DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application, with claims 11-20 currently withdrawn. New grounds of rejection have been added as a result of the amendment to the claims submitted 4/20/2026.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings (WO 2023/006698, citations from US 2024/0347797) in view of Kim et al. (US 2023/0006195).
Regarding claim 1, Cummings discloses in Figs 1-3, a battery cell unit ([0031], Fig 2) comprising: a battery cell body ([0031], Fig 2); and outgassing material ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2) encapsulating ([0031], Fig 2) the battery cell body ([0031], Fig 2), wherein (i) the outgassing material ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2) comprises a compound that emits one or more off-gasses at a range of off-gas temperatures ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2), (ii) the range of off-gas temperatures is associated with a thermal runaway pending event (Abstract, [0030]), and (iii) the one or more off-gasses are detectable by a gas sensor ([0035]).
Cummings does not explicitly disclose isoamyl acetate.
Kim et al. discloses in Figs 1-3, a battery (Abstract) including an electrode assembly including a tape material ([0002], [0015]) comprising isoamyl acetate ([0017], [0065]) attached to the battery structure ([0002], [0015]). This configuration enhances battery performance and safety ([0139]).
Kim et al. and Cummings are analogous since both deal in the same field of endeavor, namely, batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the isoamyl acetate disclosed by Kim et al. into the encapsulating material of Cummings to enhance overall battery performance and safety.
Regarding claim 2, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the gas sensor ([0035]) comprises at least an electrochemical sensor ([0035]).
Regarding claim 3, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the outgassing material comprises a polymer film ([0034], Fig 2) incorporated with one or more chemical components ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2) including a specific vapor pressure associated with the range of off-gas temperatures ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2).
Regarding claim 5, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the outgassing material comprises one or more polymers ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2).
Regarding claim 6, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the outgassing material comprises polyethylene ([0017]).
Regarding claim 7, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the range of off-gas temperatures is below a temperature associated (Abstract, [0030]) with the thermal runaway pending event (Abstract, [0030]).
Regarding claim 8, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the range of off-gas temperatures is below a temperature associated with cell venting (Abstract, [0030], P3/Tables 1-2).
Regarding claim 9, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses (P4/Tables 3-4, [0034], specific temp points between 248-266F or 120-130C).
Regarding claim 10, modified Cummings discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses a chemical compound ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2) is incorporated into the outgassing material ([0017], [0034], P3/Tables 1-2).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings (WO 2023/006698, citations from US 2024/0347797) in view of Kim et al. (US 2023/0006195) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Georgeson et al. (US 2016/0195437).
Regarding claim 4, modified Cummings et al. discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above but does not explicitly disclose the outgassing material comprises a thermochromic additive.
Georgeson et al. discloses in Figs 1-12, a battery cell (ref 104) having a coating including a thermochromatic material (refs 114, 116, 118, 120) that turns colors at given temperatures ([0018], [0021]). This configuration enhances the ease of detecting temperature changes in a battery, enhancing safety via enhanced temperature monitoring (Abstract, [0018], [0043]-[0045]).
Georgeson et al. and Cummings are analogous since both deal in the same field of endeavor, batteries and sensors.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the thermochromatic material of Georgeson et al. into the outgassing material of Cummings to enhance battery temperature monitoring via the ease of a color change detection, enhancing battery safety and simplicity of design.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection (arguments directed at references having a lack of isoamyl acetate, which is a newly added claim limitation).
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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/KENNETH J DOUYETTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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