DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
In the amendment dated 4/14/26, the following has occurred: Claims 1, 2, 6, 11-13, and 16-20 have been amended; Claims 10 and 14 are cancelled; and new Claims 21-22 have been added.
Claims 1-9, 11-13, and 15-22 are pending. Claims 1, 5-9, 11-13, 15-16, and 21-22 are examined in this office action. This communication is a Final Rejection in response to the "Amendment" and "Remarks" filed on 4/14/26.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 5-6, 11, 15, 21, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20140045038 A1 (US'038) in view of WO 2018180436 A1 (WO'436).
As to Claim 1:
US'038 discloses a battery (assembled battery 1); a battery cell comprising a case and an end cover that are hermetically connected to each other (cylindrical cell 2 comprising a battery case 21 and a sealing plate 25 hermetically shut via an insulating gasket 26, [0028]); two first position-limiting portions being disposed on a side wall of the case and arranged spaced apart from each other along an axial direction on the side wall of the case (outer circumferential protruding portion 21A, wherein Modification 1 notes that this feature can be provided both on the positions of the battery case closer to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal, [0046]); and each of the two brackets being provided with a second position-limiting portion that is configured to be snap fitted with one of the two first position-limiting portions to limit a position of the battery cell at least in the axial direction of the battery cell (elastically deformable hook portions 32 or 35 configured to create a snap-fit inside the groove portion to suppress longitudinal/axial displacement, [0035]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose two brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open, wherein the two brackets cover a part of the side wall of the case that is between the two first position-limiting portions in the axial direction, and the end cover extends out of the circumferentially closed cladding space in the axial direction. Instead, US'038 relies on a continuous plate layout or flat end grid segments (such as divided fixing plate 30) that remain confined to the terminal endpoints of the cell matrix, [0033], [0052].
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open. The upper holder 202 and lower holder 203 close around the perimeter of the cell case to cover a portion of its intermediate side wall in the axial direction, and allow the cell sealing body/end cover to extend out of the cladding space in the axial direction (WO'436, pp. 5-6).
US'038 and WO'436 are analogous arts because both are in the same field of endeavor (the technical field of battery pack design, module housings, and vehicle power sources; WO'436, p. 1) and are both reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of structurally securing, supporting, and positioning cylindrical battery cells inside an assembled module to limit positional shifting and manage operating stresses; WO'436, pp. 2-3, 5-6.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to provide the snap-fitting claws of US'038 directly onto the internal surfaces of these buckled bracket pieces. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the cells within the module package.
As to Claim 5: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); and further discloses that the second position-limiting portion is disposed at an end portion of the mounting structure along the axial direction (elastically deformable hook portions 32 or 35 protruding from a face of the fixing plate where the cells are placed, [0012], [0032], [0035], [0041]-[0042]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose two brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose the second position-limiting portion being disposed at an end portion of the bracket along the axial direction.
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open, wherein the matching structural holder pieces cover a part of the side wall of the case in the axial direction and define axial end portions (WO'436, pp. 3, 5-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to position the snap-fitting claws of US'038 directly at the axial end portions of these buckled bracket pieces. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the cells within the module package.
As to Claim 6: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); each of the brackets further comprises a body part connected with the second position-limiting portion (a structural fixing plate or plate body connected to elastically deformable hook or claw portions 32 or 35, [0012], [0032]-[0033], [0035], [0041]-[0042], [0045]); the body part is disposed corresponding to the side wall (the structural plate body is arranged adjacent to and across the peripheral paths of the cell matrix, [0032], [0035], [0045]); and the second position-limiting portion and the body part enclose an accommodating part which is configured to accommodate at least part of the side wall (the plate body features circular or semicircular installation openings 31 or 310 that cooperate with the locking claws to capture and receive the outer perimeter profile of the cylindrical cell side wall, [0032], [0035], [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose a pair of independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose each of two buckled brackets comprising a body part and a second position-limiting portion that enclose a dedicated, single-cell accommodating part.
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open, wherein each mating structural holder piece comprises an internal curved recess body part that joins together to collectively enclose an internal housing cavity (accommodating part) configured to tightly fit and accommodate the circular side wall contour of the battery can body (WO'436, pp. 3-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the continuous flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket body geometry taught by WO'436 to cover and enclose the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to provide the snap-fitting claws of US'038 directly inside the curved accommodating parts of these split bracket body components. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the individual cells within the module package.
