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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/18/2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of the certified English translation of the foreign application (filed 06/01/2026) as required to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e). The intervening reference Lee is overcome.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In [0057], the specification indicates that Fig. 1B shows the first box 1 and the second box 2. However, these reference numbers are not found in Fig. 1B. These structures should read “first box 201” and “second box 202” as evidenced by [0038].
Similar changes should be made in [0073] and [0084-0086].
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 21 is 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.
Claim 21 recites “a plurality of battery cells” (line 2; emphasis added) and later “the battery cell being arranged in a space enclosed by the first box and the second box” (lines 6-7; emphasis added). Here, the recitation of “the battery cell is unclear”. It could be interpreted that Applicant intended to refer to a particular battery cell (e.g. the first outermost battery cell, the second outermost battery cells, or another one of the plurality of battery cells), or it could be interpreted that Applicant intended to refer to the previously recited plurality of battery cells (in which case this limitation should read, “the plurality of battery cells”). As such, Claim 21 is rejected as being indefinite. For the sake of compact prosecution, the second interpretation will be applied, as supported by the previous recitation of “the plurality of battery cells” (line 5).
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, 4-10, 14, 18 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long et al. (CN-210723159-U; see English translation provided 04/01/2026 for citations) in view of in view of Shao et al. (CN-207441811-U; cited 02/27/2023; see also attached English translation for citations) in view of Hwang et al. (US-20120114998-A1; newly cited) and in view of Zhou et al. (CN-110148694-A; see English translation provided 03/13/2024 for citations).
Regarding Claims 1, 14 and 23, Long discloses a battery (battery pack; [0007, 0027, 0031-0032]) comprising (the Examiner notes that the following limitations apply to both Claims 1 and 23 unless otherwise noted): a battery cell [0007, 0015, 0032-0033].
Long discloses that the battery pack includes a housing (reads on box) which accommodates multiple battery modules [0014, 0031]. The box is understood to necessarily accommodate the battery cell. Long discloses that the battery pack is designed to prevent lithium battery packs from catching fire, thereby increasing safety [0016], and that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention [0040]. Long does not disclose whether the battery pack includes a cover, and therefore does not explicitly teach that the housing includes a first box and a second box.
Shao teaches a battery pack and box designed in view of the safety and reliability of power batteries [0004, 0006]. The battery pack includes a lower box and an upper cover, and the lower box is closed with the upper cover to form a receiving cavity which holds a plurality of battery modules (see Fig. 3; [0028, 0038]).
Shao also teaches that during long-term use of power batteries, water vapor can enter the interior of the battery box and produce condensation water inside, thereby causing problems such as a short circuit and corrosion of metal parts [0004]. In order to reduce the humidity in the box, the box includes at least one condensation component including a condensation plate, a water storage box, and a drain valve [0006-0007, 0028-0029, 0032] The condensation component can be located on the lower box [0028, 0032]. Advantageously, by providing a condensation component, the probability of battery pack failure is reduced [0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have selected the battery pack of Long to comprise a lower box (reads on first box) and an upper cover (reads on second box) as well as a condensation component on the lower box as taught by Shao with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery pack with a reduced chance of battery pack failure and increased safety, and capable of successfully housing multiple battery modules.
Modified Long renders obvious closing the first box and the second box together [Shao: 0028]. Modified Long does not explicitly describe how the boxes are closed, and therefore does not explicitly teach that the first box and second box are buckled to each other.
Hwang teaches a battery case composed of a base and a top cover [0019]. Hwang teaches that the combination method of the base and the top cover can include various means, including connecting the base and top cover via buckling hooks and buckling slots [0020].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have connected the first box and the second box of modified Long via buckling hooks and buckling slots with a reasonable expectation that such a connection method would result in the successful closing of the second box on the first box. Since the battery cell is located within a battery module within the box, the cell is thus arranged in a space enclosed by the first box and the second box.
As previously discussed (see above), modified Long renders obvious a condensation unit including a drain valve provided on the first box [Shao: 0032]. The drain valve is capable of discharging liquid [Shao: 0032], and therefore reads on the recited limitation of a liquid level control mechanism.
