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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hernadez (US 2023/0026302).
As to claim 1, Hernadez a battery pack (figure 1 #100, [0023], discussed throughout), comprising: a plurality of battery modules each battery module having one or more battery cells configured to store and release energy and stacked in a first direction (figure 1 #104a-I, or just any two of the modules, [0023], discussed throughout, note under broadest reasonable interpretation the first direction can be the stacking of the cells or modules); a pack case provided on at least one side of the plurality of battery modules (figure 1 #102, figures 2-4 #202, 302 and #402, [0023], discussed throughout and the floor on which the battery modules reside), covering at least a portion of an outside of the plurality of battery modules (figure 1 #102 and #104a-I, [0023], discussed throughout), and having at least one opening formed therein (figure 1 #108, #110 and/or #112, [0023], discussed throughout); and a melting member provided in the at least one opening of the pack case to seal the at least one opening and configured to open the at least one opening by being melted by heat generated from one or more battery modules among the plurality of battery modules (figures 2-6, [0017], [0038], [0042], [0045] and discussed throughout).
As to claim 2, Hernadez discloses wherein, the pack case is configured to guide generated gas when gas is generated from one or more battery modules among the plurality of battery modules, and wherein the melting member is configured to be melted by the generated gas (figures 1-6, [0017], [0038], [0042], [0045] and discussed throughout).
As to claim 3, Hernadez discloses wherein, the plurality of battery modules are configured to be disposed side by side in a left-right direction to discharge venting gas forward or backward (figure 1 #106, [0026], the stack can be from left to right, discussed throughout), and wherein the pack case is disposed on at least one of a front and a rear of the plurality of battery modules (figure 1 #106, [0026], the flow can be from the front or back of the modules).
As to claim 4, Hernadez discloses wherein, the pack case comprises a body portion located at the front or the rear of the plurality of battery modules and a bent portion formed in a shape in which upper and lower ends of the body portion are bent (figure 1 #102, [0023], discussed throughout).
As to claim 5, Hernadez discloses wherein, the at least one opening is formed in both the body portion and the bent portion (figure 1 #102, [0023], can be at portion #112, discussed throughout).
As to claim 6, Hernadez discloses wherein, the at least one opening is configured to be elongated in a direction orthogonal to a stacking direction of the plurality of battery modules (figure 1 the battery modules are from left to right i.e. #104b, #104d, #104f and the openings are #110, [0023], thus orthogonal, discussed throughout).
As to claim 7, Hernadez discloses wherein, the at least one opening is formed so that at least a portion thereof is located between two battery modules of the plurality of battery modules (figure 1 #104d and #140h, the opening #110 is between, [0023], discussed throughout).
As to claim 8, Hernadez discloses wherein, the pack case is located on at least one of a front and a rear of the plurality of battery modules, and wherein the plurality of battery modules are configured such that at least a portion thereof is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a spaced portion and at least one of an upper portion and lower portion of the spaced portion is exposed (figure 1, there are several location that meet the claim requirement, [0023], discussed throughout).
As to claim 9, Hernadez discloses an energy storage system comprising a battery pack according to claim 1 (figure 1 #100, a battery pack is an energy storage system comprising a battery pack, [0023], discussed throughout).
As to claim 10, Hernadez discloses a vehicle comprising a battery pack according to claim 1 ([0003], [0004], [0021], discussed throughout).
As to claim 11, Hernadez discloses wherein, a space between the plurality of battery modules and the pack case forms a channel for generated gas (figure 1, there are several location that meet the claim requirement, [0023], discussed throughout).
As to claim 12, Hernadez discloses wherein, the pack case has three sections forming a U-shape, and wherein the at least one opening extends into each of the three sections (figure 1 the walls and floor would make a U shape, thus at locations between #108a and #108b, then #110a and #110b and lastly #112a and #112b, also a part of each vent can be considered a U shape as it is a circle and thus comprises a U shape, discussed throughout).
As to claim 13, Hernadez discloses wherein, the at least one opening is a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening has three sections and two bridges, the two bridges separating the three sections from each other, and wherein the second opening has two sections and one bridge, the one bridge separating the two sections from each other (figures 5 and 6, there are several opening in figure 5 and 5 i.e. the bridges can be #506a-d, picking the required ones, thus reading on the instant claimed invention, discussed throughout).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN R OHARA whose telephone number is (571)272-0728. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM-3:30 PM EST M-F.
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/BRIAN R OHARA/Examiner, Art Unit 1724