As to Claim 11:US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1, including at least [0027]-[0035], [0045]-[0046], [0052]-[0054]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose two brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose wherein the two brackets are fixedly connected to each other.
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open, wherein the upper holder 202 and the lower holder 203 are securely screwed together with screws 204 to ensure they are fixedly connected to each other (WO'436, pp. 5-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to fixedly connect the two bracket pieces to each other using the screws taught by WO'436. One would be motivated to do so to securely lock the split holder halves around the outer periphery of the cell, achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the cells within the module package.
As to Claim 15: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); and further discloses that the case is cylindrical (cylindrical cell 2 comprising a cylindrical battery case 21, [0009], [0027]-[0029]).
As to Claim 21: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); the battery cell is cylindrical (cylindrical cell 2 comprising a cylindrical battery case 21, [0009], [0027]-[0029]); each of the brackets comprises an arc inner surface (semicircular fixing plate openings 310 defining a curved arc inner peripheral surface configured to engage the cell periphery, [0045]); and a plurality of flat outer surfaces, and the plurality of flat outer surfaces of the two brackets form a rectangular prism (the divided fixing plates 30 are formed in a rectangular shape, inherently possessing flat outer surfaces that form a rectangular box or prism profile when combined together around the cell periphery, [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose a pair of independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose each of two buckled brackets comprising an arc inner surface and a plurality of flat outer surfaces forming a rectangular prism.
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell and forming a circumferentially closed cladding space with two axial ends open, wherein the matching structural holder pieces close around the outer trunk perimeter of the cylindrical battery can body (WO'436, pp. 3, 5-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cylindrical cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to shape the external profiles of these buckled bracket pieces to feature a plurality of flat outer surfaces that combine to form a rectangular prism profile around the internal arc inner surfaces as taught by US'038. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and allow multiple cell-bracket components to be easily packed and stacked flush against each other within a compact block module arrangement.
As to Claim 22: US'038 discloses a battery (assembled battery 1); a battery cell comprising a case and an end cover that are hermetically connected to each other, a first position-limiting portion being disposed on a side wall of the case, the battery cell being cylindrical (cylindrical unit cell 2 comprising a battery case 21 and a sealing plate 25 hermetically shut via an insulating gasket 26, and an outer circumferential protruding portion 21A forming a tracking groove on the case side wall, [0027]-[0029]); two brackets, each of the two brackets being provided with a second position-limiting portion that is configured to be snap fitted with the first position-limiting portion to limit a position of the battery cell at least in an axial direction of the battery cell, each of the two brackets comprising an arc inner surface and a plurality of flat outer surfaces (divided fixing plates 30 are formed in a rectangular shape and feature semicircular fixing plate openings 310, providing an inner arc peripheral surface and flat outer surfaces, and are equipped with elastically deformable hook portions 32 or 35 configured to create an interlocking snap-fit inside the groove portion 21A to suppress longitudinal/axial displacement, [0012], [0035], [0042], [0045]); and the plurality of flat outer surfaces of the two brackets forming a rectangular prism (the divided fixing plates 30 are formed in a rectangular shape, inherently possessing flat outer surfaces that form a rectangular box or prism profile when combined together around the cell periphery, [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose the two brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell. Instead, US'038 relies on a continuous panel layout or flat end grid panels (divided fixing plate 30) that align face-to-face to hold an entire array of parallel cells simultaneously rather than forming an individual two-part clamping sleeve buckled directly over the periphery of a single cell, [0045].
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell, where the split matching structural components close around and clamp the trunk perimeter of a cylindrical battery can body (WO'436, pp. 5-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to buckle directly onto the outer periphery of the cylindrical cell, while maintaining the rectangular block profile (rectangular prism), flat outer surfaces, and arc inner surfaces detailed in US'038's split plate embodiments, and to provide the snap-fitting claws of US'038 directly onto the internal arc surfaces of these buckled bracket pieces. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and allow multiple cell-bracket components to be easily packed and stacked flush against each other within a compact block module arrangement.
