid has electrical insulation (Deng paragraph 0020). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have used the insulating cooling liquid of Deng (Deg paragraph 0020), in the battery system of EP '292 as modified by the coolant of Jo (Jo paragraph 0014, 0031), since the cooling liquid of Deng provided electrical insulation (Deng paragraph 0020), and thus, eliminates any unwanted electrical conduction between the battery cells. According to the MPEP such a modification can be considered as the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Jo discloses a cell assembly having plurality of secondary batteries and a coolant introduced to the cell assembly from outside and discharged to the outside (Jo paragraph 0014, 0031). Jo also discloses holes in the busbar cover communicating with the insert hole formed in the bus bar (Jo paragraph 0019); thus, the coolant of Jo, modified by the insulating cooling liquid of Deng, is introduced to the cell assembly from outside though the vent hole and the insert hole of the bus bar (Jo Fig. 2, paragraph 0014) equivalent to the cooling liquid flow recited in claim 10, and is discharged to the outside of the cell assembly (Jo Fig. 2, paragraph 0014), equivalent to the insulating cooling liquid discharge to the outside recited in claim 11.
Response to Argument
In the response filed on 04/01/2026 applicant has amended the claims of the application. Claim 1 has been amended by incorporation limitation of claim 7, in addition to a cooling liquid flow path formed between the cell wing portion of each cell and the wing cover portion of the cooling fin. Claim 3 was amended to overcome a lack of antecedent basis rejection. Dependence of claim 8 has been changed from claim 7, now canceled, to claim 1. Claim 10 was amended to confirm with the cooling liquid flow path of claim 1, upon which it depends. Applicant has also fled a terminal disclaimer to overcome the previously presented non-statutory double patenting rejection.
Applicant traverses the double patenting rejection and request reconsideration of the rejection in view of the filed terminal disclaimer. Examiner notes that as presented above in this Office action the terminal disclaimer has been reviewed and accepted, and consequently the previously presented double patenting rejection of the claims has been withdrawn in this Office action.
Applicant also traverses the rejection of claim 1 and its dependent claims, and claim 3 under 112(b). Applicant argues that the recitation of the “inlet” and “outlet” is broad rather than indefinite and that breadth of a claim is not to be equated with indefiniteness. Examiner disagrees with applicant’s argument and notes that he “inlet” and “outlet” are essential parts of the claim battery module, and from the claim language it is not known if the “inlet” and the “outlet’ are for introducing reactive material of the cells, electrolyte solutions, cooling liquid, cooling gas, or any material. Thus, the recitation of the “inlet” and “outlet” is not broad but rather indefinite. Applicant is requested to qualify the “inlet” and “outlet” so as to remove any ambiguity of the claimed invention. Therefore, examiner notes that the 112(b) rejection directed toward the “inlet” and “outlet” limitations is maintained in this Office action as presented above.
Examiner, however, notes that the indefinite rejection of claim 3 for lack of sufficient antecedent basis has been overcome by the amendment of claim 3. Therefore, the rejection of claim 3 under 112(b) is withdrawn.
Applicant also traverses the rejection of claim 1-3, 5, 12 and 13 under 102(a)(1) over EP 3493292 and argues that the reference does not teach all the claimed elements of amended claim 1. Examiner agrees with applicant’s argument and as noted above in this Office action the amendment of claim 1 overcomes the 102(a)(1) rejection under EP ‘292. Therefore, the previously presented rejection has been withdrawn.
Applicant also traverses the combination of the reference of Hirschbeck EP ‘292 and Pflueger et al U.S. PG Pub 2017/0214017 applied to the rejection of claim 4, 6, and 7, and argues that the insulation member of Pflueger is not synonymous element to the cooling fin. Examiner notes that previously applied reference of Pflueger fails to disclose a bending cooling fin in addition to the limitation of the cooling liquid flow path formed between the cell wing portion and the wing cover portion of the fin. As presented above in this Office action the claims are now rejected under 103 over previously applied reference of Hirschbeck et al (EP 3493292), and newly applied reference of Liu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2019/0081373), wherein Liu discloses a heat conducting fin including a body portion and bend portion equivalent to the wing cover portion.
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 OMAR M KEKIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5918. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00 pm,.
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/JONATHAN G JELSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/OMAR M KEKIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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