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 Amendment filed November 26th 2025 has been entered. Claims 1-2, 5, 9, 11, 13-17, & 20 remain pending in the application. Claims 3-4, 6-8, 10, 12, & 18-19 were cancelled by the Applicant. Applicant’s amendment to Claim 1 has overcome the 112(b) rejection previously set forth, therefore the rejection is withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments with respect to the rejection of Claims 1-2, 15-17, & 20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn in view of the amendments. However, upon further consideration, the previous ground of rejection that was applied to Claims 3 & 4 as well as 7 & 8 now applies to Claim 1 as amended.
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, 5, 9, 11, 13-17, & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. WO 2021/057280 A1, and further in view of Kim et al. US 2024/0226621 A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Huang discloses a battery pack [Page 1 Line 37] comprising
a plurality of secondary batteries [Page 1 Line 39]
a fragile portion (weakened portion) in the housing of the battery cell [Page 1 Line 39]
wherein the fragile portion is impacted by a thermal runaway heat flow of the battery cell to form a pressure relief port (weakened portion breaks during heat flow resulting in thermal runaway [Page 5 Lines 36-40])
a spray pipeline [Page 1 Line 42], which is disposed on one side of the battery cell where the fragile portion is disposed (spray pipeline located above the batteries and corresponds to each battery cell) [Page 2 Line 58 – Page 3 Line 2]
Figure 2 shows that the spray pipeline Item 20 is located where the fragile portion Item 11 is located on each battery cell
wherein the spray pipeline is provided with an injection portion (breached area Figure 2 Item 21) [Page 5 Lines 36-40]
the injection portion abuts against the fragile portion (shown in Figure 2)
the injection portion forms an injection port under an impact of the thermal runaway heat flow (breakthrough region forms an opening during thermal runaway [Page 5 Lines 36-40])
a cooling medium in the spray pipeline flows out from the injection port (when the breached area forms an opening, spray medium is sprayed into the battery [Page 5 Lines 36-40]).
Huang discloses that the fragile portion (weakened portion) forms a groove (see Annotated Figure 2). Huang discloses that when the conditions of the battery are such that the temperature and pressure increase internally, the fragile portion (weakened portion) breaks for the function of explosion-proof [Page 6 Lines 44-56], thus Huang discloses that bottom of the groove (of the fragile portion) is a pressure relief port (“explosion proof”).
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Huang Annotated Figure 2
Huang fails to disclose that the injection portion (breached area) is a protrusion protruding in the direction from the spray pipeline to the groove wherein the protrusion abuts against the bottom of the groove.
Kim discloses a spray pipeline for a battery module (fire extinguishing system) [0007], wherein the spray pipeline comprises injection parts for injecting the first extinguishing chemical directly into battery cells [0007]. Kim discloses that the pipes comprise thermosensitive members (Figure 9 Item 334) and injection holes (Figure 9 Item 332) that correspond to the vent positions of each battery cell [0080]. As shown in Figures 9 & 10, the thermosensitive members (Item 334) are shown to protrude from the spray pipe (Item 330), thus Kim discloses that the spray pipeline comprises protrusions protruding in the direction away from the spray pipeline.
Kim discloses that a battery module with this configuration is beneficial in suppressing fires within battery cells sooner and minimize the spread of the fires within the battery, which can help protect the energy storage device [0018]. Kim additionally discloses that the injection time of the material through the pipe system can be increased by reducing the injection pressure [0019].
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 injection ports of Kim in the spray pipeline of Huang to provide a battery module with better protection for use in an energy storage device [0018].
Thus, modified Huang, with the protruding portion injection portions of Kim, discloses that the protruding portion abuts against the bottom of the groove as shown in modified Huang Annotated Figure 2 below (including annotated Figure 12 of Kim showing the bottom surface of the spray pipeline [0084]). Kim further shows in Figure 14 that the protruding injection portions protrude in the direction of the batteries in the array. Examiner notes that the protruding injection portions of Kim shown in Kim Figure 12 on the left would thus be arranged on the battery side of the spray pipeline of Huang so as to face the batteries, as illustrated below in Modified Huang Annotated Figure 2.
