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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group 2, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on November 6th, 2025.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 2, & 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. CN 106356584 A and further in view of Yoon US 2011/0189511 A1. Citations to Li are mapped to the English machine translation provided.
Regarding Claim 1, Li discloses a system [Page 1 Lines 50-52] comprising
a battery module having a plurality of walls (plurality of battery cells in a housing) [Page 1 Lines 54-55], said plurality of walls comprising a first end wall spaced apart from a second end wall (see Li Annotated Figure 5), said first end wall comprising a fluid inlet and the second end wall comprising a fluid outlet [Page 6 Lines 44-46], also see Li Annotated Figure 5.
PNG
media_image1.png
452
761
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Li Annotated Figure 5
A plurality of battery cells [Page 1 Lines 54-55] disposed between the first end wall and the second end wall (see Li Annotated Figure 1)
PNG
media_image2.png
556
1095
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Li Annotated Figure 1
An inlet module pump (Figure 5 Item 560)
An inlet valve (Figure 5 Item 530) in fluid communication with the inlet module pump communicating dielectric fluid (Li discloses that water is used as the cooling liquid [Page 6 Lines 38-39] which is a dielectric fluid) into the battery module (see Figure 5)
An outlet valve (Figure 5 Item 590) in fluid communication with the outlet (see Figure 5)
A pressure sensor (Figure 5 Item 520) generating a pressure signal indicative of the pressure within the battery module [Page 6 Lines 46-49]
A temperature sensor (Figure 5 Item 510) generating a temperature signal indicative of the temperature within the battery module [Page 6 Lines 44-46]
A controller (Figure 5 Item 540) coupled to the inlet module pump, inlet valve, and the outlet valve [figure]
Said controller independently controlling a flow rate into the battery module [Page 6 Lines 51-52], and the pressure within the battery module [Page 6 Lines 51-52]
said controller controlling the inlet module pump to control the flow rate based on the temperature signal (temperature sensors provide signals to the control box [Page 6 Lines 44-46] which controls the flow rate by controlling the inlet module pump [Page 6 Lines 51-54]) and the inlet valve and the outlet valve to control the pressure based on the pressure signal (control box collects signals from the valves and the pressure sensor and controls the valve openings [Page 6 Lines 51-56].
Li is silent as to a specific fluid path disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the plurality of walls.
Yoon discloses a battery system for cooling battery packs [Abstract], similar to that of Li. Yoon discloses a fluid inlet on one side of the battery module and a fluid outlet on an opposite side of the battery module (see Figure 3B), wherein a fluid path is formed between the plurality of battery cells and the plurality of walls (see Yoon Annotated Figure 3B).
PNG
media_image3.png
476
777
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Yoon Annotated Figure 3B
Yoon discloses that fluid path allows the plurality of battery cells to be more efficiently cooled [0038].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate the fluid path of Yoon in the battery module of Li to provide a battery module with more efficiently cooled battery cells.
Regarding Claim 2, as shown in Yoon Annotated Figure 3B below, Yoon discloses a first fluid path and a second fluid path, thus modified Li discloses a first and second fluid path.
PNG
media_image4.png
476
574
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Yoon Annotated Figure 3B
Regarding Claim 7, as shown in Modified Li Annotated Figure 5, modified Li discloses that the pressure sensor is within the fluid path of fluid flowing through the battery module, thus the pressure signal corresponds to the pressure within the fluid path:
PNG
media_image5.png
452
875
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Modified Li Annotated Figure 5
Regarding Claim 8, Li discloses that the pump (Figure 5 Item 560) comprises a “positive displacement pump” [Page 6 Lines 56-58], which is listed in the instant specification as being an example of a “differential flow rate pump” [0008]. Thus Li discloses that the inlet module pump comprises a differential flow rate pump. Li further discloses that the reservoir (Figure 5 Item 570), positioned adjacent to the inlet module pump, comprises a circulation pump [Page 6 Lines 58-60], which provides a constant flow of cooling liquid (water). Thus, Li discloses that the system comprises a constant flow rate pump adjacent to a differential flow rate pump as shown in Annotated Li Figure 5:
PNG
media_image6.png
431
856
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Annotated Li Figure 5
Li discloses that the controller (control box) controls the flow control valve [Page 6 Lines 51-53], which is directly connected to the differential flow rate pump (Figure 5 Item 560), thus the controller controls the differential flow rate pump.
Regarding Claim 9, Li discloses that the fluid outlet is fluidically coupled to a heat exchanger, as shown in Annotated Figure 5 below.
