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 amendments as filed 01/15/2026 have been entered. The amendments do overcome the 102 rejection as previously state in non-final office action mailed 10/16/2025. However, amendments have necessitated new grounds of rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-4, 8,9,16, 21, 25, and 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-20180290558-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Myers’ in view of (US-20210300150-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Morrow’
Regarding Claim 1,
Myers teaches a battery assembly including a housing (Myers, battery, 130, Fig. 4) having a first coolant port (Myers, outlet port, 142, Fig. 4) and a second coolant port (Myers, inlet port, 140, Fig. 4) and a battery cooling system comprising: a valve assembly fluidically connected to one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port (Myers, valve, 220, Fig. 8); a pump fluidically connected to the valve assembly and the battery assembly (Myers, pump, 244, Fig. 9); and a coolant controller operatively connected to the pump and the valve assembly (Myers, Controller, 256, Fig. 9), the coolant controller being operable to control the valve assembly to pass a flow of coolant into the one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a first time period and to pass the flow of coolant into the other of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a second time period (Myers, “If the temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, control passes to operation 276 and the controller instructs the valve 220 to actuate to the heating position. In the heating position, the valve 220 is actuated so that the hot air inlet 222 is in fluid communication with the valve outlet 228 and the cold air inlet 224 is in fluid communication with the vent 226”, see [0057]).
Myers does not teach the coolant controller in storing a predetermined threshold and is programmed to switch the valve assembly to reverse the flow of coolant when at least one of an accumulated thermal load.
Morrow teaches the coolant controller in storing a predetermined threshold and is programmed to switch the valve assembly to reverse the flow of coolant when at least one of an accumulated thermal load (Morrow, “A heat generating component 128 may have multiple temperature sensors. For example, the heat generating component 128 may include a temperature sensor at a front 132 of the heat generating component 128 and a temperature sensor at a back 134 of the heat generating component 128. When the temperature sensors indicate that the back 134 is significantly higher in temperature than the front 132,”, see [0037]) and an accumulated electric load of the battery assembly exceeds the predetermined threshold (Morrow, “The system may further include one or more sensors that measure one or more properties of the one or more heat generating components and a controller configured to reverse the direction of circulation with the reversing mechanism based on measurements from the one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to periodically reverse the direction of circulation.”, see [0006])
Morrow teaches that that this system allows for improved cooling through reversing a heating imbalance (Morrow, “To correct the imbalance, the disclosed subject matter describes a system whereby a direction of circulation of cooling flow may be reversed such that the order of cooling for heat generating components is also reversed.”, see [0025])
Myers and Morrow are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling system as taught in Myers to have a system of reverse cooling as taught in Morrow in order to improve the efficiency of the cooling system.
Regarding Claim 2,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve fluidically connected to the first coolant port and the pump (Myers, cold air outlet, 390, Fig. 14) and a second valve fluidically connected to the second coolant port and the pump (Myers, hot air outlet, 388, Fig. 14) (Myers, “The element 376 is in fluid communication with a coolant loop”, see [0065]).
Regarding Claim 3,
Modified Myers teaches the first valve comprises a first spool valve including a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A) (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding Claim 4,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the first port is selectively fluidically connected to the second port in a first configuration of the first spool valve and the first port is fluidically connected to the third port and the fourth port is fluidically connected to the fifth port in a second configuration of the first spool valve (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A) (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]).
Regarding Claim 8,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger fluidically connected to the pump (Myer, heat exchanger, 306, Fig. 12).
Regarding Claim 9,
Modified Myers teaches a vehicle comprising: a body (Myers, vehicle, 20, Fig. 2) ; an electric motor supported relative to the body; a battery assembly operatively connected to the electric motor (Myers, “The transmission 26 may be a power-split configuration. The transmission 26 may house the motor 22”, see [0024]) the battery assembly including a housing (Myers, battery, 130, Fig. 4) having a first coolant port (Myers, outlet port, 142, Fig. 4) and a second coolant port (Myers, inlet port, 140, Fig. 4); and a battery cooling system fluidically connected to the first coolant port and the second coolant port , the battery cooling system comprising: a valve assembly fluidically connected to one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port (Myers, valve, 220, Fig. 8); a pump fluidically connected to the valve assembly and the battery assembly (Myers, pump, 244, Fig. 9); and a coolant controller operatively connected to the pump and the valve assembly (Myers, controller, 256, Fig. 9), the coolant controller being operable to control the valve assembly to pass a flow of coolant into the one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a first time period and to pass the flow of coolant into the other of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a second time period (Myers, “If the temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, control passes to operation 276 and the controller instructs the valve 220 to actuate to the heating position. In the heating position, the valve 220 is actuated so that the hot air inlet 222 is in fluid communication with the valve outlet 228 and the cold air inlet 224 is in fluid communication with the vent 226”, see [0057]).wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve fluidically connected to the first coolant port and the pump and a second valve fluidically connected to the second coolant port and the pump(Myers, hot air outlet, 388, Fig. 14) (Myers, “The element 376 is in fluid communication with a coolant loop”, see [0065]).,
wherein the first valve comprises a first spool valve including a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A) (see annotated figure below).
