DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. 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.
3. Claims 5 and 8 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.
4. Claim 5 recites the limitation " the battery cells " in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of this Office Action, the limitation has been interpreted as " the plurality of battery cells " as there is antecedent basis.
5. Claim 8 is rejected as depending from claim 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki (JP2015106527A) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action.
Regarding claim 1, Suzuki discloses a battery pack (25, Fig. 3, [0026]) comprising: a battery cell stack comprising a plurality of battery cells(41, Fig. 4, [0055]); a cooling member that cools the battery cell stack(refrigerant condensation portion 53, refrigerant storage portion 55, refrigerant return portion 57, Figs. 4-6); at least one heat transfer member (clamping surface portion 51 with cooling passages 59, Figs 4-7) that discharges heat from the plurality of battery cells to the cooling member([0029]); and a housing that accommodates the battery cell stack, the cooling member, and the at least one heat transfer member therein(23, 33, Fig. 1, [0024]), wherein the at least one heat transfer member comprises a cooling fluid introduction portion (59, 73, Figs. 7 and 9, [0032]) and a cooling fluid discharge portion(59, 63, Figs. 6 and 9, [0030]).
Regarding claim 2, Suzuki discloses the at least one heat transfer member further comprises a refrigerant therein([0036]), the refrigerant undergoes a phase transition, in which the refrigerant is evaporated by heat from a battery cell from among the plurality of battery cells and the refrigerant is condensed by the cooling member([0047]), and heat transfer from the plurality of battery cells to the cooling member occurs through the phase transition of the refrigerant([0047], [0050]).
Regarding claim 3, Suzuki discloses the at least one heat transfer member comprises: a first heat transfer member disposed between the battery cell stack and the cooling member; and
at least one second heat transfer member interposed between the plurality of battery cells (see Fig. A as annotated Fig. 4).
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Fig. A
Regarding claim 7, Suzuki discloses each of the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member has a flat shape(Figs. A, 10, and 11).
Regarding claim 10, Suzuki discloses the at least one heat transfer member is a heat pipe([0029], Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 13, Suzuki discloses a thermal insulation member is disposed between the plurality of battery cells(gap adjusters 43, Fig. 4, [0010], [0026]).
Regarding claim 15, Suzuki discloses a device comprising the battery pack according to claim 1 as an energy source(vehicle 1, Fig. 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (JP2015106527A) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, and further in view of Rim (KR20100011256U) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action.
Regarding claim 6, Suzuki discloses comprising a plurality of second heat transfer members(Fig. A), a check valve for preventing the refrigerant R from flowing backward may be provided in the passage through which the refrigerant R passes between the refrigerant return passage 83 and the refrigerant storage chamber 73 (Fig. 10, [0049]) but does not explicitly disclose wherein only a valve of one of the plurality of second heat transfer members disposed adjacent to one of the plurality of battery cells having a temperature that is at a predetermined level or higher is opened.
Rim teaches the cooling and heating system for battery room with refrigerant jacket (title). Rim teaches a battery room 21 is formed to accommodate a battery 111 in which a plurality of battery cells/packs are connected in series or parallel, and a sealed space is formed to surround the outside of the battery room 21, and a refrigerant 112 that can be boiled by waste heat received from the battery room 21 is accommodated inside the space (Figs. 1-3, [0007]). Rim teaches a cooling control valve 17 equipped with a temperature control device can be installed on the gas pipe 13 and the liquid pipe 14 to control the cooling performance (Fig. 1, [0007]). Rim teaches when heat is generated in the battery 111, the refrigerant 112 filled in the battery room refrigerant jacket 11 receives heat from the battery room 21 and vaporizes, cooling the battery room 21 with the latent heat of vaporization, ultimately cooling the battery 111([0007]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the battery pack of Suzuki with only a valve of one of the plurality of second heat transfer members disposed adjacent to one of the plurality of battery cells having a temperature that is at a predetermined level or higher is opened as taught by Rim as applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results. MPEP 2143.
11. Claim(s) 4, 5, 8, 9, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (JP2015106527A) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Rim (KR20100011256U) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action.
Regarding claim 4, Suzuki does not explicitly disclose further comprising a valve mounted in each of the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion, wherein the valve controls introduction and discharge of the cooling fluid through the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion, respectively.
Rim teaches the cooling and heating system for battery room with refrigerant jacket (title). Rim teaches a battery room 21 is formed to accommodate a battery 111 in which a plurality of battery cells/packs are connected in series or parallel, and a sealed space is formed to surround the outside of the battery room 21, and a refrigerant 112 that can be boiled by waste heat received from the battery room 21 is accommodated inside the space (Figs. 1-3, [0007]). Rim teaches a cooling control valve 17 equipped with a temperature control device can be installed on the gas pipe 13 and the liquid pipe 14 to control the cooling performance (Fig. 1, [0007]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery pack of Suzuki with further comprising a valve mounted in each of the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion, wherein the valve controls introduction and discharge of the cooling fluid through the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion, respectively as taught by Rim as applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results. MPEP 2143.
Regarding claim 5, modified Suzuki discloses when temperature of each of the battery cells increases to a dangerous temperature range, the valve is opened such that the cooling fluid passes through an interior of the at least one heat transfer member(Rim [0007]).
