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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication filed on 7/2/26. Applicant’s arguments have been considered by are not found persuasive regarding claims 10-16. Claims 1-2 and 5-16 are pending. Claims 1-2 and 5-9 are allowable.
This Action is FINAL, as necessitated by amendment.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/24/26 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al., CN 110311069 A in view of Kim et al., US 2017/0002450 A1 and/or in view of Maki et al., US 20150044499 A1.
Yang teaches a power battery pack comprising a battery pack and an aluminum steel cooling plate being a U-shaped aluminum-steel composite plate forming a cooling channel. The cooling channel is filled with cooling liquid, to form a battery pack, the battery pack circumferential periphery and bottom is set with insulating layer; the outer side of the insulating layer is equipped with a module end plate. The power battery pack has good anti-deformation capacity, light weight and has good heat dissipation property wherein the service life of the battery pack is prolonged, which greatly saves resource, energy-saving and environment-friendly, and has good social and economic benefit (abstract). Figure 1 depicts the aluminum steel composite plate. Figure 3 depicts the battery pack of Yang:
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Figure 3 shows a battery unit comprising a battery pack that houses a battery cell 5 and an aluminum-steel cooling clapboard lower part cooling passage 2 at a bottom surface of the battery pack. The aluminum is pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The thickness of the aluminum steel composite plate is not less than 0.5 mm. The metal material to be welded includes polishing the surface of the aluminum plate and the steel punching plate to make the joint surface smooth.
Yang does not explicitly teach the aluminum alloy of the aluminum steel composite plate contains Si in an amount of 2.0-15 mass%. However, Kim teaches a steel sheet with excellent corrosion resistance and weldability [abstract]. The sheet includes a base steel sheet and an Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer wherein the silicon is in an amount of 10% or less [0023; 0042]. One of skill in the art would have been motivated to use the Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer of Kim for the aluminum alloy steel composite plate of Yang to provide excellent corrosion resistance and weldability, as disclosed by Kim. Kim further teaches the steel sheet is used for a vehicle component [0001]. The battery pack of Yang is used for a vehicle [paragraph after (10)]. Kim teaches an aluminum-silicon alloy-plated steel sheet has excellent corrosion resistance. Kim teaches the steel sheet may further include titanium, in addition to the steel sheet elements, in order to improve mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, weldability and the like of steel [0020]. Kim further teaches the alloy plating layer may further include silicon wherein a portion of silicon may be included inside an oxide film layer formed in an upper part of the alloy plating layer [0050; Figure 1].
Maki teaches an Al-plated steel sheet 10 includes: a steel sheet 11; an Al plating layer 12 which is formed on one surface or both surfaces of the steel sheet and contains at least 85% or more of Al by mass %; and a surface coating layer 13 which is laminated on the surface of the Al plating layer and contains ZnO and one or more lubricity improving compounds [abstract]. Maki teaches the Al plating layer 12 preferably contains silicon (Si) in an amount of 3-15 mass% [0065-0066]. Maki provides an Al-plated steel sheet having more satisfactory lubricity than the conventional one, and capable of improving formability during hot pressing and productivity, a method for hot-pressing the Al-plated steel sheet, and an automotive part produced by the hot pressing method [0029]. Maki teaches a steel sheet with an Al-based metal coating is known to be coated with an inorganic compound coating including at least one of Si, Zr, Ti and P to prevent processing defects in the steel sheet and improve formability of the steel sheet [0019-0020]. Therefore, one of skill would have been motivated to use the Al-plated steel sheet including the inorganic coating compound of Maki for the aluminum alloy steel composite of Yang to prevent processing defects and improve formability, as taught by Maki. The Al-plated steel sheet of Maki prevents corrosion of the sheet, improves workability/formability of the sheet and is used as an automotive part.
*
Claim(s) 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al., CN 107464902 A in view of Kim et al., US 2017/0002450 A1.