Long further discloses:
a pipe (fire extinguishing container 3; [0027]); and
a liquid collecting member (top cover plate 2; [0027]) provided between the battery cell and the pipe [0008, 0027],
the liquid collecting member being provided with an accommodating portion (corresponds to the combination of installation groove 21 and surrounding plate 22; 0027) configured as a groove,
the groove comprising a bottom wall (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below) facing the pipe and a side wall (surrounding plate 22) arranged at a side of the pipe (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
Long discloses that the pipe (fire extinguishing container 3) is fixedly installed in the groove [0027]. The pipe can be made into different shapes (see Figs. 1, 4 and 5) including a cylindrical shape [0011, 0025, 0038-0040]. Long further discloses that it is desirable to reduce the space and weight that a fire extinguishing container occupies in a battery pack in order to improve energy density [0005].
Although Long discloses that the side wall is straight (see annotation of Fig. 1, above), and therefore does not teach that the side wall is curved, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have formed the pipe (fire extinguishing container) to be cylindrical with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful pipe. Furthermore, in seeking to reduce the space that the pipe occupies in the battery pack, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have formed the groove the be cylindrical in order to closely match the shape of the pipe. One of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success since a change in shape normally requires only ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04, IV, B). Therefore, modified Long renders obvious that the side wall is curved “from an upper end of the side wall to a lower end of the side wall”.
Long discloses that the liquid collecting member comprises a plurality of through holes arranged along an extending direction of the pipe and spaced apart from each other (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below; MPEP 2125; [0027]).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
Notably, Long discloses that the pipe (fire extinguishing container 3) is designed such that when a cell experiences thermal runaway, a portion of the pipe undergoes thermal decomposition, thereby releasing a fire extinguishing agent inside the pipe [0015, 0032]. Assuming, arguendo, that Long does not disclose with sufficient specificity that the structures indicated in Fig. 1 (see above) are through holes, such a configuration would still have been obvious in view of the teachings of Zhou.
Zhou teaches a pressure plate (40, Fig. 1; reads on liquid collecting member) which is provided between a battery cell (10, Fig. 1) and a flame retardant device (20, Fig. 1; reads on pipe) [0044, 0050, 0053, 0056]. The pressure plate is provided with through holes (43, Fig. 5) which correspond to a pressure relief port in a battery cell [0056]. The flame retardant device is positioned as close as possible to the pressure relief device, above the through holes in the pressure plate, such that when the pressure release device explodes the explosion impact can be transmitted quickly and directly to the flame retardant device, thereby quickly releasing flame retardant material onto the battery and improving safety [0048, 0082-0084].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided through holes in the liquid collecting member of Long with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would allow for fire extinguishing agent to be quickly released onto the battery cell, thereby resulting in a successful battery with increased safety. A plurality of through holes reads on the recited limitations of Claim 1, and any of the plurality of through holes reads on “a through hole” as recited in Claim 23.
Long discloses that the pipe entirely covers the entire plurality of through holes (see Fig. 3; MPEP 2125) and abuts against the liquid collecting member (N.B.: “abut” is interpreted as “to border on; to cause to touch or lean for support” as evidenced by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) [0027].
Although Long does not explicitly teach that the disclosed configuration prevents “a fluid collected in the groove from flowing through the plurality of through holes to the battery cell” as required by Claim 1, or from “flowing through the through hole to the battery cell” as required by Claim 23, the Examiner notes that this amounts to the intended use of the claimed battery. The recitation of intended use of a claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the limitation of the claim. Here, the structure required for performing the intended use is a pipe which entirely covers the plurality of through holes, and which contacts the bottom wall of the accommodating portion. By entirely covering the plurality of through holes as required by Claim 1, the pipe necessarily covers “the through hole” (i.e. any of the plurality of through holes) as required by Claim 23. Such a configuration would have been obvious in view of Zhou.
Specifically, Zhou teaches that the flame retardant device (reads on pipe) is preferably placed as close as possible to the pressure relief device of the battery such that the flame retardant device can quickly rupture and release flame retardant material [0048].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have configured the pipe of Long to contact the bottom wall of the accommodating portion with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery capable of quickly releasing a fire extinguishing agent within the pipe. Accordingly, modified Long renders obvious a pipe which entirely covers the plurality of through holes as required by Claim 1, thereby necessarily covering “the through hole” as required by Claim 23, and a pipe which contacts the bottom wall of the accommodating portion (i.e. the structure required to perform the intended use limitation). Thus, the limitation is met.
