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
(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.
1. Claims 1, 2, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Baeder et al. (US20230170552, PCT Filed 7/16/2021)
2. Regarding claims 1 and 2, Baeder teaches a battery module (see Figure below) comprising: a case having an accommodation space accommodating a battery; and
a cooling and fire extinguishing module disposed on the case and configured to cool heat generated in the accommodation space and extinguish a fire (These two lines 24, 28 are coupled to the same supply connection 26, which thus provides a main connection. Thus, the great advantage is that the fire brigade only has to operate one main extinguishing connection, namely the supply connection 26, in order to carry out the two important extinguishing and cooling functions at the same time, in particular in the event of a battery fire [0053]; As a result, the extinguishing and cooling effect can be maximized and the process of thermal runaway of the battery cells can be interrupted or at least slowed down in a particularly efficient manner [0051]) occurring in the accommodation space,
wherein the cooling and fire extinguishing module comprises a first space through which a refrigerant moves, or in which the refrigerant is accommodated; and a second space which is separated from the first space and formed more adjacent to the accommodation space than the first space, and stores an extinguishing fluid (see Fig. below).
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3. Regarding claim 10, Baeder teaches wherein the extinguishing fluid (extinguishing agents such as CO2 [0048]) has a lower boiling point than the refrigerant (cooling medium, such as water (as refrigerant) [0048]) and transfers the heat through a phase change (heat generated in the battery 12 can be dissipated in all directions [0054]).
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 of this title, 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.
4. Claims 3-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baeder et al. (US20230170552, PCT Filed 7/16/2021) as applied to claim 1 in view of Lee (US20180248160).
5. Regarding claims 3-9, the complete discussion of Baeder as applied to claim 1 is incorporated herein. Baeder teaches wherein the cooling and fire extinguishing module receives the heat through at least one heat dissipating pad disposed in contact with the cooling and fire extinguishing module (housing structure 18 (as heat dissipating pad) thus forms, so to speak, a through-flowable dip tank for the battery 12. As a result, the heat generated in the battery 12 can be dissipated in all directions [0054]).
6. However, they are silent about the limitations of claims 3-6 and 8-9.
7. Lee teaches components (see Figures below) and wherein the extinguishing fluid has a higher insulating property (fire retarding material or fire extinguishing agent 60, and includes a type of material selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) [0053]) for the benefit of a fire suppression agent or the fire extinguishing agent is automatically discharged from the module case when cell swelling occurs (abstract).
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8. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Baeder with Lee’s teachings for the benefit of a fire suppression agent or the fire extinguishing agent is automatically discharged from the module case when cell swelling occurs.
Conclusion
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/OLATUNJI A GODO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752