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, and wherein the second valve comprises a second spool valve including a first port member, a second port member, and a third port member (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A), wherein, in a first configuration, the first port is selectively fluidically connected to the second port and the second port member is fluidically connected to the third port member (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]). to establish a forward coolant circuit in which coolant is introduced into the first coolant port and carried from the second coolant port to a heat exchanger, and wherein, in a second configuration, the first port is fluidically connected to the third port and the fourth port is fluidically connected to the fifth port and the first port (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]).
Regarding Claim 16,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 9, further comprising a heat exchanger fluidically connected to the pump (Myer, heat exchanger, 306, Fig. 12).
Regarding Claim 21,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the first valve and the second valve are integrated into a single structure (see annotated figure below).
Regarding Claim 25,
Modified Meyers teaches the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein a heat exchanger includes a heat removal circuit configured to flow a heat removal medium in a thermally conductive relationship with coolant passing from the battery assembly (Myers, “and a heat exchanger is used to transfer thermal energy between the hot and cold airstreams of the vortex tube and the coolant of coolant loop.”, see [0050])
Regarding Claim 27,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve and a second valve that are integrated into a single structure(see annotated figure below).
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Regarding Claim 28,
Modified Meyers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant controller comprises a central processor unit (Myers, “The vehicle controller 36 generally includes any number of microprocessors, ASICs, ICs, memory (e.g., FLASH, ROM, RAM, EPROM and/or EEPROM) and software code to co-act”, see [0026]), a non-volatile memory module (Myers, “also includes predetermined data, or “look up tables” that are based on calculations and test data and stored within the memory”, see [0026])(The examiner notes that stored memory implies that it is nonvolatile), and a valve control module (Myers, “controller 98 may actuate the valve 70 to output the hot airstream to heat the battery.”, see [0033]), and is programmed a vehicle status sensed by the vehicle state sensor indicates the vehicle is stopped (Gashi, “The control means are associated with temperature sensors of the electrochemical generator 1 in order to actuate the valves according to the effect sought depending on whether the vehicle is stopped or travelling, and according to the presence of a battery or of a fuel cell”, see [0015]).
Modified Myers teaches a reverse the flow of coolant between the first and second coolant ports when at least one of an accumulated thermal load and an accumulated electric load of the battery assembly exceeds the predetermined threshold (Morrow, “A heat generating component 128 may have multiple temperature sensors. For example, the heat generating component 128 may include a temperature sensor at a front 132 of the heat generating component 128 and a temperature sensor at a back 134 of the heat generating component 128. When the temperature sensors indicate that the back 134 is significantly higher in temperature than the front 132,”, see [0037]) and an accumulated electric load of the battery assembly exceeds the predetermined threshold (Morrow, “The system may further include one or more sensors that measure one or more properties of the one or more heat generating components and a controller configured to reverse the direction of circulation with the reversing mechanism based on measurements from the one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to periodically reverse the direction of circulation.”, see [0006])
Regarding Claim 29,
Modified Meyers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a current sensor arranged in the housing, and wherein the coolant controller determines the at least one of the accumulated thermal load and the accumulated electric load of the battery assembly based on data from the at least one sensor (Morrow, “The system may further include one or more sensors that measure one or more properties of the one or more heat generating components and a controller configured to reverse the direction of circulation with the reversing mechanism based on measurements from the one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to periodically reverse the direction of circulation.”, see [0006])
Claims 22-24, 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-20180290558-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Myers’ in view of (US-20210300150-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Morrow’ in view of (US-20230052550-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Gashi’
Regarding Claim 22,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the coolant controller comprises a central processor unit (Myers, “The vehicle controller 36 generally includes any number of microprocessors, ASICs, ICs, memory (e.g., FLASH, ROM, RAM, EPROM and/or EEPROM) and software code to co-act”, see [0026]), a non-volatile memory module (Myers, “also includes predetermined data, or “look up tables” that are based on calculations and test data and stored within the memory”, see [0026]), and a valve control module (Myers, “controller 98 may actuate the valve 70 to output the hot airstream to heat the battery.”, see [0033]), and is operatively connected to at least one sensor arranged in the housing (Myers, “The component 50 may include one or more temperature sensors 88 configured to output a signal to the controller 98”, see [0033]) and to a vehicle state sensor.
