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 Office Action is in response to the communication filed on 9/4/26. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are not found persuasive. Claims 1-17 are pending. This Action is FINAL.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/2/26 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kosugi et al., JP 2014-022151A.
Kosugi teaches, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a battery pack 1 (battery module) including a metal case 2 (module housing), a battery assembly 3 housed in the case 2 (sub module), an insulating oil 4 contained in the case 2, and a hygroscopic material housed in the body 2. The housing 2 has a battery box 2a and a lid 2b fixed to the battery box 2a by caulking. Aluminum, iron etc. are mentioned as a metal which forms battery box 2a and lid 2b. The positive electrode terminal 5 and the negative electrode terminal 6 (pair of terminals) for current input/output are fixed to the lid 2b via the insulating member 7 (terminal spacer). A voltage/temperature monitor terminal 8 is attached to the lid 2b. The pressure equalizing valve 9 is attached to the lid 2b and is for discharging the gas inside the battery box 2a. By opening the pressure equalizing valve 9 at the time of maintenance or the like and releasing the gas inside, it is possible to prevent the pressure inside the battery pack from increasing. Since hydrogen is generated by a side reaction of the battery but hydrogen is minute, it is possible to use, as the pressure equalizing valve 9, one in which the gas venting hole opened in the lid 2b is closed with a plastic plug for discharging hydrogen gas. The cooling device 10 is obtained by circulating a refrigerant through a cooling pipe 11 provided in a serpentine shape on both side surfaces on the long side of the battery box 2a [0009-0010]. Thus, each side has a both an inlet and an outlet for the refrigerant (cooling liquid).
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The battery assembly 3 is one in which a plurality of batteries (unit cells) 12 are connected in series or in parallel. For the battery 12, for example, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery can be used. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each battery 12 has a flat outer container, an electrode group 13 housed in the outer container, and an electrolytic solution impregnated in the electrode group 13. The exterior container has a bottomed rectangular cylindrical plastic container 14 and a rectangular plate-like plastic lid 15 attached to the opening of the container 14 by melting. The positive electrode terminal 16 and the negative electrode terminal 17 for current input/output are attached to the lid 15 by being crimped and fixed to the lid 15 or being cast when molding the lid 15. The rupture portion 18 is formed by providing an X-shaped groove portion in a thin portion located between the positive electrode terminal 16 and the negative electrode terminal 17 of the lid 15 [0011].
Figures 6 and 7 show an example of a battery using a metal container and a lid (as shown by at least FIG. 1). The electrode group 13 is housed in a metal container 31 such as aluminum via an insulator 32. A lid 33 made of metal such as aluminum is welded to the container 31. The positive electrode terminal 16 and the negative electrode terminal 17 are attached to the lid 33 via the insulating gasket 34 [0064]. The battery pack may be used for an electric vehicle [0003].
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14 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.
Claim 2 requires, in addition to the limitations recited by claim 1, that the sub module include:
a front bus bar frame assembly coupled to one first side of the cell stack assembly; and a rear bus bar frame assembly coupled to the second side of the cell stack assembly, the first and second sides of the cell stack assembly being opposed to one another along a longitudinal dimension of the cell stack assembly. The prior art does not teach the front and rear bus bar frame assembly structures recited by at least claim 2. Note each of claims 3-14 ultimately depend from claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/4/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Examiner improperly relied on the housing (2) of Kosugi as teaching both the “sub module” and the “module housing”. Examiner disagrees. The Action clearly recites Kosugi teaches, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a battery pack 1 (battery module) including a metal case 2 (module housing) and a battery assembly 3 housed in the case 2 (sub module). Claim 1 requires a sub module including a cell stack assembly having a plurality of battery cells and a module housing configured to accommodate the sub module. Kosugi teaches a battery assembly including a plurality of battery cells and a case wherein the battery assembly is housed. Examiner does not rely on the housing (2) of Kosugi to teaches the sub module. Kosugi clearly teaches a battery assembly 3.
Applicant further argues the Action has failed to point to any elements in Kosugi that teaches "a front sealing plate configured to cover an opening at a first side" and "a rear sealing plate configured to cover an opening at a second side" where "the first and second sides of the module housing being opposed to one another along a longitudinal dimension of the module housing." (See FIGS.1-2 of Kosugi; FIG. 2 of the application). Rather, the "battery module" of claim 1 is clearly structurally distinct from that of Kosugi. It is unclear how Applicant reaches this conclusion. Kosugi clearly teaches opposing sides of the housing in a longitudinal dimension are sealed (have sealing plates). See at least the Figures of Kosugi.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lim et al (US20170025664) teaches a battery module including a cell assembly comprising a plurality of cells; a module housing including an upper housing having a closed inner space accommodating the cell assembly and a lower housing air-tightly attached to a lower end of the upper housing (abstract).
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 TRACY DOVE whose telephone number is (571)272-1285. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-3:00.
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/TRACY M DOVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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