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Modified Huang Annotated Figure 2
Modified Huang with the protruding portions of Kim discloses that the protruding portion is an arc shape (as shown in Kim Annotated Figure 12 below, which shows the bottom surface of the spray pipeline) along an extending direction of the spray pipeline, protruding towards the fragile portion (also shown in modified Huang Annotated Figure 2 above).
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Kim Annotated Figure 12
Kim further discloses that the protruding portion comprises a first transition segment (thin film portion 334a’), a protruding segment (rib 334b’), and a second transition segment (thin film portion 334a’) connected in sequence [0085], as shown in Kim Annotated Figure 12 below:
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Kim Annotated Figure 12
Thus modified Huang with the modification of Kim’s protruding portions discloses the limitations of Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 2, Huang discloses that the spray pipeline is abutted against the cover plate of the battery cell (shown in Huang Annotated Figure 2 below).
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Huang Annotated Figure 2
Regarding Claim 5, modified Huang discloses that the protruding portion as modified by Kim comprises a pipeline body (thermosensitive member 334 Figure 10) and a buffer layer (thin film portion 334a Figure 10) as shown in Kim Annotated Figure 10 below:
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Kim Annotated Figure 10
As shown in Figure 10, Kim discloses that the buffer layer (thin film portion) is disposed on a side surface of the pipeline body that faces the fragile portion (weak portion) once combined with Huang as mentioned with regards to Claim 1 and as shown in modified Huang Annotated Figure 2 above.
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses that the protruding segment (rib) protrudes from the surface of the first and second transition segments (thin film portions) and has a greater thickness [0085]. Modified Huang, as mentioned about with regards to claim 1, discloses that with the modification of Kim’s injection portion, the protruding portion protrudes into the groove of the fragile portion (weak portion 11 Figure 2), as shown above in modified Huang Annotated Figure 2. Thus modified Huang discloses that the protruding portion (rib of Kim) is in line contact with the fragile portion (weak portion).
Regarding Claim 11, as mentioned with regards to Claim 9, modified Huang discloses that the protruding portion (rib of Kim) is in line contact with the fragile portion (weak portion of Huang). Additionally, Kim discloses that the protruding portion is perpendicular to the extending direction of the spray pipeline as shown in Kim Annotated Figure 12. Thus modified Huang discloses that the contact line between the protruding portion (rib of Kim) and the fragile portion is perpendicular to the extending direction of the spray pipeline.
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Kim Annotated Figure 12
Regarding Claims 13 & 14, Kim discloses that during an increase in temperature, the transition segments (thin film portions) melt to open the spray holes (Figure 12 Items 332’) [0085], thus Kim discloses that when thermal runaway occurs the transition segments form the injection port. Thus, modified Huang with the modification of Kim’s protruding portions meets the limitations of Claims 13 & 14.
Regarding Claim 15, Huang discloses that the spray pipeline extends along an arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells, as shown in Annotated Figure 1 below.
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Huang Annotated Figure 1
Huang discloses that the spray pipeline is provided with a plurality of injection portions (breached area) each corresponding to fragile portions (weakened portions) of the battery cells, as shown in Annotated Figure 2 below.
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Huang Annotated Figure 2
Regarding Claim 16, Huang discloses an electrical device (vehicle) comprising the battery pack of Claim 1 [Page 3 Line 46].
Regarding Claim 17, Huang discloses an electrical device (vehicle) comprising the battery pack of Claim 2 [Page 3 Line 46].
Regarding Claim 20, Huang discloses an electrical device (vehicle) comprising the battery pack of Claim 15 [Page 3 Line 46].
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that the combination of Huang and Kim do not disclose or suggest the same technical features of amended claim 1, more specifically that the thermosensitive members (protruding portions) of Kim are not positioned so as to protrude toward the fragile portions of Huang. Examiner respectfully points out that as stated in the rejection above, the protruding portions of Kim (thermosensitive members) are positioned on the inner side (the side facing the battery cells) of the spray pipeline of Kim, as shown in Figure 14 of Kim. Thus, when used to modify the spray pipeline of Huang, the protruding portions of Kim would be positioned on the inner/battery facing side of the spray pipeline, and would thus provide protruding portions protruding towards the fragile portions, as recited in Claim 1. Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, this argument is unpersuasive.
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 ANNA E GOULD whose telephone number is (571)270-1088. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm.
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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.
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/A.E.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1726
/JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 2 February 2026