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 .
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 recites “a latent heat” at line 12. Latent heat is defined as the energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change without changing the temperature of the substance (such as melting or condensation).
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 1-10 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 1 recites ‘the evaporating surface is thermally connected to a corresponding area of the heat conducting shell”, which is indefinite. It is unclear what encompasses “a corresponding area” and how the evaporating surface thermally connects to the heat conducting shell.
Claim 1 recites “wherein when the phase change material is melting, conducting dominates heat transferring rather then circulating”, which is indefinite. It is unclear what Applicant is intending to claim. The claim does not recite how “conducting” and “circulating” structurally relate to the claimed thermal managing system and/or what elements comprise the conducting or circulating limitations.
Claim 8 recites “in one way” at lines 6 and 11, which may indicate a direction or a particular first way different from a second way. Examiner suggests “in an outwardly direction” if the limitation is intended to indicate a direction. See also claims 9 and 10 that each recite “in one way”.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the gap" in line 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim previously recites “a first gap” and “a second gap”.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the third phase change material" in line 29. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites “wherein when a third phase change occurs, the third phase change material comprises a third latent heat”, which is confusing and unclear as these lines of the claim are referring to the “second phase change material module”. The claim does not require a third phase change material module. Furthermore, it is unclear where the second phase change material module is structurally located in the claimed thermal managing system. Examiner suggests language such as “disposed in the second gap”.
Allowable Subject Matter
To the extent the claims are understood in view of the 35 USC 112 rejections above, the claims appear to be directed toward allowable subject matter. Examiner notes that any substantial claim amendments made to overcome the indefinite rejections above may result in any indication of allowable subject matter being withdrawn. A search of the prior art was completed to the extent the pending claims were understood by the Examiner.
Claims 1-10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 1-8 are directed toward a thermal managing system for a battery pack comprising:
a battery pack comprising a heat conducting shell;
a vapor chamber module, comprising a evaporating surface and a condensing surface, wherein the evaporating surface is thermally connected to a corresponding area of the heat conducting shell, and a two-phase flow heat transfer between the evaporating surface and the condensing surface occurs in a direction one-way outwardly from the evaporating surface to the condensing surface;
a phase change material module, comprising a container and a phase change material, wherein the container is thermally connected to the condensing surface and contains the phase change material, wherein when a phase change occurs, the phase change material comprises a latent heat,
wherein the phase change material is capable of being heated by the two-phase flow heat transfer, wherein when the phase change material is melting, conducting dominates heat transferring rather than circulating.
Claims 9-10 are directed toward a thermal managing system for a battery pack comprising:
a battery pack;
a first vapor chamber module comprising a first evaporating surface and a first condensing surface, wherein the first evaporating surface is thermally connected to the battery pack, and a first two-phase flow heat transfer between the first evaporating surface and the first condensing surface occurs in one way from the first evaporating surface to the first condensing surface;
a second vapor chamber module comprising a second evaporating surface and a second condensing surface, disposed in parallel to the first vapor chamber module to form a gap, wherein a second two-phase flow heat transfer between the second evaporating surface and the second condensing surface occurs in one way from the second evaporating surface to the second condensing surface;
a first phase change material module, disposed in the gap, comprising a first container and a first phase change material, wherein the first container is thermally connected to the first condensing surface and the second evaporating surface respectively, and contains the first phase change material, wherein when a first phase change occurs, the first phase change material comprises a first latent heat;
a second phase change material module, comprising a second container and a second phase change material, wherein the second container is thermally connected to the second condensing surface, and contains the second phase change material, wherein when a second phase change occurs, the second phase change material comprises a second latent heat;
wherein the first phase change material comprises a first melting point, the second phase change material comprises a second melting point, and the first melting point is higher than the second melting point.
The prior art, to the extent the claims are understood in view of the 35 USC 112 rejections above, does not appear to teach or suggest the claimed invention.
Wang et al. (CN106252787) teaches a method based on phase-change material and air-coupled cooling battery thermal management system, comprising: a single cells (202), phase change composite plate (203), a radiator (204) and a battery box (205); the single battery (202) and the phase change composite plate (203), a radiator (204) form a radiating unit; the single battery (202) left and right symmetrically a composite board (203) and the radiator (204) of the phase; N radiating elements arranged transversely, and is contained in the cavity of the battery box (205), N is a natural number, the phase change composite plate (203) comprises a supporting plate body and a thermally conductive filler (abstract). However, as can be seen by at least Figure 1 of Wang, the phase change composite plate is between the battery 202 and the radiator 204. The presently claimed invention requires the vapor chamber module be between the battery pack and the phase change material module.
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/TRACY M DOVE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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