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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 05/09/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: element 16 if Figures 2 and 6 and element 7 in Figure 5. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 4, 10, 21, 22 are 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 4 recited the limitation “the cover plate”, however claim 1 contains multiple cover plates, thus the claim is unclear if applicant is referring to only one cover plate or both cover plates.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the joint". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 21 and 22 recites the limitation "the pole lugs" and “the cover plate” wherein more than one cover plate is introduced in the independent claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 7, 11-14, 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang (CN 113851698 A).
Regarding claim 1, Huang discloses a high capacity battery, comprising an enclosure, a group of battery cells arranged inside the enclosure (Figures 4-6; battery cells 20 with housing 10), and cover plates arranged on two opposite sides of the enclosure (positive electrode cover plate 3 and negative electrode cover plate 4 as seen in Figure 4), wherein the cover plates comprise a first cover plate and a second cover plate (cover plates 3 and 4), where in the first cover plate serves as a positive pole of the battery, the second cover plate serves as a negative pole of the battery ([68-75] cover sheet has a pole and is connected to the connecting tabs of the batteries and thus would function as the terminals), the positive poles of the group of battery cells are connected to the first cover plate, and the negative poles of the group of battery cells are connected to the second cover plate ([68-75] cover plates are fixed to the electrode connecting sheets 7/8 by welding and contains a pole 6 that is connected to the cover sheet and functions as the terminal).
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Regarding claim 2, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein the cover plates are connect to the enclosure in an insulated manner (Figure 4; the housing and cover plates are welded and thus would be insulative to avoid a shorting of the battery cell; fixing bracket is also made of an insulating material).
Regarding claim 3, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein the cover plates are connected to the enclosure by means of welding ([69-70] cover plates welded to the connection pieces and housing).
Regarding claim 4, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein the cover plate comprises a mounting part and an electrically conductive part (Figure 4; cover plates are mounted with the housing and are connected to the electrodes and/or poles and thus are conductive).
Regarding claim 7, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 4. Huang further discloses wherein the electrically conductive part protrudes from the enclosure (Figure 4; the pole 6 of the cover plate 4 protrudes from the enclosure of the cover plate and housing of the battery).
Regarding claims 11-12, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein the enclosure is provided with connecting parts and wherein the connecting parts comprise a first and second connecting assembly (Figure 4; the housing 10 has the end walls 101 and 202 that are connecting parts that connect to the cover plates).
Regarding claims 13-14, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein the enclosure is provided with positioning parts and wherein the positioning parts comprise a first and second positioning assembly (Figure 4; the housing 10 has the end walls 101 and 202 that are positioning parts that connect to the cover plates and position the cover plate and battery cells within the housing).
Regarding claim 21, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses wherein pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected to the cover plate; specifically, the positive pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected to the first cover plate and the negative pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected to the second cover plate ([64-75] tabs are connected to the electrode connecting pieces and then further connected to the cover plates).
Regarding claim 22, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang further discloses busbars, to which the pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected; wherein the busbars comprise a positive pole busbar and a negative pole busbar, the positive pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected to the positive pole busbar, and the negative pole lugs of the group of battery cells are connected to the negative pole busbar ([64-75] tabs are connected to the electrode connecting pieces and then further connected to the cover plate, connecting pieces can read on the bus bars).
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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 4 and further in view of Seong et al. (US 2013/0236761 A1).
Regarding claims 5-6, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 4. Huang discloses wherein a conductive cover plate is present that is welded to the housing, however, is silent with respect to the cover plate mounting part comprises an insulating structure and is connected to the electrically conductive part in an insulated manner.
Seong discloses a bus bar assembly for a battery and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Seong discloses wherein a cover plate 510 can be made of electrically insulative material as well as having conductive connection parts mounted onto the cover plate to make the cover plate partially conductive and able to be electrically connected to the battery cells and having a terminal protrude from the battery cells ([0067-0068]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the cover plate of Huang to be made of both electrically conductive and electrically insulative materials as taught by Seong in order to have the cover plate be conductive and function as the terminal while also mounting the insulative portion of the cover plate to the enclosure of the battery cell to form the stable connection and maintain the insulative property between the enclosure and the cover plate. The resulting modification would read on all the claim limitations of claims 5-6 as a cover plate being made of both electrically insulative and electrically conductive materials is known in the art as taught by Seong.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Yum et al. (US 2016/0164148 A1).
Regarding claims 8-9, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to the cover plate being made with grooves that are linear.
Yum discloses a battery pack having a cover plate and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Yum discloses wherein the cover plate has corrugated support members 82/84 that are provide to improve the support of the cover plate (Figures 4 and 8; [0042]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the cover plate to include a corrugated shape in order to improve the support of the cover plate as taught by Yum. The change in shape of the cover plate to include a corrugated shape would improve the structure and support of the battery and thus would have been obvious for a skilled artisan to modify the cover plate of Huang to include the teachings of Yum. The change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2011/0052965 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to wherein a pressing component is provided above the joint between the cover plate and the enclosure and an insulating spacer is provided on the joint surface between the pressing component and the cover plate.