Regarding claim 8, modified Suzuki discloses that the optimal temperature of a lithium polymer battery is approximately 25°C, refrigerants HFC-245fa, HFC-245cb, HFC-245ca, and HFCFC141-b have boiling points of 15°C, 17°C, 26°C, and 32°C, respectively, and thus may be optimal refrigerants considering the heat transfer gradient of the battery packaging (Rim [0007]) but does not explicitly disclose the dangerous temperature range is 150° C. or higher.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have the battery pack of modified Suzuki, with the dangerous temperature range is 150° C. or higher in order to balance optimal temperature of a battery and boiling points of refrigerants, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP §2144.05 (II-A).
Regarding claim 9, modified Suzuki discloses further comprising: a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells(Suzuki [0040]); and a controller that controls opening and closing of the valve based on the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells measured by the temperature sensor(Rim [0007]).
Regarding claim 11, Suzuki does not explicitly disclose each of the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion is repeatedly opened and closed, and
the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion are closed in a state in which a small amount of refrigerant remains in the at least one heat transfer member.
Rim teaches the cooling and heating system for battery room with refrigerant jacket (title). Rim teaches a battery room 21 is formed to accommodate a battery 111 in which a plurality of battery cells/packs are connected in series or parallel, and a sealed space is formed to surround the outside of the battery room 21, and a refrigerant 112 that can be boiled by waste heat received from the battery room 21 is accommodated inside the space (Figs. 1-3, [0007]). Rim teaches a cooling control valve 17 equipped with a temperature control device can be installed on the gas pipe 13 and the liquid pipe 14 to control the cooling performance (Fig. 1, [0007]). Rim teaches when heat is generated in the battery 111, the refrigerant 112 filled in the battery room refrigerant jacket 11 receives heat from the battery room 21 and vaporizes, cooling the battery room 21 with the latent heat of vaporization, ultimately cooling the battery 111([0007]). Rim teaches the vaporized refrigerant (112) is condensed in a condenser (12) that forms a closed refrigerant circulation circuit through pipes with the battery room refrigerant jacket (11), and the liquefied refrigerant (112) is returned to the battery room refrigerant jacket (11) by gravity, thereby adopting a natural circulation method to use the minimum amount of energy for refrigerant circulation, and by selecting a refrigerant (112) with an appropriate vaporization temperature, the need for control is minimized(paragraph before [0006]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the battery pack of Suzuki with each of the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion is repeatedly opened and closed, and the cooling fluid introduction portion and the cooling fluid discharge portion are closed in a state in which a small amount of refrigerant remains in the at least one heat transfer member as taught by Rim as obvious to try choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP 2143.
12. Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (JP2015106527A) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action and further in view of Rim (KR20100011256U) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, further in view of Luo (CN104485488A) with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action.
Regarding claim 12, modified Suzuki discloses the multiple cooling passages 59... inside the clamping surface portion 51 are connected to the refrigerant condensing chamber 63 of the refrigerant condensing portion 53, the refrigerant condensing chamber 63 is connected to the refrigerant return passage 83 of the refrigerant return portion 57 via the Y2 side end of the slit 67 in the refrigerant condensing portion 53, and the refrigerant return passage 83 is connected to the refrigerant storage chamber 73 of the refrigerant storage portion 55 via the Y2 side end of the slit 77 in the refrigerant storage portion 55 (Suzuki [0036]). Modified Suzuki discloses these connections are established by welding each component together by brazing, maintaining the components in an airtight and liquid-tight state to form a closed space, and a circulation path for the closed space is formed by filling the closed space with refrigerant R through a filling port (not shown), and the refrigerant circulation path constitutes the circulation path for the closed space(Suzuki [0036]). Modified Suzuki discloses the volume of the refrigerant R filled is set so that, when the refrigerant R is in a liquid state, the height of the liquid surface is near the upper ends of the plurality of cooling passages 59 within the closed space(Suzuki [0037]). Modified Suzuki discloses the pressure inside the closed space is set to be lower than atmospheric pressure (for example, approximately 0.7 atmospheres) and this is because when the refrigerant R evaporates, the pressure in the closed space rises, and the pressure is set low in advance to compensate for the increase, so that when the pressure rises, it will be approximately atmospheric pressure (Suzuki [0037]). Modified Suzuki does not explicitly disclose the cooling fluid discharge portion comprises a pressure reducing valve that reduces a pressure in the at least one heat transfer member such that a space in the at least one heat transfer member excluding the refrigerant is in a vacuum state.
Luo teaches maintainable lithium battery has a vacuum pressure regulating channel and a one way vent value ([0053]). Luo teaches the vacuum pressure regulating device creates a uniform vacuum state inside the battery ([0053]). Luo teaches vacuum state diagram of the pressure control valve (Fig. 3, [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use in the battery pack of modified Suzuki a pressure reducing valve that reduces a pressure such that a space is in a vacuum state as taught by Luo as obvious to try choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP 2143.
13. Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (JP2015106527A) as cited in IDS dated 1/8/25 with citations from machine translation provided with this Office Action as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Katayama et al. (US2022/0181716) as cited in IDS dated 6/29/23.
Regarding claim 14, Suzuki does not disclose the thermal insulation member comprises an elastic material.
Katayama teaches a thermal insulation material that is placed between battery cells in a battery pack housing a plurality of battery cells([0001]). Katayama teaches the thermal insulation member (3, Fig. 1) comprises an elastic material([0039]-[0040]). Katayama teaches the thermal insulation material 3 thus has high conformity to springback that occurs after the battery module is tightened([0040]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery pack of Suzuki with the thermal insulation member comprises an elastic material in order to provide high conformity to springback that occurs after the battery module is tightened.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTORIA HOM LYNCH whose telephone number is (571)272-0489. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM EST M-F.
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/VICTORIA H LYNCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724