Claims 7-9, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20140045038 A1 (US'038) in view of WO 2018180436 A1 (WO'436), as applied to Claim 6 above, and further in view of WO 2020031467 A1 (WO'467).
As to Claim 7: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 6 (see the rejection of claim 6); and further discloses that the battery cell is one of two battery cells of the battery, the second position-limiting portion is one of two second position-limiting portions provided at one end of the body part along the axial direction, and the accommodating part is one of two accommodating parts of the battery (divided fixing plates 30 forming a plurality of fixing plate opening portions or cutouts 310 into which a plurality of cylindrical cells 2 are respectively inserted side by side, [0035], [0045]).
However, US'038 in view of WO'436 does not explicitly disclose wherein the two second position-limiting portions extend in opposite directions to form the two accommodating parts, respectively, with the body part, and the two of the accommodating parts are disposed on two opposite sides of the bracket, and each of the two accommodating parts is provided with one of the two battery cells.
WO'467 discloses a battery holder 2 containing a plurality of hollow cylindrical battery housing portions 11 arranged adjacent to each other in multiple rows where the internal dividing walls create matching cell seats extending in opposite directions to form accommodating parts on two opposite sides of a shared central body part, thereby housing separate arrays of battery cells on opposite sides of a single integrated holder body (WO'467, pp. 2-4, 7).
US'038, WO'436, and WO'467 are analogous arts because all are in the same field of endeavor (the technical field of battery pack design, module housings, and vehicle power sources; WO'436, p. 1; WO'467, pp. 1-2) and are all reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of structurally securing, supporting, positioning, and densely nesting arrays of cylindrical battery cells inside an assembled module to limit positional shifting and optimize space efficiency; WO'436, pp. 2-3, 5-6; WO'467, pp. 3-4, 10-11.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the cell holder and bracket assembly resulting from the combination of US'038 and WO'436 by employing the opposite-sided multi-row shared internal support layout taught by WO'467 to form the accommodating parts extending in opposite directions on two opposite sides of a shared central bracket body. One would be motivated to do so to achieve a highly integrated, space-saving multi-cell arrangement that minimizes structural material weight, maximizes the packing density of the battery module package, and ensures all adjacent cells remain locked securely against operational shock and vibration via the snap-fitting claws.
As to Claim 8:US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 6 (see the rejection of claim 6); and further discloses that the accommodating part has a fitting surface configured to fit a contour of an outer surface of the side wall (circular or semicircular installation openings 31 or 310 defining a curved internal surface designed to fit, match, and encompass the outer circular perimeter contour of the cylindrical cell case side wall, [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose a pair of independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose each of two buckled brackets enclosing an accommodating part with an integrated fitting surface configured to fit a contour of an outer surface of the side wall.
WO'436 further discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell, wherein each mating structural holder piece comprises an internal curved recess section enclosing an accommodating part that features an internal contoured fitting surface designed to tightly fit and accommodate the cylindrical contour of the outer surface of the battery can body side wall (WO'436, pp. 5-6).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the continuous flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to shape the internal accommodating parts of these buckled bracket components with an arcuate fitting surface configured to tightly fit the external cylindrical contour of the cell side wall as taught by US'038 and WO'436. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, optimize the surface area contact interface for uniform clamping pressure, reduce axial and lateral displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the individual cells within the module package.
As to Claim 9: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 8 (see the rejection of claim 8); wherein the fitting surface is an arc surface (semicircular fixing plate openings 310 defining a curved arc inner peripheral surface configured to engage the cell periphery, [0045]); and the fitting surface is configured to limit a position of the battery cell along a radial direction of the battery cell (the semicircular profile closely fits the cylinder outer diameter to restrict lateral or radial shifting, [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose a pair of independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose each of two buckled brackets enclosing an accommodating part with an integrated arc surface configured to limit a position of the battery cell along a radial direction of the battery cell.
