DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
The amendment filed 02/17/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending. Claims 16-20 are new.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-9 and 11-15 under Harris et al. (US 10,998,590) have been fully considered and are persuasive in-part. Harris does not teach the capillary assembly extends from first end to a second end of the battery cell. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Tajima et al. (US 2018/0034116), previously presented.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harris et al. (US 10,998,590) in view of Tajima et al. (US 2018/0034116).
Regarding claim 1, Harris teaches systems and methods for battery thermal management utilizing a vapor chamber comprising:
a battery module including vapor chamber 110 (battery module housing) and vapor space 117 defining a battery module interior;
a plurality of battery cells 112 and a working fluid 115 (refrigerant) arranged in the battery module interior;
wicking material 120 (capillary assembly) arranged as to externally abut against the battery cells; and
wicking material 120 characteristic such as a pore size, material density, fiber thickness, and/or the like may differ from portion to portion (Fig. 1A; col. 13, lines 57-59); wicking material 120 may taper evenly, i.e., continuously (para 0077).
Figure 1A to Harris is provided below.
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Harris does not teach the capillary assembly extends from first end to a second end of the battery cell.
Tajima, directed to similar battery device with capillary assembly between battery cell, teaches cooling elements (wick) 22 provided from a first end of the battery cell to a second end of the battery cell (Fig. 1). Figure 1 to Tajima is provided below.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the cooling elements (wick) extend from one end to the other end in order to provide cooling for the entire length of the battery cell.
Regarding claim 2, wicking material 120 characteristics variation of the properties would be capable of influencing the capillary effect strength dynamically dependent upon temperature (col. 13, lines 57-59).
Regarding claim 3, Harris teaches wherein the capillary assembly is configured so as to receive liquid refrigerant from a refrigerant supply arranged at the first end of the battery cell and release gaseous refrigerant into the battery module interior at least at the second end of the battery cell (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 4, Harris teaches wherein the at least one capillary assembly has a greater length than width (Fig. 1A), and wherein lateral regions of the at least one capillary assembly extending along the length of the capillary assembly do not contact one another, such that there exists a clearance laterally adjacent to the at least one capillary assembly (e.g., spirals, col. 22, line 45), through which condensed refrigerant can reach the refrigerant supply along the at least one battery cell.
Regarding claim 5, Harris teaches wherein two capillary assemblies are arranged on the at least one battery cell, whose lateral regions do not contact one another (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 6, Harris teaches least two battery cells, wherein at least one fluid channel is formed between battery cells and the battery module housing via which the battery module interior is fluidly connected between the first wall and the second wall, such that a flow of refrigerant is enabled (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 7, Harris teaches at least two battery cells, wherein a cavity is disposed at least in regions between the battery cells and the first wall, which cavity allows for an accumulation of liquid refrigerant and the formation of a refrigerant sump (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 8, Harris teaches cold plate 130 connected to an exterior of a first wall of the battery module housing in a thermally conductive manner and configured so as to cool the first wall at least in sections, in order to allow a condensation of the refrigerant (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 9, Harris teaches at least the second (top) wall is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the second end of the battery cell, such that there is no direct connection between the capillary assembly and the second wall (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 10, Harris does not teach wherein a surface of the second wall facing the battery module interior is structured so that refrigerant condensed thereon is guided to a position located above the second end of the battery cell before the condensed refrigerant detaches from the surface of the second wall facing the battery module interior due to gravity and at least portions thereof fall onto the second end of the battery cell.
Tajima teaches heat exchanger 46 with cooling fins 54 which in Harris would direct condensed refrigerant to fall on onto the second end of the battery cell (Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further comprise a heat exchanger with cooling fins in order to provide even more cooling to the battery cells.
Regarding claim 11, while features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function. See MPEP § 2114. In this case, the structure of Harris would allow for a minimum temperature to be set.
Regarding claim 12, Harris teaches pore sizes in wicking material 120 may range from about 1 μm to about 100 μm interpreted as open-pored (col. 13, lines 60-61).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, while features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function. See MPEP § 2114. In this case, the structure of Harris would allow for the recited pressures and temperatures of operation.
Regarding claim 15, Harris teaches for example a battery pack for an electric vehicle (col. 4, lines 2-3).
Regarding claim 16, Harris teaches wherein the at least one battery cell has a cylindrically shaped body, wherein the first end and the second end of the at least one battery cell are positioned at opposite sides of the cylindrically shaped body, and wherein the cylindrically shaped body is arranged upright such that the first end rests on a base surface of the battery module housing where the refrigerant collects in the battery module interior (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, Harris teaches, in some embodiments, posts 211 are formed from wicking material 120 (para 072); and posts 211 may be arranged in stripes or spirals (para 0116).
Regarding claim 18, Harris teaches wicking material 120 may be configured as multiple layers and/or segments or portions (para 0083), where each layer may be a capillary assembly.
Regarding claim 19 and 20, Harris teaches a wicking material 120 characteristic such as a pore size, material density, fiber thickness, and/or the like may differ from portion to portion (para 0083). For example, wicking material 120 having a first material (or mix of materials), density, porosity, level of capillary action, and/or the like may be injected at a first injection site, and wicking material 120 having a second material (or mix of materials), density, porosity, level of capillary action, and/or the like may be injected at a second injection site (para 0063).
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.
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/CARLOS BARCENA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723