The limitation, “the fluid collected in the groove flowing to a bottom of the first box, and the liquid level control mechanism being configured to release the fluid in the first box in response to a liquid level of the fluid in the first box reaching a preset height, and accumulate the fluid in the first box in response to the liquid level of the fluid in the first box not reaching the preset height” is an intended use limitation. The recitation of intended use of a claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the limitation of the claim. Here, the structure required for performing the intended use is a groove with a structure such that collected fluid is capable of flowing to the bottom of the first box, and a liquid level control mechanism with a structure capable of releasing fluid at a certain height and accumulating fluid below that height. Modified Long renders obvious such structures.
Specifically, as previously discussed, modified Long renders obvious a groove including a side wall (see above) and a liquid level control mechanism (i.e. drain valve; see above). The groove has a structure such that if fluid were to accumulate in the groove and exceed the height of the side wall, the fluid would flow with gravity to the bottom of the first box. Additionally, the liquid level control mechanism (drain valve) is provided to promptly discharge condensed liquid [Shao: 0032]. Thus, the drain valve is understood to have an open configuration capable of releasing fluid, and therefore has the structure necessary such that it is capable of releasing “the fluid in the first box in response to a liquid level of the fluid in the first box reaching a preset height, and accumulate the fluid in the first box in response to the liquid level of the fluid in the first box not teaching the preset height”. Here, the preset height could be any height (e.g. the height at which the fluid reaches the open drain valve).
Although Long discloses that the pipe is fixedly installed in the groove [0027], Long does not teach a fastening member as required by Claim 14, or a plurality of buckles provided between the battery cell and the pipe as required by Claim 23.
Zhou teaches that a plurality of holders (47, Fig. 5) can be used to successfully fix a flame retardant device (20, Fig. 1; reads on pipe) to a pressure plate (40, Fig. 5; reads on liquid collecting member) [0059-0060].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided a plurality of holders as taught by Zhou to connect the pipe of modified Long to the liquid collecting member with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful connection between the pipe and the liquid collecting member. The plurality of holders read on a fastening member provided between the battery cell and the pipe, and configured to fasten the pipe to the battery cell (i.e. via the groove) as required by Claim 14. The holders further read on a plurality of buckles provided between the battery cell and the pipe and configured to clamp the pipe as required by Claim 23. The plurality of buckles are spaced apart from the through hole and independent from the through hole (see Zhou: Fig. 5).
Regarding Claims 4-5, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Long discloses that the battery (fire extinguishing power module) is configured to hold cells [0007, 0015, 0032]. Therefore, the battery cell is understood to be “one of a plurality of battery cells”. Long does not teach the configuration of the cells within the module, and therefore does not explicitly teach that the battery cells are arranged one by one.
Zhou teaches that a plurality of battery cells can be arranged one by one (Fig. 2), and that a fire retardant device (20, Fig. 1) can be placed in the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells (see Fig. 1; [0047-0048, 0053, 0071]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have arranged the cells of modified Long such that they are arranged one by one with the groove extending in an arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells as required by Claim 4 with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
As discussed in the rejection of Claim 1 (see above), the accommodating portion is further configured to accommodate at least a part of the pipe as required by Claim 5.
Regarding Claim 6, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Although Long does not specifically teach that depth of the groove, Long discloses that it is desirable to reduce the space and weight that a fire extinguishing container occupies in a battery pack in order to improve energy density [0005], and that the fire extinguishing container is designed to slow or stop combustion during a thermal runaway event, thereby improving safety [0015-0016].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have optimized the depth of the groove, including selecting the depth of the groove to be 1 mm to 5 mm, with a reasonable expectation that such a depth would provide a balance between improving energy density (i.e. minimizing the space and weight that the fire extinguishing container occupies in the battery pack), while ensuring safety (i.e. ensuring a pipe of sufficient size such that a fire extinguishing agent is able to suppress combustion) (MPEP 2144.05, II).
Regarding Claim 7, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above, including that “the accommodating portion is further configured to accommodate at least part of the pipe” (see rejection of Claim 1, above).
Regarding Claim 8, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above, including that the pipe is accommodated within the liquid collection member (see rejection of Claim 1; Fig. 1; [0027]). The pipe is designed with an insulating polymer film which decomposes at a certain temperature [0015, 0032]. The liquid collection member is designed to such that the pipe can be fixed within [0027].