WO'436 discloses a holder assembly consisting of an upper holder 202 and a lower holder 203 (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell, wherein each mating structural holder piece comprises an internal curved recess section enclosing an accommodating part that features an internal arc surface configured to tightly fit the outer surface of the cylindrical battery can body side wall and structurally limit its displacement along the radial direction. Additionally, WO'467 discloses a battery holder 2 featuring hollow cylindrical housing portions 11 that form complete internal arc surfaces configured to wrap and natively restrain a cylindrical cell against radial or lateral shifting (WO'436, pp. 4-6; WO'467, pp. 3-5, 7).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the continuous flat structural fixing plates of US'038 by employing the two-piece mating upper and lower buckled bracket geometry taught by WO'436 to cover the intermediate side wall of the cell between the axially spaced terminal grooves, and to shape the internal accommodating parts of these buckled bracket components with an arc surface configured to tightly fit the external cylindrical contour of the cell side wall to limit its position along a radial direction as taught by US'038, WO'436, and WO'467. One would be motivated to do so to achieve simpler drop-in side assembly, optimize the surface area contact interface for uniform clamping pressure, reduce both axial and radial displacement under operational vibration, and improve overall mechanical stability of the individual cells within the module package.
As to Claim 12: US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); and further discloses that the mounting parts are two of a plurality of mounting parts of the battery that are arranged side by side and integrally formed (a single fixing plate containing a plurality of side-by-side opening parts integrally molded together as a single unified component via an injection molding method, [0032]-[0033], [0045]).
However, US'038 does not explicitly disclose two independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose wherein the two brackets are two of a plurality of brackets of the battery that are arranged side by side and integrally formed as a unified component.
WO'467 discloses a resin battery holder 2 comprising a plurality of hollow cylindrical battery housing portions 11 (brackets) that are arranged side by side in multiple rows to form a grid array and are integrally formed as a single unified component via an injection molding process (WO'467, pp. 3-4).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to replicate the single-cell buckled bracket sleeve profiles resulting from the combination of US'038 and WO'436 side by side in rows and integrally form them as a single unified component using the integrated injection-molding configuration taught by US'038 and WO'467. One would be motivated to do so to reduce overall material weight, minimize individual structural parts counts, simplify large-scale battery pack fabrication, and enhance the overall geometric rigidity of the side-by-side array within the module housing package.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20140045038 A1 (US'038) in view of WO 2018180436 A1 (WO'436), as applied to Claim 6 above, and further in view of CN 203103373 U (CN'373).
As to Claim 13:US'038 discloses the battery according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1); and further discloses a mounting structure wherein a side of the mounting structure opposite to the battery cell is a plane (divided fixing plates 30 formed in a rectangular shape, inherently possessing flat outer surfaces opposite to the internal cell-receiving openings, [0045]).
However, US'038 in view of WO'436 does not explicitly disclose a pair of independent brackets buckled on an outer periphery of the battery cell to form a circumferentially closed cladding space as required by claim 1, and thus fails to explicitly disclose each of two buckled brackets having a side opposite to the battery cell that is a plane.
CN'373 discloses a bracket assembly comprising a single rectangular box-shaped housing split into upper and lower parts (two brackets) buckled on an outer periphery of a cylindrical battery cell, wherein because each mating component forms a rectangular box profile, the outer sides located opposite to the internal cell-retaining cavity are flat, planar surfaces forming a plane (CN'373, Abstract, [0006], [0008]-[0009], [0015], claim 1).
US'038, WO'436, and CN'373 are analogous arts because all are in the same field of endeavor (the technical field of battery pack design, module housings, and structural frames for secondary batteries; WO'436, p. 1; CN'373, Abstract) and are all reasonably pertinent to the particular problem of structurally securing, supporting, and tightly packing arrays of cylindrical battery cells inside an assembled module to limit positional shifting and optimize space efficiency; WO'436, pp. 2-6; CN'373, Abstract, [0003]-[0006], [0008]-[0009].
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the cell holder and bracket assembly resulting from the combination of US'038 and WO'436 by shaping the outer profiles of the two buckled brackets to feature a flat, planar surface on the side opposite to the battery cell as taught by US'038 and CN'373. One would be motivated to do so to eliminate irregular exterior curves, thereby allowing multiple cell-bracket components to be easily packed and stacked flush against each other in rows to minimize dead space and maximize the volumetric energy density of the assembled battery module package.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 5-9, 11-13, 15-16, and 21-22 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching.
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 JIMMY K VO whose telephone number is (571)272-3242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 am to 6 pm EST.
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/JIMMY VO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/JIMMY VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
Prosecution Insights