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
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-10,12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Zhamu et al. (US20210391611).
As to claim 1, Zhamu et al. discloses a battery pack (figure 1c) comprising: least one battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells (56) are stacked, a pack frame (50) that houses the at least one battery cell stack, a cooling member (figure 1d number 60) that is located on an upper side of the at least one battery cell stack and contains a coolant, and at least one foam pad (figure 1e number 82 paragraph 0038) that is located between the at least one battery cell stack and the cooling member, wherein at least one fragile part (78) that breaks or melts above a predetermined temperature or pressure is formed on a lower plate of the cooling member (76), and wherein the at least one fragile part (78) of the cooling member (76) is opened, so that a moving path of the coolant water discharged toward the at least one battery cell stack is guided by the at least one foam pad (82).
As to claim 2, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the at least one foam pad comprises at least one opening, and the at least one opening of the at least one foam pad corresponds to the at least one fragile part (figure 1e number 82,78).
As to claim 3, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: a part of the coolant discharged toward the at least one battery cell stack is absorbed by the at least one foam pad (paragraph 0068).
As to claim 4, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the at least one battery cell stack is formed in a plurality of battery cell stacks, and the at least one foam pad is a plurality of foam pads, a number of the plurality of foam pads being equal to a number of the plurality of battery cell stacks (figure 1c number 62).
As to claim 5, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: a plurality of openings are formed in the lower plate, with each opening being closed by a sealing member, and the at least one fragile part is a portion where the opening is closed by the sealing member in the lower plate (figure 1f).
As to claim 6, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the cooling member comprises a cooling tube that provides a flow path for the coolant water and a cooling hose attached to the cooling tube, the lower plate is formed with a plurality of openings, with the cooling hose being located so as to correspond to the opening, and the at least one fragile part is a portion where the opening is closed by the cooling hose in the lower plate (figure 1d paragraph 0068).
As to claim 8, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the lower plate comprises a first part (figure 1e number 78) where the at least one fragile part is formed and a second part (78 and 76) where the at least one fragile part is not formed, and a thickness of the first part is smaller than a thickness of the second part (78 and 76).
As to claim 9, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the thickness of the first part is less than or equal to half of the thickness of the second part (figure 1e number 78 and 76).
As to claim 10, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the lower plate is formed by joining a first layer and a second layer having different thicknesses from each other, the thickness of the first part corresponds to a thickness of the first layer, and the thickness of the second part corresponds to the thickness of the first layer and a thickness of the second layer (figure 1e number 78 and 76).
As to claim 12, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the cooling member further comprises an inlet port for injecting the coolant into an inner space of the cooling member, the inlet port is connected to an external heat exchanger, and the coolant of the cooling member circulates through the inlet port (paragraph 0071).
As to claim 13, Zhamu et al. discloses wherein: the upper plate of the cooling member is integrated with the pack frame (paragraph 0066).
As to claim 14, Zhamu et al. discloses device comprising the battery pack as set forth in claim 1 (paragraph 0002).
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.
2. Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhamu et al. in view of Seong et al. (KR101589931).
Zhamu et al. discloses the battery pack described above. Zhamu et al. fail to disclose wherein: the upper plate coupled to the lower plate of the cooling member comprises a bent part, a crest of the bent part aligns with the first part, and a trough of the bent part aligns with the second part.
Seong et al. teaches wherein the upper plate coupled to the lower plate of the cooling member comprises a bent part, a crest of the bent part aligns with the first part, and a trough of the bent part aligns with the second part for the purpose of evenly distributed the pressure of the refrigerant and reducing the pressure applied to the case (paragraph 0106).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Zhamu et al. with wherein the upper plate coupled to the lower plate of the cooling member comprises a bent part, a crest of the bent part aligns with the first part, and a trough of the bent part aligns with the second part for the purpose of evenly distributed the pressure of the refrigerant and reducing the pressure applied to the case (paragraph 0106).
3. Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhamu et al. in view of Wu et al. (CN109103383).
Zhamu et al. discloses the battery pack described above. Zhamu et al. fail to disclose, wherein the lower plate and the cooling tube are connected by a fixing member.
Wu et al. teaches wherein the lower plate and the cooling tube are connected by a fixing member for the purpose of effectively improving the stress conditions
of the liquid cooling plate and preventing liquid cooling plate failure and leakage under long term vehicle driving conditions (paragraph 0025).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to Zhamu et al. with wherein the lower plate and the cooling tube are connected by a fixing member for the purpose of effectively improving the stress conditions of the liquid cooling plate and preventing liquid cooling plate failure and leakage under long term vehicle driving conditions (paragraph 0025).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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/JANE J RHEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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