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 .
This office action addresses pending claims 1-7. Claims 1-3 were amended and claim 7 was added in the response filed 12/3/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1, 4 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akiyama (WO 2021/095551, see English language equivalent US 2022/0393265) in view of Takasaki et al. (US 2009/0197154).
Regarding claim 1, Akiyama discloses a power storage device 1A/1B [battery pack] including modular structure 2 including at least one power storage module 11 [plurality of stacks], the power storage module 11 having an electrode stacked body 14 and a sealing member 15 [resin portion], the electrode stacked body 14 having bipolar electrodes 16, and the sealing member 15 sealing a side surface of the electrode stacked body (abstract, [0047], Figs 1-2). The sealing member 15 is a member that holds the plurality of bipolar electrodes 16, the plurality of separators 17, the positives electrode termination electrode 18, and the negative electrode termination electrode 19 in the stacked body 14 and has an insulation property ([0058]). The sealing member 15 is also interposed between the electrode plates 21 [metal plates] and is joined (welded) to the main surface 21a of the outer edge portion 21c of the electrode plate 21 ([0059]). That is, Akiyama teaches that the sealing member [resin portion] is bonded to a peripheral portion of the plurality of stacks.
While Akiyama discloses an embodiment where the power storage device can be in a case ([0082], Fig 3), Akiyama does not explicitly disclose the power storage device in a case, and does not explicitly disclose a regulating portion that is in the case and faces the resin portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and regulates movement of each of the plurality of stacks, wherein the resin portion and the regulating portion are not in direct physical contact, and in the second direction, the resin portion has a width equal to or larger than a distance between the resin portion and the regulating portion.
Takasaki discloses a battery unit 14 comprising a battery case 50, a plurality of battery modules 60, a monitor, and electric components ([0049], Fig 5). The battery unit can be used in an electric vehicle ([0004]). The battery case 50 includes a tray 51 and cover member 52 ([0051]). The tray 51 includes front 55, rear, 56, and central battery storage 57, wherein a front battery module group 501 is disposed in the front battery storage 55 ([0083]-[0084], Figs 5-6). Widthwise partitions 504 and longitudinal partitions 503 [regulating portions] divided the front battery storage 51 into battery storage chambers 502 ([0085]-[0087]). The width of the battery storage chamber 502 is sized so that a size tolerance of the shape of the battery module 60 is added and compensated for ([0108]). That is, a slight space S2 [distance between portions; not in direct physical contact] is present between the partition 503 and the battery module 60 ([0108], Fig 9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the battery case including tray, cover member, and partitions of Takasaki with the power storage device of Akiyama for the purpose of housing the power storage device and powering a device such as an electric vehicle.
In addition, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the slight space between the partitions and the battery module of the battery case as taught by Takasaki with power storage device of Akiyama for the purpose of accommodating the power storage devices in a battery case and providing space to accommodate a size tolerance of the battery modules.
With regards to the resin portion has a width equal to or larger than distance between the resin portion and the regulation portion, because Akiyama teaches the sealing member 15 [resin portion] holds the components together, provides an insulation property, prevents short circuits ([0058]), and because Takasaki discloses a slight space S2 between the partitions and the battery modules to account for a size difference ([0108], Fig 9), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sealing member [resin portion] to have a width greater than or equal to the slight space [distance] between the sealing member and regulating portion [partitions] for the purpose of increasing the holding property of the battery components, the insulation property, and the prevention of short circuits of the battery, while maintaining a small size tolerance and utilizing space for a given size of a vehicle.
Regarding claim 4, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. As seen in Figure 2, the sealing member 15 [resin portion] has a width in the second direction larger than a thickness of each of the plurality of metal plates [electrode plates 21] in the first direction.
Regarding claim 6, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Akiyama teaches the power storage device 1B can be used in a vehicle ([0082], Fig 3). In addition, Takasaki discloses the battery can be used in a vehicle ([0004]).
Regarding claim 7, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Akiyama discloses the plurality of stacks extends in the first [vertical] direction, and Takasaki discloses the battery case 50 has a bottom portion (see tray 51), the plurality of stacks are on the bottom portion (see Figs 8-9), and, as combined with Akiyama, the regulation portion [partitions 503,504] extends in the vertical [first] direction of the stack from a position of the bottom portion of a stack furthest from the bottom portion among the plurality of stacks.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akiyama (WO 2021/095551, see English language equivalent US 2022/0393265) in view of Takasaki et al. (US 2009/0197154), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Akiyama et al. (JP 2019-194966, see machine translation, herein referred to as Akiyama 2019).