Myers does not teach a vehicle state sensor
Gashi teaches a vehicle state sensor (Gashi, “The control means are associated with temperature sensors of the electrochemical generator 1 in order to actuate the valves according to the effect sought depending on whether the vehicle is stopped or travelling, and according to the presence of a battery or of a fuel cell”, see [0015]).
Gashi teaches that whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped creates different conditions for cooling (Gashi, “If, at the time of starting, the electrochemical generator is too hot, or if, at the time of charging, the battery is too hot, because of excessively hot outside air so that the electrochemical generator must be cooled, then the means controlling the valves are arranged to go into the electrochemical-generator cooling mode, the vehicle being stopped”, see [0019])
Myers and Gashi are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling system as taught in Myers to have a state sensor as taught in Gashi in order to improve cooling system to adapt to different conditions for the vehicle battery.
Regarding Claim 23,
Modifed Meyers teaches the vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the coolant controller is programmed to switch the first spool valve and the second spool valve between the first configuration and the second configuration (Myers, “The controller 98 then compares the component temperature to a first threshold temperature (temp1) to determine if the component 50 requires heating at operation 205. If the battery temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, control passes to operation 206 and the controller instructs the valve 70 to actuate to the heating position”, see [0048]) when a vehicle status sensed by the vehicle state sensor indicates the vehicle is stopped (Gashi, “The control means are associated with temperature sensors of the electrochemical generator 1 in order to actuate the valves according to the effect sought depending on whether the vehicle is stopped or travelling, and according to the presence of a battery or of a fuel cell”, see [0015])..
Regarding Claim 24,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a current sensor (Myers, “the controller 98 receives a signal from the temperature sensor 88 indicative of a current temperature of the component 50 at operation 203.”, see [0048]).
Regarding Claim 26,
Meyers teaches a battery assembly including housing (Myers, battery, 130, Fig. 4) having a first coolant port (Myers, outlet port, 142, Fig. 4) and a second coolant port (Myers, inlet port, 140, Fig. 4) and a battery cooling system comprising: a valve assembly fluidically connected to one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port (Myers, valve, 220, Fig. 8); a pump fluidically connected to the valve assembly and the battery assembly (Myers, pump, 244, Fig. 9); and a coolant controller operatively connected to the pump and the valve assembly (Myers, Controller, 256, Fig. 9), the coolant controller being operable to control the valve assembly to pass a flow of coolant into the one of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a first time period and to pass the flow of coolant into the other of the first coolant port and the second coolant port for a second time period (Myers, “If the temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, control passes to operation 276 and the controller instructs the valve 220 to actuate to the heating position. In the heating position, the valve 220 is actuated so that the hot air inlet 222 is in fluid communication with the valve outlet 228 and the cold air inlet 224 is in fluid communication with the vent 226”, see [0057]);a heat exchanger fluidically connected to the pump (Myers, “ A heat exchanger is selectively in fluid communication with one of the hot and cold outlets.”, see Abstract) ; a temperature sensor arranged in the housing (Myers, “The component 50 may include one or more temperature sensors 88 configured to output a signal to the controller 98”, see [0033]), wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve fluidically connected to the first coolant port and the pump and a second valve fluidically connected to the second coolant port and the pump, wherein the first valve comprises a first spool valve including a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port, and the second valve comprises a second spool valve including a first port member, a second port member, and a third port member, wherein, in a first configuration, the first port is selectively fluidically connected to the second port and the second port member is fluidically connected to the third port member (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]) to establish a forward coolant circuit in which coolant is introduced into the first coolant port and carried from the second coolant port to the heat exchanger, wherein, in a second configuration, the first port is fluidically connected to the third port and the fourth port is fluidically connected to the fifth port and the first port member is fluidically connected to the second port member.
