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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3 October 2023 and 20 February 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informality: line 2 recites “electrical conductive” which is grammatically incorrect and should be changed to “electrically conductive”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4, 11, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 20190126608 (Kim).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches:
A battery module (Kim Abstract, battery module), comprising:
a plurality of battery cells, each of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead (Kim Abstract, plurality of battery cells…electrode);
a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in an inner space (Kim Fig. 1);
a separation member configured to divide a space between at least adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells (Kim ¶ “As shown in FIG. 4”, fixing member 200 includes an insertion unit 210 inserted into an insertion space 140 formed by the inclined surfaces 130a and 130b of two adjacent battery cells 100a and 100b) and having a slot into which the electrode lead of a first battery cell of the adjacent battery cells is inserted (Kim ¶ “The insertion hole 240”, The insertion hole 240 illustrated in FIG. 2 is a portion in which the electrodes 110 and 120 are inserted to protrude to the outside of the fixing member 200); and
an insulation block made of an electrical insulating material and configured to surround an outer side of the electrode lead of the first battery cell inserted into the slot (Kim ¶ “When the inserting portion 210 is formed”, Accordingly, the inserting portion 210 may be insulated from the surface thereof to prevent the electrodes 110 and 120 or the battery cells 100 from being inserted into the inserting portion 210).
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, wherein the separation member is made of a metal material (Kim ¶ “When the inserting portion 210 is formed”, When the inserting portion 210 is formed of a metal material).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, wherein the insulation block is configured to electrically insulate the electrode lead of the first battery cell and the separation member from each other (Kim ¶ “When the inserting portion 210 is formed”, Accordingly, the inserting portion 210 may be insulated from the surface thereof to prevent the electrodes 110 and 120 or the battery cells 100 from being inserted into the inserting portion 210).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, wherein the insulation block is configured to seal the slot in a state where the electrode lead of the first battery cell is inserted therein (Kim Fig. 4-6, part 200 has slots that the electrode leads 120 are inserted into).
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, further comprising:
a bus bar assembly configured to electrically connect the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells,
wherein the bus bar assembly is located outside the separation member (Kim ¶ “The bus bars 400” The bus bars 400 are electronic devices connecting the same electrodes protruding in one direction to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, two bus bars 400 may be installed on each side of the battery module).
Regarding claim 14, Kim teaches the battery of claim 1, wherein the insulation block is configured to surround at least a part of a sealing portion of the first battery cell (Kim Fig. 4, the insertion portion (that is insulated, Kim ¶ “when the inserting portion 210 is formed”) of the fixing member is shown surrounding the electrode leads and the inclined portion of the battery cells).
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches the battery module according to claim 1, wherein the insulation block includes a buffer pad provided at an inner end (Kim Fig. 4, ¶ “When the inserting portion 210 itself”, fixing member 200 of the battery module according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have a buffer portion 220 formed at one end of the insertion portion 210 as shown in FIG. 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5, 10, 13, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 20190126608 (Kim).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, including an insulation block (Kim ¶ “When the inserting portion 210 is formed”, inserting portion 210 may be insulated from the surface thereof.), but does not teach that the insulation block is made of two or more unit blocks coupled to each other. However, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make separable the insulation block of Kim, and the court held that if it were considered desirable for any reason, it would be obvious to make a part separable for that purpose. See MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, but does not teach that the insulation block is configured to be mounted in the slot of the separation member. However, Kim does teach a fixing member with an inserting portion, with insertion holes in the fixing member that the electrode tabs are inserted into, and that the inserting portion has insulation, which corresponds to the claimed insulation blocks inside of the slot of the separation member. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to make separable the insulation block and separation member of Kim, and the court held that if it were considered desirable for any reason, it would be obvious to make a part separable for that purpose. See MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claims 13 and 16, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach that the insulation block has a gas collecting portion configured to allow a discharged gas to be introduced therein when the gas is discharged from the plurality of battery cells. However, Kim does teach that the shape of the inserting portion 210 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inserting space 140 in part or in whole (Kim ¶ “The inserting portion 210 may be”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to choose a shape that would allow for a small gap in the inserting portion, leaving a region surrounding the electrode leads to be empty and able to collect discharged gas. Furthermore, in regards to claim 16, this inserting portion would be in contact with the electrode leads and the slot of the separation member when the gas is discharged from the plurality of battery cells since the electrode leads would be inserted into the inserting space of the fixing member while the inserting portion would leave a gap for the gas to be collected during a discharge.
Claims 6-9, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 20190126608 (Kim) in view of U.S. Patent 10759284 B2 (Jaensch et al., hereinafter, Jaensch).
Regarding claims 6-9, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, and a separation member with slots formed therein, but does not teach that the separation member includes a first separation portion between adjacent battery cells, a second separation portion connected to the first separation portion, that one of the separation portions is in a plate shape, that the first and second separation portions are perpendicular to each other, or that the separation member includes a third separation member connected to an end of each of the first and second separation portions and is configured to cover one side of the plurality of battery cells. In a related field of endeavor, Jaensch teaches a heat conducting element that is in the form of metal sheets that are placed in-between the plurality of battery cells and connected on one side by another sheet of metal. (Jaensch, Fig. 8-9). By combining the heat conducting element of Jaensch from Fig. 8 and 9, with the separation member (fixing member) of Kim such that the separation member of Kim is the second separation portion with slots formed therein, and the heat conducting element is the first and third separation portions between adjacent cells and third separation portion perpendicular to both the first and second separation portions, the claimed separation member and portions can be met.
Regarding claims 17-18, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 1, but does not teach a battery pack comprising the battery module, nor a vehicle comprising the battery module. Jaensch teaches a battery pack (traction battery) comprising battery modules, and a vehicle (electric car) comprising the battery modules (Jaensch Abstract).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the heat conducting element of Jaensch with the fixing member of Kim because doing so would allow for better distribution of heat between the battery module (Jaensch ¶ 8-12).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 20190126608 (Kim) in view of CN 104904033 (Lee et al., hereinafter, Lee).
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches the battery module of claim 11, including the bus bar but does not teach a housing cover made of an insulating material or bus bar terminal. In a related field of endeavor, Lee teaches an electrically insulating cover for covering the bus bar assembly (Lee, claim 1) and bus bar terminals (Lee ¶ “each of the first bus bar 351”, external input and output terminal 353). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the bus bar of Kim with the bus bar cover and terminal of Lee because doing so would result in a battery module that is compact, stable, and easy to assemble (Lee Technical Problem ¶ 2).
Conclusion
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/M.F./Examiner, Art Unit 1784
/HUMERA N. SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1784
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