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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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, 5, 7-10 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoo et al (KR 20200143977 A).
Yoo et al (US 2022/0021060 A1) is being used as the English translation for Yoo et al (KR 20200143977 A).
Regarding claim 1, Yoo discloses a battery module (Fig. 1 #200; paragraph [0037]) comprising:
a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked (at least one cell assembly; Fig. 2 #100; paragraph [0038]); a module frame that houses the battery cell stack (upper cover; Fig. 2 #220; paragraph [0072]); and
a flame exhaust frame arranged so as to cover a first surface of the module frame (base plate; Fig. 2 #220; paragraph [0062]), wherein the flame exhaust frame is formed in a recessed shape in a direction opposite to the direction in which the first surface of the module frame is located (base plate is recessed in order to receive the at least one cell assembly; Fig. 2 #210; paragraph [0062]), and
wherein a passage is formed between the flame exhaust frame and the first surface of the module frame (gas discharge passages between the base plate and the at least one cell assembly; paragraph [0064]) and the passage extends to a flame exhaust port formed in the flame exhaust frame (gas discharge passages extending to a gas exhaust hole; paragraphs [0064] and [0087]).
Regarding claim 5, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 1 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising the module frame has two open sides facing each other (base plate has two open ends; Fig. 2 #220; paragraph [0062]), and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively cover the two open sides of the module frame (front cover and rear cover covering open ends of base plate; Fig. 2 #250 and #260; paragraph [0072]).
Regarding claim 7, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 5 and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising wherein: each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells includes electrode leads (each battery cell has a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead; Fig. 2 #111 and #112; paragraphs [0045]-[0046]), a first electrode lead of the electrode leads protrudes toward the first end plate (positive electrode lead #111 has end portion protruding towards the front cover #250; Fig. 2; paragraphs [0045]-[0046]), and a second electrode lead of the electrode leads protrudes toward the second end plate (negative electrode lead #112 has end portion protruding towards the rear cover #260; Fig. 2; paragraphs [0045]-[0046]).
Regarding claim 8, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 5 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising wherein: the flame exhaust frame extends to a side surface of the first end plate and a side surface of the second end plate (base plate extends to the front cover and the rear cover; Fig. 2 #210; paragraph [0062]).
Regarding claim 9, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 8 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising wherein: a through hole is formed to at least one part of the side surface of the first end plate or the side surface of the second end plate (gas exhaust hole is formed on rear cover; paragraph [0087]), and the passage extends from the through hole to the flame exhaust port (gas discharge passage is connected to the gas discharge hole; paragraph [0087]).
Regarding claim 10, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 9 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module further comprising: a flame extinguishing member located between the first surface of the module frame and the flame exhaust frame (mesh member between upper cover and base plate; Fig. 5 #266; paragraph [0089]) and wherein the flame extinguishing member covers the through hole (mesh member covers gas exhaust hole; Fig. 5 #266; paragraph [0089]).
Regarding claim 13, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 1 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module further comprising: a heat sink located below a bottom part of the module frame (thermally conductive pad #240A is below bottom surface of upper cover; Fig. 4 #240A; paragraph [0070]) and wherein a flow path through which a coolant flows is formed between the bottom part of the module frame and the heat sink (cooling member on an upper surface of thermally conductive pad; Fig. 2 #218; paragraph [0067])
Regarding claim 14, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 13 as noted above and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising: the module frame includes module frame protrusions that protrude from the bottom part of the module frame (protrusions from bottom of the upper cover; Fig. 2 #220; paragraph [0075]), a coolant injection port for supplying a coolant to the heat sink is formed in a first protrusion of the module frame protrusions (Fig. 5 #219a; paragraph [0086]) and a coolant discharge port for discharging the coolant from the heat sink is formed in a second protrusion of the module frame protrusions (Fig. 5 #219b; paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 15, Yoo discloses the battery module of claim 14 as noted and Yoo discloses the battery module comprising wherein: the flame exhaust port is formed in an opened shape in a direction opposite to a direction in which the module frame protrusions protrude (gas exhaust hole is opened in direction opposite to protrusions of upper cover; Fig. 2; paragraph [0087]).