PNG
media_image7.png
511
917
media_image7.png
Greyscale
Li Annotated Figure 5
Claims 3-6 & 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li and Yoon as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Ahn US 2015/0229010 A1.
Regarding Claim 3, modified Li is relied upon for the reasons given above in addressing Claim 2, however is silent as to the system further comprising a first baffle and a second baffle.
Ahn discloses a battery pack comprising a battery module [Abstract], similar to the battery module of Li, wherein the battery pack further comprises a cooling system [0007] comprising a coolant (air) inlet, a flow path, and an outlet [0007], similar to the thermal management system of Li. Additionally, Ahn discloses a first end plate and a second end plate (Figure 1 Items 600 & 700, respectively) [0038] positioned on opposite ends of the battery pack (as shown in Figure 1) [0013]. Ahn further discloses that the first end plate and the second end plate are configured such that the coolant (air) is forced around the sides of the first end plate and under the second end plate (Figure 3A-B) [0052], thus Ahn discloses a baffle on an inlet side of the battery module (first end plate) arresting fluid flow in the first fluid path and the second fluid path (forced around the sides of the first end plate) toward the outlet.
Ahn discloses that a battery pack with this configuration has optimized space within the battery pack and has an improved life-span [0023-0024].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate the baffle of Ahn in the battery module of modified Li to achieve optimized space within the battery pack and improved life-span.
Regarding Claim 4, modified Li, with the modification of Ahn, discloses that the first baffle comprises openings (Ahn Figure 3A Item 610) of a specific size where the coolant (air) is forced to flow through [0052], thus the openings are capable of obtaining the pressure within the battery module by restricting the flow through the openings.
Examiner notes that the claim limitation “for obtaining a predetermined pressure within the battery module” is functional language, and was not given undue weight in examination. Thus the claim was examined to limit the openings of the first baffle as being capable of “obtaining a predetermined pressure within the battery module”.
Regarding Claim 5, modified Li, with the modification of Ahn, discloses a second baffle disposed on an outlet side of the battery (second end plate) arresting fluid flow in the first fluid path and the second fluid path toward the outlet (coolant is forced under the second end plate on both sides).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Li, with the modification of Ahn, discloses that the second baffle (second end plate) comprises openings (Figure 3B Item 710) of a specific size where the coolant (air) is forced to flow through [0052], thus the openings are capable of obtaining the pressure within the battery module by restricting the flow through the openings.
Examiner notes that the claim limitation “for obtaining a predetermined pressure within the battery module” is functional language, and was not given undue weight in examination. Thus the claim was examined to limit the openings of the second baffle as being capable of “obtaining a predetermined pressure within the battery module”.
Regarding Claim 11, Li is relied upon for the reasons given above in addressing Claim 1, however is silent as to the plurality of battery cells comprising spacers therebetween.
Ahn discloses a battery pack comprising a battery module, as mention with regards to Claim 3 above. Ahn further discloses that the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells [0010], similar to that of Li, and further discloses spacers (barriers) placed between each of the battery cells [0010], also shown in Figure 1 Item 810 [0038].
Ahn discloses that a battery module with this configuration has improved cooling efficiency and optimized space within the battery pack [0081].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate the spacers of Ahn in the battery module of modified Li to achieve a battery module with improved cooling efficiency and optimized space.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li and Yoon as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Zhao et al. WO 2023/070294 A1. Citations to Zhao are mapped to the English machine translation provided.
Regarding Claim 10, modified Li is relied upon for the reasons given above in addressing Claim 9, however is silent as to an expansion element between the outlet valve and the heat exchanger.
Zhao discloses a thermal management system for a battery module [Page 1 Lines 37-43], similar to that of modified Li. Zhao discloses that the system further comprises an expansion element (expansion tank) [Page 11 Lines 1-9]. In one embodiment, Zhao discloses that the expansion element is position before the heat exchanger [Page 11 Lines 1-2], and that the exact position of the expansion element is not limited [Page 11 Lines 8-9].
Zhao discloses that a thermal management system comprising an expansion element allows for the fluid to be stored and supplemented into the system as required by the system [Page 11 Lines 5-8].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to incorporate an expansion element before the heat exchanger in the system of modified Li as suggested by Zhao to achieve a system wherein cooling fluid is stored and supplements into the system as required.
Thus modified Li discloses an expansion element between the heat exchanger and the outlet valve.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNA E GOULD whose telephone number is (571)270-1088. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey T. Barton can be reached at (571) 272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/A.E.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1726
/JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 8 January 2026