Myers does not teach the coolant controller in storing a predetermined threshold and is programmed to switch the valve assembly to reverse the flow of coolant when at least one of an accumulated thermal load.
Morrow teaches the coolant controller in storing a predetermined threshold and is programmed to switch the valve assembly to reverse the flow of coolant when at least one of an accumulated thermal load (Morrow, “A heat generating component 128 may have multiple temperature sensors. For example, the heat generating component 128 may include a temperature sensor at a front 132 of the heat generating component 128 and a temperature sensor at a back 134 of the heat generating component 128. When the temperature sensors indicate that the back 134 is significantly higher in temperature than the front 132,”, see [0037]) and an accumulated electric load of the battery assembly exceeds the predetermined threshold (Morrow, “The system may further include one or more sensors that measure one or more properties of the one or more heat generating components and a controller configured to reverse the direction of circulation with the reversing mechanism based on measurements from the one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to periodically reverse the direction of circulation.”, see [0006])
Morrow teaches that that this system allows for improved cooling through reversing a heating imbalance (Morrow, “To correct the imbalance, the disclosed subject matter describes a system whereby a direction of circulation of cooling flow may be reversed such that the order of cooling for heat generating components is also reversed.”, see [0025])
Myers and Morrow are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling system as taught in Myers to have a system of reverse cooling as taught in Morrow in order to improve the efficiency of the cooling system.
Myers does not teach a vehicle state sensor.
Gashi teaches a vehicle state sensor (Gashi, “The control means are associated with temperature sensors of the electrochemical generator 1 in order to actuate the valves according to the effect sought depending on whether the vehicle is stopped or travelling, and according to the presence of a battery or of a fuel cell”, see [0015]).
Gashi teaches that whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped creates different conditions for cooling (Gashi, “If, at the time of starting, the electrochemical generator is too hot, or if, at the time of charging, the battery is too hot, because of excessively hot outside air so that the electrochemical generator must be cooled, then the means controlling the valves are arranged to go into the electrochemical-generator cooling mode, the vehicle being stopped”, see [0019])
Myers and Gashi are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling system as taught in Myers to have a state sensor as taught in Gashi in order to improve cooling system to adapt to different conditions for the vehicle battery.
Claims 5,6,7, 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-20180290558-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Myers’ in view of (US 20210300150 A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Morrow’ in view of (US 20230052550 A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Gashi’ in further view of (US-20040137313-A1) hereinafter referred to as ‘Jaura’ (see IDS filed 12/27/2023)
Regarding Claim 5,
Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 3, wherein a spool valve including a first port member, a second port member, and a third port member (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A).
Myers does not teach a second valve.
Jaura teaches a second valve (Jaura, second control valve, 52, Fig. 3)
Jaura teaches that a second valve allows for flow reversal which in turn allows for the battery to remain cooler (Jaura, “if the period between successive flow reversals is optimized, the differential temperature between any two successive cells in the battery stack may be minimized to a very great extent”, see [0006]).
Myers and Jaura are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling path as taught in Myers with as second spool or directional valve in order to allow for the flow reversal of the coolant path and therefore temperatures differences to be minimized in the cell.
Regarding Claim 6,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the first port member is fluidically connected to the second port member in a first configuration of the second spool valve and the second port member is fluidically connected to the third port member in a second configuration of the second spool valve (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A) (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]).
Regarding Claim 7,
Modified Myers teaches the battery cooling system according to claim 6, further comprising a valve controller and a temperature sensor, the valve controller being operable to switch the first spool valve and the second spool valve between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor (Myers, “The controller 98 controls operation of the valve 70 to provide the hot or cold airstreams to the component 50 depending upon the temperature of the component. The component 50 may include one or more temperature sensors 88”, see [0033]).
Regarding Claim 10,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve fluidically connected to the first coolant port and the pump (Myers, hot air outlet, 388, Fig. 14) (Myers, “The element 376 is in fluid communication with a coolant loop”, see [0065]).
Myers does not teach a second valve.
Jaura teaches a second valve (Jaura, second control valve, 52, Fig. 3)
Jaura teaches that a second valve allows for flow reversal which in turn allows for the battery to remain cooler (Jaura, “if the period between successive flow reversals is optimized, the differential temperature between any two successive cells in the battery stack may be minimized to a very great extent”, see [0006]).