Regarding claim 16, Yoo discloses a battery pack comprising the battery module (paragraph [0099] and wherein the battery module is the battery module of claim 1 as noted above.
Claims 1-7, 11-12 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al (US 2019/0097192 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a battery module (Fig. 2 #10; paragraph [0032]) comprising:
a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked (battery cells provided in plural; Fig, 2 #100; paragraph [0034]); a module frame that houses the battery cell stack (case frame accommodates plurality of battery cells; Fig. 2 #200; paragraph [0035]); and
a flame exhaust frame arranged so as to cover a first surface of the module frame (case cover; Fig. 2 #300; paragraph [0037]), wherein the flame exhaust frame is formed in a recessed shape in a direction opposite to the direction in which the first surface of the module frame is located (case cover having recess; Fig. 2 #300; paragraph [0037]), and
wherein a passage is formed between the flame exhaust frame and the first surface of the module frame (anti-exposure channel formed inside case cover; Fig. 2 #360; paragraph [0059]) and the passage extends to a flame exhaust port formed in the flame exhaust frame (anti-exposure channel extends to cover outlet; Fig. 2 #360; paragraph [0060]).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 1 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising: a through hole is formed in the first surface of the module frame (case outlet; Fig. 2 #250; paragraph [0058]), and the passage extends from the through hole to the flame exhaust port (case outlet faces the cover outlet at the end of the passage; paragraph [0058]).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 2 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module further comprising: a flame extinguishing member located between the first surface of the module frame and the flame exhaust frame (mesh member provided between case frame and cover frame; Fig. 5 #370; paragraph [0062]) and wherein the flame extinguishing member covers the through hole (mesh member covers case outlet; Fig. 5 #370; paragraph [0062]).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 1 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising: the passage is bent at least once to extend to the flame exhaust port (passage in case cover is bent; Fig. 4 #300; paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 1 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising.: the module frame has two open sides facing each other (case frame has two open sides; Fig. 2 #200; paragraph [0035]) and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively cover the two open sides of the module frame (case covers cover open sides of case frame; Fig. 2 #300; paragraph [0037]).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 5 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising: a first through hole (case outlet on one end of case frame; Fig. 2 #250; paragraph [0036]) and a second through hole are formed in the first surface of the module frame (case outlet on another end of the case frame; Fig. 2 #250; paragraph [0036]), the passage extends from the first through hole and the second through hole to the flame outlet (passage in case cover goes from case outlet to cover outlet; paragraph [0058]), and the first through hole is located adjacent to the first end plate (case outlet on one end of the case frame is adjacent to one case cover; Fig. 2 #250; paragraph [0036]) and the second through hole is located adjacent to the second end plate (case outlet on another end of the case frame is adjacent to another case cover; Fig. 2 #250; paragraph [0036]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the battery module according to claim 5 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising: each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells includes electrode leads (tabs on end of battery cells; Fig. 2 #100; paragraph [0033]), a first electrode lead of the electrode leads protrudes toward the first end plate (tabs on one end of battery cells protrude toward one case cover; Fig. 2; paragraph [0033]), and a second electrode lead of the electrode leads protrudes toward the second end plate (tabs on another end of battery cells protrude toward another case cover; Fig. 2; paragraph [0033]).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the battery module of claim 1 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module comprising: a partition wall is formed on the flame exhaust frame or the first surface of the module frame (guide barriers disposed inside case cover; Fig. 4; paragraph [0040]) and a path formed by the passage extends while being bent in plural numbers by the partition wall (anti-exposure channel bent by guide barriers; Fig. 4; paragraph [0040]).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the battery module of claim 1 as noted above and Kim discloses the battery module further comprising: a flame extinguishing member located between the first surface of the module frame and the flame exhaust frame (flame-retardant member located inside case cover; Fig. 4 #380; paragraph [0063]) and wherein the flame extinguishing member has a multi-layered flame extinguishing network structure (flame extinguishing member #380 in combination with pre-filter #390 and mesh member #370; paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses a battery pack comprising the battery module (paragraph [0082]) and wherein the battery module is the battery module of claim 1 as noted above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SATHAVARAM I REDDY whose telephone number is (571)270-7061. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-6:00 PM EST.
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/SATHAVARAM I REDDY/Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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