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
The amendment filed 12/18/2025 has been entered. Claims 1 and 6-8 remain pending. Support is found in the instant drawings.
The amendment to claim 7 overcomes the Drawing Objection of the 06/20/2025 Office action, such that the drawing objection is now withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 12/18/2025 with respect to claim(s) 1 and its dependent claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
However, Examiner notes that the arguments against the combination of Yoon and Kang are not particularly persuasive, because the base structure of the claim including the lower housing with support protrusions near the lower surface of the cylindrical cells was generally taught by Yoon as cited in the 06/20/2025 rejection of record, while the secondary Kang reference was relied upon for teaching toward obviousness of changing the shape of such structures between cylindrical cells from triangular to rhombic. Arguments against Waldschutz are also not particularly persuasive, but the amended claim scope especially regarding the orientation of the temperature sensor pieces is addressed in the new grounds below.
As noted by Applicant on Remarks page 5, the claims (especially independent claim 1) were amended to better set forth their invention. Such amended claim scope necessitated further searching which yielded the new grounds of rejection presented below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 2023/0112802 A1, with effective filing date of 10/12/2021).
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches a battery unit (battery module 100 in battery pack 10, [0074-0075] and Figs. 1-2) in which a plurality of cylindrical battery cells (a plurality of battery cells 101, [0074] and Fig. 4), each having an upper surface provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode (the positive terminal 101a and the negative terminal 101b of each of the battery cells 101, [0106-0107]), are mounted in rows and columns, the battery unit comprising:
a lower housing (first frame 110, Figs. 4-5) comprising a quadrangular tray part (rectangular lower plate 112, with pair of sidewalls 116 and pair of end walls 118 protruding upward from 112; [0080-0081] and Fig. 5) having an open upper surface (inner surface of 112 along h-axis, Fig. 5; open and facing batteries 101 in +h direction, Fig. 4) defining an inner space which the plurality of battery cells are arranged (batteries 101 held within first frame 110 between sidewalls 116/end walls 118 along respective w-/l-axes and on inner surface of 112 along h-axis, Figs. 3-4; first frame 110 fixes the lower end of the battery cell 101 per [0080]), and
a plurality of rhombic protrusions (rhombic/diamond-shaped protrusions 114 in Fig. 5) protruding upward from a bottom surface of the inner space of the tray part (first fixing protrusion 114 which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the lower plate 112, [0080]; in +h direction of Fig. 5),
the protrusions being spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in rows and columns (114’s spaced along w- and l-axes, Fig. 5) such that at least two adjacent protrusions define each of a plurality of support recesses (114 fixes the disposition of the battery cell 101, [0080]; plurality of battery cell holes 112a formed in 112 between protrusions 114, [0080] and Fig. 5),
each support recess supporting a respective one of the battery cells (first frame 110 includes fixing protrusion 114 which fixes the disposition of the battery cell 101, [0080]) by contacting a portions of an outer periphery of that battery cell near a lower surface of that battery cell (first frame 110 for fixing the lower portion of the plurality of battery cells 101, [0078] and Fig. 4),
the protrusions having a predetermined thickness in the row and column directions such that battery cells adjacent in the row or column direction are spaced apart by a regular interval (the plurality of battery cells 101 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other, [0079]; 114 fixes the disposition of the battery cell 101, [0080]; see Figs. 4-5);
an upper housing (the second frame 130 fixes the upper end portion of the battery cell 101, [0084] and Figs. 3-4) coupled to the top (along h-axis, Figs. 3-4 and 8) of the lower housing (first frame 110 includes a first fastening protrusion 120 protruding to be fastened to the second frame 130, and second frame 130 includes a second fastening protrusion 140 protruding to be fastened to the first frame 110; [0082, 0085] and Figs. 3-6; a state in which the second frame 130 and the first frame 110 are coupled, [0086] and Fig. 8) and having a plurality of straight removal regions connecting regions corresponding to respective upper surfaces of the battery cells supported in the lower housing (a plurality of connection holes 132a formed to open the upper side of the plurality of battery cells 101, [0084] and Fig. 6; see straight-line opened regions of 130 above and exposing upper surfaces of cylindrical cells 101 in +h direction, as shown in Fig. 8);