Therefore, although Long does not explicitly teach that the liquid collecting member is insulative, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have formed the liquid collecting member to be insulative with a reasonable expectation that forming the liquid collecting member of a heat-resistant, insulative material would result in a successful liquid collecting member capable of fixing the pipe without being deformed due to the heat discharged from the battery cell during a thermal event.
Regarding Claim 9, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above, including that the pipe is fixedly installed on the liquid collecting member [0027]. Absent a special definition, a pipe and a liquid collecting member which are “fixedly installed” is interpreted as reading on a pipe and a liquid collecting member which are “connected in a bonding manner” as evidenced by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (“bonding” is defined as “the formation of a close relationship”).
Regarding Claim 10, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Long discloses that the pipe can produce a molten layer or a carbon layer at the explosion-proof valve of lithium-ion batteries [0015, 0032]. Therefore, it is understood that the battery cell comprises an explosion-proof valve (reads on a pressure relief mechanism). Long also strongly suggests that the pipe is placed above the pressure relief mechanism of the cell (see Fig. 1). Modified Long does not explicitly disclose that the pressure relief mechanism is configured to be actuated in response to an internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell.
Zhou teaches that each battery cell is provided with a pressure relief port (11, Fig. 2; reads on pressure relief mechanism) [0017, 0044, 0047]. The pressure relief port is designed to open to relieve pressure when a battery core fails [0010, 0012, 0047].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have configured the pressure relief mechanism of modified Long such that it is actuated in response to the internal pressure of the battery cell reaching a threshold, to discharge emissions and release the internal pressure, with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful pressure relief mechanism.
Long discloses that the pipe is configured to accommodate a fire extinguishing medium (fire extinguishing agent) that passes through the pipe [0007-0008, 0015, 0032]. Long further discloses that the pipe is constructed to release the fire extinguishing medium in response to heat generated by a cell experiencing thermal runaway [0015, 0032]. Although Long does not explicitly disclose that the fire extinguishing agent is released in response to the pressure relief mechanism being actuated, such a configuration would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, since the pressure relief mechanism is understood to release heat during a thermal runaway event and since Long strongly suggests that the pipe is placed above the pressure relief mechanism of the battery cell (see Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 18, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Long discloses that the battery pack is designed to improve safety [0016], and that electric vehicles need battery packs with improved safety [0004].
Therefore, although not disclosed in a specific embodiment, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided an electric vehicle (reads on an electric apparatus) comprising the battery according to claim 1 [0015-0016, 0021] with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful electric vehicle with improved safety. The battery has the structure necessary to supply electrical energy [0004, 0015-0016], and therefore the intended use limitation “wherein the battery is configured to supply electrical energy” is met.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long et al. (CN-210723159-U; see English translation provided 04/01/2026 for citations) in view Shao et al. (CN-207441811-U; see also attached English translation for citations) in view of Hwang et al. (US-20120114998-A1) and in view of Zhou et al. (CN-110148694-A; see English translation provided 03/13/2024 for citations) as applied to Claim 14 above, and in further view of Kobayashi et al. (JP-2017147128-A; see also English translation provided 08/22/2025).
Regarding Claim 15, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above, including that a fastening member comprising a plurality of holders is used to secure the pipe to the liquid collecting member (see rejection of Claim 14, above). Each of the holders reads on a buckle. Accordingly, the fastening member comprises “a plurality of buckles configured to clamp the pipe”.
Since Zhou teaches that the plurality of buckles are arranged along a central axis direction of the pipe (see Zhou Figs. 1 and 5), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have arranged the plurality of buckles along a central axis direction of the pipe with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful connection between the pipe and the liquid collecting member.
Modified Long renders obvious that the plurality of buckles are located along one side of the plurality of through holes (see Zhou Figs. 1 and 5). Therefore, modified Long does not teach that the plurality of buckles are located on both sides of the plurality of through holes.
Kobayashi teaches a similar fire extinguishing system [0006, 0026, 0030-0034] including a fire extinguishing pipe (13, Fig. 2) connected to a plate [0030] to provide a refrigerant to high temperature battery cells [0031-0034]. Kobayashi teaches that the pipe is successfully fixed to the base plate via a pipe support portion (18, Fig. 2) [0030]. The pipe support portion reads on a plurality of buckles (corresponds to each half of the pipe support portion; see annotation of Kobayashi Fig. 2, below) which are provided on either side of a through hole.