Kim discloses a battery module and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Kim discloses wherein a fixing member 45 is provided at sides of the battery to press the case 20 and the end plates 51/52 together as well as to put pressure on a gasket provided at a joint between the end plate and the fixing member to close and seal the battery ([0047-0053] Figure 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to incorporate the pressing structure tuaght by Kim such that the enclosure has a fixing member that presses the end plates, that reads as the cover plates, and cells together with a gasket provided on the joint of the pressing component and the end plate in order to close and seal the battery cell. The resulting modification is to incorporate the fixing member that presses the end plates together within the housing structure of Huang and to provide the gasket between the housing and cover plates to close and seal the battery cell. The resulting modification would render obvious all the claim limitations of claim 10.
Regarding claim 20, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to wherein the group of battery cells are provided with pressing assemblies.
Kim discloses a battery module and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Kim discloses wherein a fixing member 45 is provided at sides of the battery to press the case 20 and the end plates 51/52 together as well as to put pressure on a gasket provided at a joint between the end plate and the fixing member to close and seal the battery ([0047-0053] Figure 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to incorporate the pressing structure tuaght by Kim such that the enclosure has a fixing member that presses the end plates, that reads as the cover plates, and cells together with a gasket provided on the joint of the pressing component and the end plate in order to close and seal the battery cell. The resulting modification is to incorporate the fixing member that presses the end plates together within the housing structure of Huang and to provide the gasket between the housing and cover plates to close and seal the battery cell. The resulting modification would render obvious all the claim limitations of claim 20.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Doornekamp et al. (US 2016/0111694 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to reinforcing ribs being provided on the enclosure.
Doornekamp discloses a battery assembly and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor. Doornekamp discloses wherein the battery casing has a x-shaped resilient section of the frame that provides further structural rigidity to the battery assembly (Figure 2; [0048]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to incorporate the resilient section taught by Doornekamp on the enclosure of Huang in order to enhance the structural rigidity and durability of the battery housing. The resilient section is read as the rib that provides structural support for the housing and would have been obvious to incorporate the resilient section into the housing of Huang.
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0242515 A1).
Regarding claim 16, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to the enclosure having a pressure relief component.
Lee discloses a battery pack and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Lee discloses wherein the battery pack has a venting hole that vents the internal pressure when the pressure of the batteries increases to minimize the increase of internal pressure and thus prevent the battery from exploding ([0062-0072).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to modify the housing of Huang to include a venting hole unit as taught by Lee in order to prevent an internal pressure within the battery from getting too high and thus increasing the safety of the battery.
Regarding claims 17-18, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to the enclosure having a partition provided in the enclosure and connected between the cover plates in an insulative manner.
Lee discloses a battery pack and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of batteries. Lee discloses wherein the pack casing 200 has a partition wall 260 that extends between the base plate and cover plate 210/220 to separate the inside of the housing into regions in which the battery cell is located (Figures 2-3; [0047-0050]; the partition would be made of an insulative material to avoid shorting the cell).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to incorporate the partition walls that extend from the base plate to the cover plate as tuaght by Lee into the battery of Huang to separate the battery cells and provide a secure location within the housing for the battery cells to be accommodated in order to secure the battery cells within the battery housing.
Claims 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Holden et al. (US 2002/0061434 A1).
Regarding claims 17-19, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1. Huang is silent with respect to the enclosure having a partition provided in the enclosure and connected between the cover plates in an insulative manner and wherein the partitions are provided with a run through part.
Holden discloses a battery having partition walls and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Holden discloses wherein partition walls are formed between adjacent cells so as to form compartments for the cells and wherein cutouts 36 are formed in the partitions to provide vapor mass transfer passageways among the cells (Figure 2; [0020-0021], [0048-0049]; the partition would be made of an insulative material to avoid shorting the cell).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan to incorporate the partition walls that extend from the base plate to the cover plate and that contain cutouts in a region of the partition walls as tuaght by Holden into the battery of Huang to separate the battery cells and provide a secure location within the housing for the battery cells to be accommodated in order to secure the battery cells within the battery housing and such that the battery cells are fluidly connected to each other as tuaght by Holden. Thus claims 17-19 are rendered obvious through the combination.
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 113851698 A) as applied to claim 22, and further in view of Sasaki et al. (US 2023/0125103 A1-having priority date of 10/25/2021).
Regarding claim 23, Huang discloses all the claim limitations of claim 22. Huang is silent with respect to wherein each of the busbars is connected to the cover plate via at least one layer of metal foil, the positive pole busbar is connected to the first cover plate, and the negative pole busbar is connected to the second cover plate.
Sasaki discloses a battery module and is analogous with the instant invention as being within the same field of endeavor of battery cells. Sasaki discloses wherein a bus bar can be a metal foil that is electrically connected to the tabs and to the terminal (Figure 1; [0037,0051] claim 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in view of a skilled artisan that the electrode connecting pieces of Huang are made of a metal foil as taught by Sasaki for connecting the tabs of the batteries to the cover layer/terminal member as taught by Sasaki. Examiner notes that the connecting pieces of Huang can be made of a variety of different materials and through the teaching of Sasaki, a metal foil material can be used for the connection as Sasaki discloses wherein a bus bar can be made of a metal foil and thus the electrode connecting pieces can also be made of a metal foil.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schneider et al. (US 2017/0331140 A1)- discloses a battery cell having a first and second outer plate wherein the first outer plate is electrically connected to the housing while the second outer plate is electrically connected to a terminal.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Adam J Francis whose telephone number is (571)272-1021. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7 am-4 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571)270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM J FRANCIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728