Yan teaches a vehicle battery pack structure for battery pack of the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle for cooling, comprising: a tray main body of the battery module for supporting said battery pack is fixed connected with the tray main body of the cover plate; said cover plate and said tray main body jointly define at least one flow channel, at least one sealing element, the material of the sealing member is selected to be an elastic material, each sealing component arranged in a compressed state between the tray main body and the cover plate; to enable the sealing element to seal the gap of between the tray main body and the cover plate, to prevent the liquid in the flow channel along the gap. The invention tightly combined with the tray main body and a cover plate, and the pre-compressed seal to improve the sealing performance of the cooling liquid in the battery pack (abstract). Yan teaches prior art battery packs shown by Figures 1-2:
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and the inventive battery packs of Yan as shown by Figures 3-4:
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In the Figures, the battery pack 50 has a tray main body 10 and a cover plate 20. The cover plate 20 and the tray main body 10 together define at least one flow channel 60. The material of the cover plate may be aluminum, steel or a composite material of aluminum and steel (claim 4). The flow channel (cooling-medium flow path) is located at a bottom surface of the battery pack. The battery pack structure includes a sealing element 30 selected to be an elastic material that joins the tray main body 10 and the cover plate 20. One of skill in the art would have considered a composite material of aluminum and steel to inherently teach, and at least suggest, the Al-based plated steel sheet of at least claim 1.
Yan does not explicitly teach the interval between the flow channels 60. However, Yan clearly teaches and suggests the interval between the flow channels 60 may be varied depending on the desired structure of the tray main body 10 and/or the cover plate 20. The prior art figures of Yan further teach the interval between flow channels may be varied. One of skill in the art would have known that the interval between flow channels depends on the structure and size of the battery pack for use in the vehicle.
Yan does not explicitly teach the aluminum of the composite material of aluminum-steel of the cover plate is an aluminum alloy containing Si in an amount of 2.0-15 mass%. However, Kim teaches a steel sheet with excellent corrosion resistance and weldability [abstract]. The sheet includes a base steel sheet and an Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer wherein the silicon is in an amount of 10% or less [0023; 0042]. One of skill in the art would have been motivated to use the Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer of Kim for the aluminum-steel composite plate of Yan to provide excellent corrosion resistance and weldability, as disclosed by Kim. Kim further teaches the steel sheet is used for a vehicle component [0001]. The steel sheet of Yan is used for vehicle parts [abstract; 0002; 0008]. Kim teaches an aluminum-silicon alloy-plated steel sheet has excellent corrosion resistance. Kim teaches the steel sheet may further include titanium, in addition to the steel sheet elements, in order to improve mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, weldability and the like of steel [0020]. Kim further teaches the alloy plating layer may further include silicon wherein a portion of silicon may be included inside an oxide film layer formed in an upper part of the alloy plating layer [0050; Figure 1].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/2/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive regarding new claims 10-16. The 35 USC 112 rejections of claims 1-9 are withdrawn. The claims have been amended accordingly. All prior art rejections of claim 1-9 are withdrawn. See the reasons for allowance below.
Regarding claim 10, Applicant points to Tables 3A-3C of the present specification and presents argument regarding the “chemical conversion coating film”. However, Applicant does not provide any specific analysis of the Tables of the specification.
Applicant argues “because the chemical conversion coating of Kim is an oxide layer, the cited art does not teach the claimed invention”. However, Kim teaches a steel sheet with excellent corrosion resistance and weldability [abstract]. The sheet includes a base steel sheet and an Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer wherein the silicon is in an amount of 10% or less [0023; 0042]. One of skill in the art would have been motivated to use the Al-Si-Mg alloy plating layer of Kim for the aluminum-steel composite plate of Yan to provide excellent corrosion resistance and weldability, as disclosed by Kim. Kim further teaches the steel sheet is used for a vehicle component [0001]. The steel sheet of Yan is used for vehicle parts [abstract; 0002; 0008]. Kim teaches an aluminum-silicon alloy-plated steel sheet has excellent corrosion resistance. Kim teaches the steel sheet may further include titanium, in addition to the steel sheet elements, in order to improve mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, weldability and the like of steel [0020]. Kim further teaches the alloy plating layer may further include silicon wherein a portion of silicon may be included inside an oxide film layer formed in an upper part of the alloy plating layer [0050; Figure 1].
