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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on March 24, 2023 has been
considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The terms “plurality of structural bodies” (pg 2, line 12) and “a structural body” (pg 2, lines 13, 14, 18 and 19) in claims 7 and 8 are not defined by the claim. It is unclear if the second recitation of “a structural body” is intended to refer to one of the “plurality…” previously introduced or an additional body. The broadest reasonable interpretation will be given in an effort to advance prosecution such that either situation will read on the instant claimed invention. Clarification is required.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0308679, hereinafter Choi.
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches a battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) in which a plurality of laminate cells (Fig 9, battery modules 700 have cells 10 Fig. 3), in each of which an electrode body (electrode assembly [0068]) is housed inside an exterior body (Fig 1, sheathing member 14) made of a laminate film (‘sheathing member 14’ [0068]) and tab leads (Fig 1, electrode leads 11 and 12) protrude from one side and the other side of the exterior body ([0068])(Fig 3, battery cell stack 200),
wherein a plurality of the tab leads protruding from the one sides and the other sides of the exterior bodies (Fig 1, [0068]) are each arranged with a gap in a stacking direction of the laminate cells (Fig 3, ‘battery cell stack 200 includes four series-connected unit modules 208 which are stacked in a lateral direction with each unit module oriented upright’ [0071]), and
wherein the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) comprises:
a plurality of structural bodies disposed in the gaps between the tab leads which are arranged adjacent to each other (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068])and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells);
a connection member (Fig 3, bus bar 202) provided in the structural body for electrically connecting the tab leads located on both sides of the structural body to each other (‘bus bars 202 for connecting electrode terminals of battery cells 220 to external input and output terminals 402 of the lower case 400’ [0071]); and
a pressing portion (Fig 3, upper case 300 and lower case 400) configured to press the plurality of arranged tab leads (Fig 1, electrode leads 11 and 12) and the connection member (Fig 3, bus bar 202) in a stacking direction thereof.
Regarding claim 2, Choi teaches the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion (Fig 3, upper case 300 and lower case 400) is each of end plates (Fig 3, end walls of upper and lower cases 300 and 400) positioned on both sides of the arranged tab leads (Fig 1, electrode leads 11 and 12) in an arrangement direction and pressing the plurality of tab leads (Fig 1, electrode leads 11 and 12) and the structural bodies (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells) in the stacking direction, and the laminate cells (Fig 8, battery modules 700) are modularized by the end plates (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 4, Choi teaches the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) according to claim I, wherein at least one of the plurality of structural bodies (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells) is provided with an electric device (Fig 3, voltage measuring members 110 and 120).
Regarding claim 5, Choi teaches the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) according to claim 1, wherein the laminate film (Fig 1, sheathing member 14) includes an inner resin film, a metal film, and an outer resin film (‘sheathing member 14 has a laminate structure of a resin layer, a metal foil layer, and a resin layer’ [0068]), at least, one of the plurality of structural bodies (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells) is provided with an electric device (voltage measuring members 110 and 120), and the electric device (voltage measuring members 110 and 120) is electrically connected to the metal film (‘voltage measuring members 110 and 120 are provided at the respective lower ends thereof with connection terminals 114 and 124 that are electrically connected to electrode terminal connection parts 204 and 206’ [0072]).
Regarding claim 6, Choi teaches the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of structural bodies (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells) is provided with a refrigerant channel (Fig 2, slit 304, ‘upper case has slits for coolant circulation at the top’ [0043]).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0308679, hereinafter Choi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2023/0040116, hereinafter Ushijima.
Regarding claim 3, Choi teaches the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800), the structural body (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells), and the end plate (end walls of upper and lower cases 300 and 400). However, Choi fails to teach a spacer disposed between the structural body and the end plate.
The use of spacers between end plates and structural bodies is considered well-known in the art. Ushijima teaches an energy storage unit (Fig 3, 200) consisting of laminated energy storage devices (Fig 3 and 4, 210). These energy storage devices (Fig 3 and 4, 210) have tab leads (Fig 4, 210b) with structural bodies (Fig 5, 210c) in the gaps between the tab leads (Fig 4, 210b). The energy storage devices (Fig 3 and 4, 210) and the tab leads (Fig 4, 210b) are pressed in a stacking direction by end plates (Fig 3 and 4, 230). There are numerous spacers (Fig 4, 221, 222, 223) throughout the energy storage unit (Fig 3, 200), specifically spacer 222 is located between the structural bodies (Fig 5, 210c) and the end plates (Fig 3 and 4, 230).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place a spacer between the end plates and structural body to ‘electrically insulate the energy storage devices 210 from other members’ [0044].
Claim 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2013/0308679, hereinafter Choi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2023/0108219, hereinafter Jang.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, Choi teaches that the plurality of structural bodies (Fig 1, ‘film type sealing member 16 is interposed between the electrode leads 11 and 12’ [0068]) and (Fig 3, extensions of lower case 400 that divide the cells) within the battery pack (Fig 9, battery pack 800) of claim 1 include a first electric device and a second electric device (voltage measuring members 110 and 120). However, Choi fails to teach a refrigerant channel that functions as a cooling member and is disposed on both sides of the structural body.
The use of refrigerant channels that function as a cooling member for the two electric devices is considered well-known in the art. Jang teaches a battery module (Fig 4, 100) that has laminate battery cells (Fig 4, 110) connected to a sensing assembly (Fig 6, 420) through the use of a terminal bus bar (Fig 6, 411). The sensing assembly contains a module connector (Fig 6, 421) and a connection cable (Fig 6, 422). The sensing assembly, and the battery pack as a whole, is kept cool by using a heat sink (Fig 4, 300) and a pack refrigerant pipe assembly (Fig 2 and 15, 600).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artist before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have refrigerant channels disposed throughout the battery pack because ‘capacity and space utilization may be increased by intensively arranging a cooling structure and other components together with a battery module’ [0028].
Conclusion
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/M.K.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1724
/MIRIAM STAGG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1724