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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 4 objected to because of the following informalities: line 3, states “at an end portion” this brings confusion to the claim as the battery already has an “end portion”. For purposes of clarification please distinguish the end port of the claim 4 to be “an end portion of the first shielding plate” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 8, and 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0077542 A1).
As to claim 1, Yoshida et al. discloses a battery pack (100-power storage device) comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (1) stacked together in a first direction (figure 1) and each configured to include a first end portion (top of cell of figure 2) located at one end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (figures 1 and 2), a second end (bottom of cell figure 2) portion located at another end in the second direction, and an intermediate portion provided between the first end portion and the second end portion (see figure 2); and
a plurality of separator portions (2B), each including a heat insulating member (26B base of heat insulation sheet 24B) provided between the intermediate portions adjacent to each other in the first direction (figure 4) and a first shielding plate (27B thin wall portion -top one of figure 4) provided between the first end portions adjacent to each other in the first direction, and each provided between the battery cells adjacent to each other (figure 4).
As to claim 2, Yoshida discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first shielding plate has a thermal resistance smaller than a thermal resistance of the heat insulating member because the first shielding plate is thinner than the heat insulating member. Since the first shielding plate and the heat insulating member are of the same material resin [0034] then the thickness would be the determining factor.
As to claim 7, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first shielding plate(27B) and the first end portion adjacent (top of battery) to each other in the first direction are separated from each other [0036] discloses the base 26B is in contact with adjacent battery cells and that the thin wall portion 27B is thinner than base 26B) and that the thin wall portion 27B has a shape in which at least one cooling gap 4 extending in the one direction is formed between adjacent battery cells 1. Thus since the thin wall portion is thinner than the base and that a gap is formed the first shielding portion does not touch the cells but the base does.
As to claim 8, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first shielding plate is configured such that a thickness of the first shielding plate is smaller than a thickness of the heat insulating member (figure 4 27B is thinner than 26B).
As to claim 10, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating member (26B) and the first shielding plate (27B top side of separator 2B) are in contact with each other in each of the separator portions (figure 4).
As to claim 11, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein each of the separator portions (2B) includes a second shielding plate (27B on the lower half) provided between the second end portions (lower portion of battery) adjacent to each other in the first direction (figure 4).
As to claim 12, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack is in a vehicle [0002, 0005]) is configured to be mounted on a rover that travels on a lunar surface. A claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987.) In this case, “a rover that travels on a lunar surface” is how the battery is intended to be used which and further more Yoshida discloses a vehicle with the battery pack powering the vehicle.
As to claim 13, Yoshida et al. discloses a vehicle equipped with the battery pack according to claim 1 ([0002,0005]).
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(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0077542 A1) in view of Sasaki et al. (US 2024/0120573 A1).
As to claim 3, Yoshida discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: the intermediate portion (center of battery see figure 4) includes a flat portion with a constant width in the first direction (figure 4); with the first shielding plate 27B provided at upper location of the cell but does not disclose:
the first end portion includes a narrow portion with a smaller width than a width of the flat portion in the first direction; and
the first shielding plate is provided between the narrow portions adjacent to each other in the first direction.
Sasaki et al. discloses a battery pack (figure 1) with battery cells (10) having the first end portion with a narrow portion with a smaller width than the flat portion in the first direction (figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to replace battery cells of Yoshida et al. with that of Sasaki because it has been held that the configuration or shape of a claimed device is a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed device is significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). In this case, the battery would still function in the same manner of powering a vehicle.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0077542 A1) in view of Ju et al. (US 2023/0411755 A1).
As to claim 4, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, but is silent to a case that accommodates the battery cells, wherein the first shielding plate is configured to be in contact with the case at an end portion in the second direction.
Ju et al. discloses a battery pack and discloses a upper lid (200) and a spacer 112 between cells. The spacer 112 is in contact with the case (200) as seen in figure 3a.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the time the application was filed to include the case to the battery module of Yoshida et al. because this would prevent dust and debris from entering the battery cells. As shown by Ju et al. the spacer can contact the case.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0077542 A1) in view of Ju et al. (US 2023/0411755 A1) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Sasaki et al. (US 2024/0120573 A1).
As to claim 5, Modified Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 4, but does not disclose an elastic body that brings the second end portion and the case into contact with each other so as to be thermally conductive.
Sasaki et al. disclose a battery module having a cooling structure (42) at the lower end of the battery see figure 1 this allows for the heat to transfer [0062] from the battery to the housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to include a heat transfer device (42) of Sasaki et al. to the battery module of Yoshida because this would allow the batteries to cool.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0077542 A1) in view of Kritzer et al. (US 2020/0343495 A1).
As to claim 9, Yoshida et al. discloses the battery pack according to claim 1, but is silent to the first shielding plate and at least one of two of the first end portions adjacent to the first shielding plate in the first direction are in contact with each other.
Kritzer et al. discloses an energy storage system which has a plurality of storage cells (3) and are thermally insulated from each other by a device (4) mounted between the cells (abstract). The device (4) of figure 6 depicts the projections (5) bearing against the storage cells and depressions (6) which enclose an air cushion [0054].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to have the wavy portion/first shielding plate of Yoshida come in contact with the battery cells because this would allow the cell to be spaced apart from each other and still maintain air cushions for the cells.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art disclosed discloses a battery pack but fails to disclose or suggest having the first shielding plate includes a first surface provided so as to face toward the battery cell provided at a center in the first direction among the battery cells, and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and an emissivity of the second surface is larger than an emissivity of the first surface.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Su et al. (US 2023/0163381 A1) which includes a battery pack with spacer (11) between the cells.
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/Maria Laios/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727