an electrode network provided on an upper surface of the upper housing and comprising a plurality of busbars (second frame 130 includes an upper plate 132 that forms a surface on which the bus bar – e.g., first bus bar 150, second bus bar 152 – is mounted, [0084] and Figs. 6-8) selectively connected to respective positive electrodes of the battery cells exposed through the removal regions (first bus bar 150 is connected to the positive terminal of the plurality of battery cells 101 included in the first cell array 102 disposed in one side, [0108]; the first connecting bar 154 is connected to the positive terminal 101a of the battery cell 101 included in the first cell array 102, [0111]; see Fig. 7); and
a temperature sensor provided in a ring shape (thermistor 224 with mounting ring 226, [0187] and Fig. 19) and coupled to at least one of the battery cells (in some of the plurality of battery cells 101, a thermistor 224 for measuring the temperature of the battery cell 101; [0187] and Fig. 18) while surrounding the outside of the battery cell (a mounting ring 226 for fixing the disposition of the thermistor 224 to the outer circumference of the battery cell 101, [0187] and Figs. 18-19),
the temperature sensor comprising a coupling part provided in a C shape (shape of 226 formed into a “C” – i.e., substantially circular ring with an opening – as shown in Fig. 19, and per [0188]) and fitted over and coupled to the outside of the battery cell (226 around outside of cell 101, Fig. 18; mounting ring 226 is mounted in the outer circumference of the battery cell 101 to bring the thermistor 224 into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the battery cell 101 per [0188]),
an extended part protruding from the coupling part in a horizontal direction (relatively thick part from 226 extending into the plane of the page shown in Fig. 19, under/at 224 – opposite the open side of 226) and having a predetermined insertion recess (mounting groove 226a, [0188] and Fig. 19), and
a sensor part inserted into the insertion recess of the extended part (thermistor 224 mounted in groove 226a, [0188] and Fig. 19) and configured to sense a temperature in an inner space formed by the lower housing and the upper housing (thermistor 224 for measuring the temperature of the battery cell 101, thermistor 224 may be disposed in the battery cell 101 disposed in a portion where mainly temperature is increased among the plurality of battery cells 101, thermistor 224 may transmit temperature information detected by the battery cell 101 to the battery pack circuit substrate 220; [0187, 0189] and Fig. 18 in view of [0159] Figs. 4, 8, 13 – i.e., 224 is in the space surrounding 101 internal/between 110 and 130),
wherein extended part (where 224 mounted in 226, see Fig. 19) is oriented in a diagonal direction between adjacent battery cells (224 is shown diagonally offset from a central point along the outer circumference of one cell 101 in the U-D direction, between adjacent 101’s, in Fig. 18).
Regarding claim 6, Choi teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and wherein the coupling part (C-shaped portion of mounting ring 226, as cited above to Fig. 19 and [0187-0188]) has a thickness less than an interval between the battery cell to be coupled and another battery cell adjacent thereto in the row or column direction (there is a gap between 226 on one cell 101 and the outer circumference of adjacent cell 101 as shown in Fig. 18, such that thickness of 226 is less than the spacing distance/interval between cells 101).
Regarding claim 7, Choi teaches the limitations of claim 6 above and wherein the extended part (where groove 226a is located in 226, into which 224 is mounted; Fig. 19 as cited above) is accommodated within a space defined between the protrusion in the diagonal direction (226a/224 offset from centerline of cell exterior 101, between cells 101, as shown in Fig. 18, which corresponds to spacing between cells by protrusions 114 per [0079-0080] and Figs. 3-4 as cited above in rejection of claim 1; protrusions 114 also shown located in alignment with the location of 224 – i.e., within 226a – in Fig. 18 F-R direction).
Regarding claim 8, Choi teaches the limitations of claim 7 above and wherein the coupling part is fitted over and coupled to the battery cell while surrounding the outside thereof (mounting ring 226 for fixing the disposition of the thermistor 224 to the outer circumference of the battery cell 101, [0187-0188] and Figs. 18-19) in a state in which the extended part is positioned on top of the protrusions (226a – at 224 per Fig. 19 – is aligned with 114 in F-R direction in Fig. 18, which corresponds to h-axis along which 114 protrudes in Figs. 4-5).
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 Jessie Walls-Murray whose telephone number is (571)272-1664. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, typically 10-4.
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/JESSIE WALLS-MURRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728