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 .
Response to Amendment
Upon consideration, the previous rejection of record was withdrawn in light of new amendments. However new rejection is applied to the amended claims. All changes made in the rejection are necessitated by the amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-6 and 8-15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07-15-2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1-6 and 8-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2021/0265699 hereinafter Lee in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2020/0168864 hereinafter Seo and JP 2022-014295 A hereinafter Nakanishi.
Regarding Claim 1, Lee teaches a battery module [10] comprising: a battery stack [12] formed by stacking battery cells [14]; a module case (module frame) [60] in which the battery stack is housed and protected; first bus bar assembly and second bus bar assembly (bus bar frame) [20 and 30] formed at both ends of the battery stack; bus bars [22 and 32] connected to the electrode tabs [15 and 16] of the battery cells; a sensing unit (gas detection sensor) [90] coupled to the bus bar assemblies [20 and 30]; front and rear covers (bus bar cover portion) [72 and 74] that cover the bus bar assemblies; and a neutralizer housing portion (gas discharge portion) [72a] formed on the bus bar cover portion (see description of the battery module in paragraphs 32-93 and annotated figure 2 below).
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Lee does not specifically disclose that the electrode tabs (leads) [15 and 16] protrude through the bus bar assemblies (bus bar frame) [20 and 30] to be connected to the bus bars.
However, Seo teaches a battery module [10] that comprises a cell stack [100] and a module housing [20] for accommodating the cell stack (see figures 2-3), wherein the cell stack includes battery cells [110] comprising electrode leads [111] inserted into the bus bar frame [410] to facilitate the bending of the electrode lead for electrical connection between the battery cells (paragraph 47). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form electrode leads that protrude through the bus bar frame to facilitate coupling thereof before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Lee teaches that the neutralizer housing portion (gas discharge portion) [72a] is formed to discharge gas to the outside but does not specifically disclose that the neutralizer housing portion is configured to be open to inject the neutralizer responsive to gas leakage.
However, Nakanishi teaches a battery pack [100] that comprises a plurality of battery cells [10] in a housing [20] (paragraph 21), wherein the battery pack comprises a hydrogen sulfide gas detection unit [40] for detecting the concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas located inside the housing [20] of the battery pack [100] (paragraph 23). Nakanishi further teaches that the hydrogen sulfide gas detection unit can be a hydrogen sulfide gas concentration sensor disposed in the battery pack.
Nakanishi teaches that when the hydrogen sulfide gas concentration inside the housing is above a threshold, both the valve of the inert gas containment section [30] and the valve of the basic gas containment section [40] are opened, and both the inert gas and basic gas are injected into the housing from the gas nozzle 80C closest to the all-solid-state battery cell at position N (step S105; see the arrow in the gas flow path 70 in Figure 1 below) (paragraph 33).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such injection technique in the battery pack of Lee before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Nakanishi discloses that such configuration can effectively neutralizes the hydrogen sulfide gas and suppresses corrosion of battery components by basic materials under normal conditions (paragraph 35).
In addition, the use of a known technique to improve similar products (methods) in the same way is likely to be obvious. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, C.).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination teaches that the sensing unit (gas detection sensor) [90] is adjacent to the bus bar (see annotated figure 3 above, paragraphs 86-93 of Lee).
Regarding Claims 3 and 4, the combination teaches that the bus bar comprises a terminal bus bar, the sensing unit (gas detection sensor) is adjacent to a terminal of the terminal bus bar, and the bus bar cover portion covers the terminal of the terminal bus bar. (paragraphs 86-93 of Lee).
Regarding Claims 5-6, the combination teaches that the battery module further comprises an end plate that covers the bus bar frame, and wherein the sensing unit (gas detection sensor) is between an upper part of the battery cell stack and the module frame (see figure 2 above).
Regarding Claims 8-10, the combination teaches that the neutralizer injection portion injects the neutralizer into the housing from the gas nozzle 80C (see figure 1 of Nakanishi described above). In addition, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to select a neutralizer for hydrogen sulfide gas that includes an iron compound and a catalyst as claimed (see MPEP § 2143, E).
Regarding Claims 11-12, the combination teaches a battery pack comprising the battery module, and wherein the sensing unit (gas detection sensor) [90] is coupled to the bus bar assemblies [20 and 30] (see description of figure 2 above).
Regarding Claims 13-15, the combination teaches a method comprising: detecting and controlling gas leakage through the sensing unit (gas detection sensor) (paragraphs 86-93 of Lee), wherein the method includes: a step of detecting hydrogen sulfide leakage through a gas sensor and grasping leaked hydrogen sulfide concentration, a step of opening a neutralizer housing portion to inject a neutralizer after grasping the leaked hydrogen sulfide concentration, and a step of notifying a user of a neutralizer injection after the neutralizer is injected (i.e., system returning to start state) (paragraphs 34-35 of Nakanishi).
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 OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NICHOLAS A SMITH can be reached at (571)272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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