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Annotation of Kobayashi Fig. 2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the fastening member as a plurality of buckles located on both sides of the plurality of through holes, with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful connection between the liquid collecting member and pipe.
The limitation “to prevent the fire extinguishing medium located between the buckles from flowing along the central axis direction of the pipe out of a zone enclosed by the buckles at the groove” amounts to the intended use of the claimed battery. The recitation of intended use of a claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the limitation of the claim. Here, modified Long renders obvious buckles on each side of the plurality of through holes. Therefore, in the event that fire extinguishing medium is collected between the buckles, the prior art possess the structure necessary to prevent the medium from flowing along the central axis direction of the pipe out of a zone enclosed by the buckles at the groove.
Claim(s) 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long et al. (CN-210723159-U; see English translation provided 04/01/2026 for citations) in view of Shao et al. (CN-207441811-U; see also attached English translation for citations) in view of Hwang et al. (US-20120114998-A1) and in view of Zhou et al. (CN-110148694-A; see also English translation provided 03/13/2024 for citations) as applied to Claim 10, above, and in further view of Chan et al. (US-20180138478-A1).
Regarding Claim 16, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Long discloses that heat generated from an overheated battery cell is used to decompose an insulating polymer of the pipe [0015, 0032]. Modified Long does not teach a separator provided between the liquid collecting member and the pressure relief mechanism.
Chan teaches a battery module designed to prevent the propagation of explosion from one cell to another during thermal runaway [0003-0004, 0013]. Chan teaches that a plurality of layers, including a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer, can be formed across an upper portion of the battery module [0024]. Advantageously, Chan teaches that the plurality of layers can help to direct exploding material released from a cell [0025], and can provide insulation to the battery cells [0026].
Therefore, in seeking to direct exploding material released from a cell, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have included an insulation layer (reads on separator) between the liquid collecting member and the battery cell of modified Long, including between the liquid collecting member and the pressure relief mechanism, with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery capable of successfully venting gases.
Regarding Claim 17, modified Long renders obvious all of the limitations as set forth above. Lee discloses that the accommodating portion is provided in the liquid collecting member (see rejection of Claim 1, above). The accommodating portion of the liquid collection member reads on the claimed “first accommodating portion”.
Although modified Long does not explicitly teach a second accommodating portion in the separator, Chan teaches that the insulation layers (405 and 410, Fig. 5) can have the same shape as the top cover (114, Fig. 5) such that the insulation layers can be stacked with the top cover (Fig. 4).
Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to have shaped the separator of modified Long to have the same shape as the liquid collecting member in order to easily stack the two members. Furthermore, absent showings of criticality, a change in shape normally requires only ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04, IV, B). By providing the insulator to have the same shape as the liquid collecting member, the separator thereby comprises a second accommodating portion at a zone corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism. Since the members are stacked, the first accommodating portion (which is a part of the liquid collecting member) is thereby placed in the second accommodating portion.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long et al. (CN-210723159-U; see English translation provided 04/01/2026 for citations) in view of Zhou et al. (CN-110148694-A; see English translation provided 03/13/2024 for citations) in view of Shao et al. (CN-207441811-U; cited 02/27/2023; see also attached English translation for citations) in view of Hwang et al. (US-20120114998-A1) and in further view of Fujii et al. (US-20150125720-A1).
Regarding Claim 21, Long discloses a battery (battery pack; [0007, 0027, 0031-0032]). The battery comprises cells within a module [0004, 0015, 0032]. Long does not teach the arrangement of the cells within the module or battery.
Zhou teaches a similar battery module (see Fig. 1; [0047-0048, 0053, 0071]). Zhou teaches that a plurality of battery cells can be successfully arranged one by one (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have arranged the cells of Long one by one in an arrangement direction with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
Since the battery cells are arranged one by one, the battery is understood to necessarily have a first outermost battery cell and a second outermost battery cell opposite to each other in the arrangement direction.
Long discloses that the battery pack includes a housing (reads on box) which accommodates multiple battery modules [0014, 0031]. The box is therefore understood to necessarily accommodate the plurality of battery cells. Long discloses that the battery pack is designed to prevent lithium battery packs from catching fire, thereby increasing safety [0016], and that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention [0040]. Long does not disclose whether the battery pack includes a cover, and therefore does not explicitly teach that the housing includes a first box and a second box.