Applicant argues because “the asserted chemical conversion coating of Maki is a Zn-based coating”, Maki does not teach the claimed invention. However, Maki teaches an Al-plated steel sheet 10 includes: a steel sheet 11; an Al plating layer 12 which is formed on one surface or both surfaces of the steel sheet and contains at least 85% or more of Al by mass %; and a surface coating layer 13 which is laminated on the surface of the Al plating layer and contains ZnO and one or more lubricity improving compounds [abstract]. Maki teaches the Al plating layer 12 preferably contains silicon (Si) in an amount of 3-15 mass% [0065-0066]. Maki provides an Al-plated steel sheet having more satisfactory lubricity than the conventional one, and capable of improving formability during hot pressing and productivity, a method for hot-pressing the Al-plated steel sheet, and an automotive part produced by the hot pressing method [0029]. Maki teaches a steel sheet with an Al-based metal coating is known to be coated with an inorganic compound coating including at least one of Si, Zr, Ti and P to prevent processing defects in the steel sheet and improve formability of the steel sheet [0019-0020]. Therefore, one of skill would have been motivated to use the Al-plated steel sheet including the inorganic coating compound of Maki for the aluminum alloy steel composite of Yang to prevent processing defects and improve formability, as taught by Maki. The Al-plated steel sheet of Maki prevents corrosion of the sheet, improves workability/formability of the sheet and is used as an automotive part.
Regarding claim 15, Applicant submits that combining the plating layer of Kim or the plating layer of Maki and the inorganic compound coating in paragraph [00190 of Maki is not obvious for a person skill in the art. However, none of the prior art rejections of record rely on a combination of Kim and Maki. Applicant has not addressed the teachings of Yang et al., CN 110311069 A and/or Yan et al., CN 107464902 A. In addition, the presently claimed invention does not exclude an oxide layer. The remaining arguments do not appear to be commensurate in scope with the claimed invention. Applicant has not addressed the Examiner’s motivation for combining the cited prior art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2 and 5-9 are allowed. The claims are directed toward a battery unit comprising: a battery pack that houses a battery cell; and
a cooling structure including a plurality of flow-path forming portions that define a first portion of each of a plurality of water-cooling medium flow paths,
wherein the cooling structure is directly attached to a bottom surface of the battery pack such that the bottom surface of the battery pack defines a second portion of each of the plurality of water-cooling medium flow paths,
wherein the battery pack comprises a battery cell and a housing that holds the battery cell, wherein the housing includes a bottom surface portion, a side surface portion, and an upper surface portion. and
wherein the flow-path forming portions of the cooling structure and the bottom surface portion of the housing of the battery pack are each made of an Al-based plated steel sheet.
The prior art does not teach or suggest the claimed invention. Neither Yang (CN110311069A) nor Yan (CN107464902A) teach the claimed battery unit wherein the cooling structure is directly attached to a bottom surface of the battery pack such that the bottom surface of the battery pack defines a second portion of each of the plurality of water-cooling medium flow paths AND wherein the flow-path forming portions of the cooling structure and the bottom surface portion of the housing of the battery pack are each made of an Al-based plated steel sheet.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee (US10,205,144) teaches a case for a battery pack includes a case member configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells therein and a heat exchange member on any one surface of the case member, the heat exchange member being integrally formed with the case member (abstract).
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 TRACY DOVE whose telephone number is (571)272-1285. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 571-270-3879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRACY M DOVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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