Myers and Jaura are analogous as they are both of the same field of cooling systems for batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the cooling path as taught in Myers with as second spool or directional valve in order to allow for the flow reversal of the coolant path and therefore temperatures differences to be minimized in the cell.
Regarding Claim 11,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the first valve comprises a first spool valve including a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port. (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A) (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding Claim 12,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first port is selectively fluidically connected to the second port in a first configuration of the first spool valve and the first port is fluidically connected to the third port and the fourth port is fluidically connected to the fifth port in a second configuration of the first spool valve (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]).
Regarding Claim 13,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the second valve comprises a second spool valve including a first port member, a second port member, and a third port member (Myers, spool valve, 170, Fig. 7A).
Regarding Claim 14,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the first port member is fluidically connected to the second port member in a first configuration of the second spool valve and the second port member is fluidically connected to the third port member in a second configuration of the second spool valve (Myers, “the spool 182 is positioned so that the first land 176 closes the hot air vent 192 and the hot air outlet 190 is open. A first fluid channel 198 is defined between the first and second lands 176, 178 to route the hot airstream from the hot air inlet 186 to the hot air outlet 190. The cold air outlet 194 is closed by the third land 180 and the cold air vent 196 is open. A second fluid channel 200 is defined between the third land 180 and an end of the bore 174 to route the cold airstream from the cold air inlet 188 to the vent 196.”, see [0045]).
Regarding Claim 15,
Modified Myers teaches the vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising a valve controller and a temperature sensor, the valve controller being operable to switch the first spool valve and the second spool valve between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor (Myers, “The controller 98 controls operation of the valve 70 to provide the hot or cold airstreams to the component 50 depending upon the temperature of the component. The component 50 may include one or more temperature sensors 88”, see [0033]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pg. 9, the applicant argues:
“Applicants respectfully submit that Myers does not disclose, teach, or suggest this accumulated-load trigger. Myers' controller evaluates instantaneous temperature thresholds to select between hot and cold airstreams from a vortex tube. Myers' control logic is limited to simple threshold comparisons of present temperature and does not determine or respond to an accumulated thermal load or accumulated electric load of a battery assembly, nor does Myers disclose storing and using a predetermined accumulated-load threshold in non-volatile memory to reverse coolant flow through.”
The examiner finds this persuasive and has added the reference ‘Morrow’ to the record. Morrow compares the temperature at two different time points and therefore is able to measure the accumulated thermal threshold of the cooling system (Morrow, “The period of time before each transition may be pre-set by the controller 104. Alternatively, the controller 104 may determine a period of time based on the measurements from sensors in the heat generating components. The period of time in the forward and reverse directions may be the same or unequal. In one example where the first heat generating component 802 has a greater cooling need than the third heat generating component 806, the controller 104 may be configured to hold the reversing mechanism in the forward circulation state for a longer period of time than the reverse circulation state.”, see [0064]).
On pg. 10, the applicant argues:
“Amended claim 9 likewise recites a battery cooling system with specific spool- valve structures fluidically connected to the battery housing's first and second coolant ports, and defines the forward and reverse coolant circuits in terms of the first/second configurations of the first and second spool valves. Myers' valve 220/170 is a diverter in an air loop controlling hot/cold airstream routing from a vortex tube; Myers does not disclose the claimed liquid-coolant spool valves fluidically connected to the battery's first and second coolant ports establishing forward flow into the first port and reverse flow into the second port to a heat exchanger as recited.”
The examiner finds this convincing and has added Morrow to the record which teaches the reverse flow mechanism as claimed (Morrow, “The period of time before each transition may be pre-set by the controller 104. Alternatively, the controller 104 may determine a period of time based on the measurements from sensors in the heat generating components. The period of time in the forward and reverse directions may be the same or unequal. In one example where the first heat generating component 802 has a greater cooling need than the third heat generating component 806, the controller 104 may be configured to hold the reversing mechanism in the forward circulation state for a longer period of time than the reverse circulation state.”, see [0064]). All dependent claims are similarly rejected.
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 SEAMUS PATRICK MCNULTY whose telephone number is (703)756-1909. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:00am to 5pm.
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/S.P.M./Examiner, Art Unit 1752
/NICHOLAS A SMITH/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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