Shao teaches a battery pack and box designed in view of the safety and reliability of power batteries [0004, 0006]. The battery pack includes a lower box and an upper cover, and the lower box is closed with the upper cover to form a receiving cavity which holds a plurality of battery modules (see Fig. 3; [0028, 0038]).
Shao also teaches that during long-term use of power batteries, water vapor can enter the interior of the battery box and produce condensation water inside, thereby causing problems such as a short circuit and corrosion of metal parts [0004]. In order to reduce the humidity in the box, the box includes at least one condensation component including a condensation plate, a water storage box, and a drain valve [0006-0007, 0028-0029, 0032] The condensation component can be located on the lower box [0028, 0032]. Advantageously, by providing a condensation component, the probability of battery pack failure is reduced [0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have selected the battery pack of Long to comprise a lower box (reads on first box) and an upper cover (reads on second box) as well as a condensation component on the lower box as taught by Shao with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery pack with a reduced chance of battery pack failure and increased safety, and capable of successfully housing multiple battery modules.
Modified Long renders obvious that the first box and the second box are closed together [Shao: 0028]. Modified Long does not explicitly describe how the boxes are closed, and therefore does not explicitly teach that the first box and second box are buckled to each other.
Hwang teaches a battery case composed of a base and a top cover [0019]. Hwang teaches that the combination method of the base and the top cover can include various means, including connecting the base and top cover via buckling hooks and buckling slots [0020].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have connected the first box and the second box of modified Long via buckling hooks and buckling slots with a reasonable expectation that such a connection method would result in the successful closing of the second box on the first box. Since the plurality of battery cells are located within a battery module which is enclosed by the box, the plurality of battery cells are understood to be arranged in a space enclosed by the first box and the second box.
As previously discussed (see above), modified Long renders obvious a condensation unit including a drain valve provided on the first box [Shao: 0032]. The drain valve is capable of discharging liquid [Shao: 0032], and therefore reads on the recited limitation of a liquid level control mechanism.
Long further discloses that the battery comprises:
a pipe (fire extinguishing container 3; [0027]); and
a liquid collecting member (top cover plate 2; [0027]) provided between the plurality of battery cells and the pipe [0008, 0027], the liquid collecting member comprising:
an accommodating portion (corresponds to the combination of installation groove 21 and surrounding plate 22; 0027) configured as a groove, the groove comprising a bottom wall (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below) facing the pipe and a side wall (surrounding plate 22) arranged at a side of the pipe (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
Long discloses that the pipe is fixedly installed on the liquid collecting member [0021, 0027, 0031]. Long does not teach an upper piece connected to an upper end of the side wall of the groove.
Fujii teaches a power supply device including a plurality of battery cells and a gas duct [0003, 0008, 0037, 0040]. The gas duct corresponds to the gas exhaust valve of each of the battery cells [0040, 0073]. Fujii teaches that the gas duct includes a second duct (6B, Fig. 9) which includes a recess (6c, Fig. 9) into which a first duct (6A, Fig. 9) is press-fit [0080]. Fujii teaches a bus bar holder (8, Fig. 9) which can be used as the second duct [0083, 0086]. The bus bar holder of Fujii corresponds to the liquid collecting member of modified Long, and the first gas duct of Fujii corresponds to the pipe of modified Long. The bus bar holder includes opening windows (24, Fig. 9) which guide a bus bar into a fixed position to connect the electrode terminals of the battery cells [0084].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the liquid collecting member of modified Long to have the shape taught by Fujii with a reasonable expectation that such a structure would result in a battery capable of successfully positioning the pipe within the liquid collecting member, and capable of successfully connecting the plurality of battery cells in order to form a battery pack. One of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success since a change in shape normally requires only ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04, IV, B).
Modified Long thereby renders obvious “an upper piece connected to an upper end of the side wall of the groove, the upper piece being configured as a plane continuously extending in the arrangement direction from the first outermost battery cell to the second outermost battery cell” (see annotation of Fujii Fig. 9, below).
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Annotation of part of Fujii Fig. 9.