Regarding claim 2, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. While Akiyama discloses current collecting plates 12 [conductive plate] adjacent to at least one of the plurality of stacks in the first direction and thus electrically connected to the at least one of the plurality of stacks (Fig 1, [0038]), Akiyama does not explicitly disclose wherein the current collecting plates 12 [conductive plate] has an overlapping portion that overlaps the resin portion in the first direction, and in the second direction, the overlapping portion has a width equal to or larger than the distance between the resin portion and the regulating portion.
Akiyama 2019 discloses a power storage device 1,1A,1B having a plurality of power storage cells 7 which each has a plurality of bipolar electrodes stacked along a stacking direction (abstract). A heat exchanger 18 is provided between the pair of positive electrode current collector plates 15 and between the pair of negative electrode current collector plates 16 ([0052]). The heat exchanger may be made of a conductive material ([0016]). In an embodiment, the heat exchanger 18 spans the entire height of the battery and is in contact with the electric plates 15A-B/16A-B (Fig 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the length of the conductive heat exchanger to span the entire length of the batteries as taught by Akiyama 2019 with the current collecting plates and batteries of Akiyama for the purpose of providing current and heat exchange across the entire length.
Therefore, the combination results in the conductive plate having a size the same as the footprint of the battery, and therefore the conductive plate has an overlapping portion that overlaps the resin portion in the first direction, and the overlapping portion has a width equal to or larger than the distance between the resin portion and the regulating portion in the second direction.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akiyama (WO 2021/095551, see English language equivalent US 2022/0393265) in view of Takasaki et al. (US 2009/0197154), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoneyama (US 2020/0411816).
Regarding claim 3, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. While Akiyama discloses the sealing member 15 [resin member] as bonded to the peripheral portion of the plurality of stacks along an entirety of a periphery of the plurality of stacks (see Fig 2), and the sealing members 15 [resin portion] is formed such that, along the entirety of the periphery thereof, a width of the resin portion in the second direction opposing the regulating portion [partition] is equal to or larger than the distance between the resin portion and the regulating portion in the second direction because the partitions [resin portion] of Takasaki are only spaced a slight space away (see Takasaki at [0108], Fig 9); modified Akiyama does not explicitly disclose the regulating portion [partitions] provided so as to surround an entirety of a periphery of the resin portion when viewed in the second direction.
Yoneyama discloses a battery pack 10 comprising a plurality of battery modules 12 (plurality of stacks stacked in a first direction) disposed adjacent to each other in a first direction inside a pack case 20, each of the plurality of battery modules 12 including a plurality of battery cells 13 disposed side by side in a second direction (abstract). The battery pack 10 includes a pack case 20 having a case body 21 and a lid 24 ([0018], Fig 1). The battery pack 10 further includes a plurality of side-frame 30 [regulating portion] ([0018], Fig 2-3). Each side-frame 30 can be made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin ([0029]). As seen in Figures 3-4, the side-frame 30 extends the height of the battery cells, and therefore surrounds an entirety of a periphery of the battery resin when viewed in the first direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the height of the side frame that extends the entire height of the battery of Yoneyama with the partitions of Akiyama modified by Takasaki for the purpose of having a battery storage area for the entirety of the power storage module.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akiyama (WO 2021/095551, see English language equivalent US 2022/0393265) in view of Takasaki et al. (US 2009/0197154), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamamoto (WO 2020/152858, see English language equivalent US 2021/0351456).
Regarding claim 5, modified Akiyama discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. While Takasaki teaches the tray 51 [and therefore partitions/regulation portions 503,504] is a molded article that is made of molded synthetic resin ([0079]), modified Akiyama does not explicitly disclose the tray/partitions/regulation portions as formed of an insulating resin.
Yamamoto discloses a battery pack 30 including a battery module, a frame 40, and a sheet member. In an embodiment, the battery pack 30 includes a frame 40 that holds and contains multiple battery modules 31 (Figs 17-18). The frame includes frame sidewalls 41A-B and 42A-D ([0159], Fig 17). Storages spaces 43A-C are partitioned from each other by the frame and sidewalls ([0160]). The frame 40 is formed of a resin having an electrically insulating property ([0042], [0081]), and is therefore electrically insulating.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the electrically insulating resin of the frame of Yamamoto with the tray of Akiyama modified by Takasaki for the purpose of having the frame be insulating.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
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 JACOB BUCHANAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1186. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM (ET).
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/JACOB BUCHANAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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