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 .
Examiner’s Comments
The examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers, paragraphs, or figures in the references as applied to the claims for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “the first electrode terminals and the second electrode terminals are disposed at a same end of the packaging shell…” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 § 102
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (US 2019/0214694).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a battery module (200) comprising a housing (210), wherein the housing defines an accommodation cavity, the housing comprises a first housing (210A) and a second housing (210B), the first housing is fixed to the second housing, and the first housing and the second housing together form the accommodation cavity, a cell assembly, disposed in the accommodation cavity, wherein the cell assembly comprises a plurality of battery cells (100), each battery cell comprises a packaging shell (120) and an electrode (111) disposed on the outer side of the packaging shell, and the electrode comprises a first and second electrode terminal (111A, 111B), wherein the first housing comprises a first top wall and a plurality of first sidewalls connected to the first top wall, and the first top wall comprises a first through-hole (212A, 230), and a plurality of first busbars (250) are disposed on the first top wall, wherein the plurality of the first busbars are connected to the first electrode terminals through the first through-hole (all Figs).
Regarding claim 2, Yang discloses the second housing comprises a first bottom wall and a plurality of second sidewalls connected to the first bottom wall, the first bottom wall is disposed opposite to the first top wall, and the first bottom wall comprises a second through-hole (212B, H1), the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are disposed at two opposite ends of the packaging shell, and the battery module comprises a plurality of second busbars (250) disposed on the first bottom wall, and the plurality for second busbars are connected to the second electrode terminal s through the second through-hole (All Figs).
Regarding claim 4, Yang discloses the first top wall of the first housing comprises a plurality of first busways, one of the first busways communicates with at least two first through-holes, one of the first busbars is disposed in one of the first busways, and as viewed along a first direction, at least one electrode of the battery cell is located in one of the first through-holes, (all Figs, specifically Fig. 8 and 10 for busways: grooves present to accommodate busbars_
Regarding claim 5, Yang discloses the first bottom wall of the second housing comprises a plurality of second busways, one of the second busways communicates with at least two second through-holes, one of the second busbars is disposed in one of the second busways, and as viewed along a direction opposite to a first direction, at least one electrode of the battery cell is located in one of the second through-holes, (all Figs, specifically Fig. 8 and 10 for busways: grooves present to accommodate busbars).
Regarding claim 6, Yang discloses that the first housing comprises a first accommodation trough and the second housing comprises a second accommodation trough, and the first accommodation trough and the second accommodation trough jointly form the accommodation cavity (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 18, Yang discloses a resin layer as claimed [0089].
Regarding claim 20, Yang discloses an electrical device [0003].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2019/0214694) in view Fees et al. (US 2020/0274132).
Regarding claim 3, Yang discloses that the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are disposed at two opposite ends of the packaging shell (cylindrical battery cells), however, fails to explicitly disclose that the battery cell can be of a prismatic or pouch batteries, which therefore have the first and second electrode terminals are disposed at a same end of the packaging shell.
Fees shows that prismatic or pouch batteries, which have the same terminal sides, is an equivalent structure known in the art [0029]. Therefore, because these two structures were art-recognized equivalents before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute cylindrical cell batteries (opposite terminal sides) for prismatic or pouch-(same terminal sides) in the invention of Yang. Substitution of equivalents requires no express motivation as long as the prior art recognizes the equivalency. In re Fount 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982); In re Siebentritt 152 USPQ 618 (CCPA 1967); Grover Tank & Mfg. Co. Inc V. Linde Air Products Co. 85 USPQ 328 (USSC 1950).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2019/0214694) in view of CN 211350778.
Regarding claims 6-7, Yang discloses busbars as set forth above, however, fails to explicitly disclose a plurality of first and second accommodation troughs and the first and second troughs as presently claimed.
CN ‘778 discloses a battery module comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of bus bar, bus ways, first and second accommodation troughs, and first and second troughs as presently claimed ([0011] and [0034], all Figs).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yang’s housing to include bus ways, accommodation troughs, and first and second troughs as presently claimed, as suggested by CN ‘778, in order to fully secure the bus bars and the housing body [0034].
Claims 8-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2019/0214694) in view of CN 108666462.
Regarding claims 8-9, Yang discloses a busbar as set forth above, however, fails to explicitly disclose that it comprises of a first position hole, a first position rod, and a guide block as presently claimed.
CN ‘462 discloses a battery module comprising a busbar comprising a position hole and a position rod extends from the top wall of the housing away from the battery cell, and the position rod is plugged into the position hole (claim 7, all Fig., [0015-0037]). CN ‘462 further discloses a guide block as claimed. The examiner is taking the position that any slope structural feature would read upon “guide block”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structural features of the bus bar to include the features as claimed, since CN ‘462 discloses that this would reliability connected to the cover [0037].
Regarding claims 10-16, Yang fails to disclose the circuit board, the sampling wire, and conductive strips as presently claimed.
CN ‘462 discloses the features ([0013-0014], [0105], all Figs), wherein reference 304 corresponds to the claimed wire and reference 305 corresponds to the claimed conductive strips. In addition, CN ‘462 discloses that the wire comprises a plug [0106].
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery module to include a circuit board and sampling wire with the features as claimed, since CN ‘462 discloses that this would improve the electrical connections [0008] and that this structure is a convenient and reliable in voltage collection [0105].
Regarding claim 17, CN ‘462 discloses first fixing slot, first opening, second fixing slot, and second opening as claimed (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 19, Yang fails to disclose a first and second baffle as presently claimed. CN ‘462 discloses a baffle (40) as claimed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yang’s battery module to includes baffles as claimed, since CN ‘462 discloses that this would avoid or reduce the impact of the shell structure of the battery pack performance and increase the stability of the power battery module [0040].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINDA N CHAU whose telephone number is (571)270-5835. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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, Mark Ruthkosky can be reached at (571)272-1291. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Linda Chau
/L.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1785
/Holly Rickman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1785