Long discloses that the liquid collecting member comprises a plurality of through holes arranged along an extending direction of the pipe and spaced apart from each other (see annotation of Long Fig. 1, below; MPEP 2125; [0027]).
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Annotation of Long Fig. 1.
Notably, Long discloses that the pipe (fire extinguishing container 3) is designed such that when a cell experiences thermal runaway, a portion of the pipe undergoes thermal decomposition, thereby releasing a fire extinguishing agent inside the pipe [0015, 0032]. Assuming, arguendo, that Long does not disclose with sufficient specificity that the structures indicated in Fig. 1 (see above) are through holes, such a configuration would still have been obvious in view of the teachings of Zhou.
Zhou teaches a pressure plate (40, Fig. 1; reads on liquid collecting member) which is provided between a battery cell (10, Fig. 1) and a flame retardant device (20, Fig. 1; reads on pipe) [0044, 0050, 0053, 0056]. The pressure plate is provided with through holes (43, Fig. 5) which correspond to a pressure relief port in a battery cell [0056]. The flame retardant device is positioned as close as possible to the pressure relief device, above the through holes in the pressure plate, such that when the pressure release device explodes the explosion impact can be transmitted quickly and directly to the flame retardant device, thereby quickly releasing flame retardant material onto the battery and improving safety [0048, 0082-0084].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided through holes in the liquid collecting member of Long along an extending direction of the pipe with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would allow for fire extinguishing agent to be quickly released onto the battery, thereby resulting in a successful battery with increased safety.
Long discloses that the pipe entirely covers the entire plurality of through holes (see Fig. 3; MPEP 2125) and abuts against the liquid collecting member (N.B.: “abut” is interpreted as “to border on; to cause to touch or lean for support” as evidenced by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) [0027].
Although Long does not explicitly teach that the disclosed configuration prevents “a fluid collected in the groove from flowing through the plurality of through holes to the battery cell”, the Examiner notes that this amounts to the intended use of the claimed battery. The recitation of intended use of a claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the limitation of the claim. Here, the structure required for performing the intended use limitation is a pipe which entirely covers the plurality of through holes and a pipe which contacts the bottom wall of the accommodating portion. Such a configuration would have been obvious in view of the teachings of Zhou.
Specifically, Zhou teaches that the flame retardant device (reads on pipe) is preferably placed as close as possible to the pressure relief device of the battery such that the flame retardant device can quickly rupture and release flame retardant material [0048].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have configured the pipe of Long to contact the bottom wall of the accommodating portion with a reasonable expectation that such a configuration would result in a successful battery capable of quickly releasing a fire extinguishing agent within the pipe. Accordingly, modified Long renders obvious a pipe which entirely covers the plurality of through holes and a pipe which contacts the bottom wall of the accommodating portion (i.e. the structure required to perform the intended use limitation). Thus, the limitation is met.
The limitation, “the fluid collected in the groove flowing to a bottom of the first box, and the liquid level control mechanism being configured to release the fluid in the first box in response to a liquid level of the fluid in the first box reaching a preset height, and accumulate the fluid in the first box in response to the liquid level of the fluid in the first box not reaching the preset height” is an intended use limitation. The recitation of intended use of a claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the limitation of the claim. Here, the structure required for performing the intended use is a groove with a structure such that collected fluid is capable of flowing to the bottom of the first box, and a liquid level control mechanism with a structure capable of releasing fluid at a certain height and accumulating fluid below that height. Modified Long renders obvious such structures.
Specifically, as previously discussed, modified Long renders obvious a groove including a side wall (see above) and a liquid level control mechanism (i.e. drain valve; see above). The groove has a structure such that if fluid were to accumulate in the groove and exceed the height of the side wall, the fluid would flow with gravity to the bottom of the first box. Additionally, the liquid level control mechanism (drain valve) is provided to promptly discharge condensed liquid [Shao: 0032]. Thus, the drain valve is understood to have an open configuration capable of releasing fluid, and therefore has the structure necessary such that it is capable of releasing “the fluid in the first box in response to a liquid level of the fluid in the first box reaching a preset height, and accumulate the fluid in the first box in response to the liquid level of the fluid in the first box not teaching the preset height”. Here, the preset height could be any height (e.g. the height at which the fluid reaches the open drain valve).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/01/2026 have been fully considered but are moot because the new grounds of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejections of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/D.C.N./Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 9/14/2026
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