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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: inlet 86 in paragraph [0043]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: reference number 88 in Fig 3, appearing to be the counterpart to outlet 90. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Corrections that appear to resolve the issue are either 1) replace Fig 3 with reference number 88 changed to 86, or 2) amend paragraph [0043] and change “inlet 88”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dorgan et al. (US 2022/0069380) in view of Liptak et al. (US 2018/0123197).
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Dorgan discloses a battery system 14 including an energy storage assembly 16 including a plurality of battery cells 18 (abstract, [0029]-[0030], Figs 2-4). The energy storage assembly 16 further includes a coolant plate 66 to close the bottom 68 of the battery pack 20 having the battery cells 18 ([0049]-[0050]). The battery cells 18 are arranged in stacks 58A-F [at least one cell stack having a plurality of battery cells] ([0041], Fig 3).
The battery cells 18 are arranged on a coolant plate 66 [thermal exchange device] ([0049], Figs 2-3). The coolant plate 66 includes a top plate 78 [first plate] and a bottom plate 80 [second plate] ([0055], Fig 4). The top plate further includes slots 86 [thermal breaks] to reduce heat transfer from a first area to a different second area ([0056], Fig 4). The coolant plate 66 defines a channel for guiding a fluid therethrough to thermally transfer heat away from the battery cells and is disposed between the top plate and bottom plate [communicating a coolant] ([0014],[0051]).
The battery can be used in a motor vehicle ([0027]-[0028]).
Dorgan is silent to the specific materials of the top plate 78 and bottom plate 80, and therefore does not explicitly disclose wherein the first plate is a first material, and the second plate is a second material different than the first material.
Liptak discloses a battery pack 14 having a thermal management assembly including a first structure having a first material composition, and a second structure having a different, second material composition (abstract). The battery pack 14 includes an enclosure 60 for housing battery arrays 18; the enclosure 60 includes a tray 70 [second plate], a lid 74, a plurality of walls 78 extending from the tray 70 to the lid ([0047], Fig 3). A thermal exchange plate 80 [first plate] is situated upon a ledge 84 of the tray 70, and the battery arrays 18 are placed thereon ([0050], Fig 3). Between the thermal exchange plate 80 and the tray 70 is an open area 88 that is used as a fluid channel [coolant passageway] ([0051], Fig 3). The tray 70 [second plate] is made of a polymer material ([0047]), and the thermal exchange plate 80 [first plate] is made of a metal or metal alloy ([0049]). Utilizing the dissimilar materials to provide the fluid channels can simplify assembly and reduce complexity ([0037]). Further, using dissimilar material compositions can reduce an overall height of the battery pack and an overall weight because the fluid channels are not contained entirely with a metallic plate ([0066]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the two different materials of the metal thermal exchange plate [first/top plate] and polymer tray [second/bottom plate] of thermal exchange assembly of Liptak with the first/top plate and second/bottom plate of Dorgan for the purpose of simplifying assembly, reducing complexity, and reducing an overall height and weight of the battery pack.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 14-15, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The top plate 78 [first plate] includes a plurality of slots 86 [thermal break comprising a plurality of apertures], and said slots extend completely through the top plate (see Fig 6). The slot is defined through the top plate ([0049], Fig 4).
Regarding claim 4 and 16, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. While Dorgan teaches an embodiment where inserts 90 are disposed in the slots 86 [plurality of apertures] to join the top and bottom plate ([0065], Fig 9), Dorgan does not explicitly disclose further comprising a plurality of extensions of the second plate, the plurality of extensions disposed within respective apertures within the plurality of apertures.
Liptak teaches that retention features 140 [plurality of extensions] can be provided on either the thermal exchange plate 80b [first/top plate] or the tray 70b [second/bottom plate] with corresponding apertures 144 provided in the other of the thermal change plate or tray ([0064]). Liptak teaches these features lock the tray and thermal exchange plate in place and provide a liquid seal of the open area 88 and other portions of the system ([0064], see Fig 11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the retention features [plurality of extensions] of the tray and the corresponding apertures of the thermal exchange plate as taught by Liptak with the bottom plate and top plate of Dorgan for the purpose of locking the plates together and providing a liquid seal.
Regarding claims 5 and 17, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Liptak teaches that the thermal exchange plate [first plate] that the batteries are located thereon is metal or a metal alloy ([0049]) and the tray [second plate] is made of a polymer ([0047]).
Regarding claims 6 and 18, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Barriers 64A-D [dividers] are disposed between cell stacks 58A-F along the cell stack axis ([0044], Fig 3). The slots 86 are aligned with the barriers ([0057], Fig 3), and are therefore adjacent one another.
Regarding claim 7, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The slots 86 [thermal break] extends longitudinally in a direction that is transverse to the cell stack axis (see Figs 2-3, [0003],[0058]).
Regarding claim 8, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. A thermal layer 92 is disposed between a first side 54 of the battery cells 18 and the top plate 78 [first plate] of the coolant plate 66 ([0066], Fig 6). The thermal layer 92 may be a thermal interface material ([0066]).
Regarding claims 9-10 and 19, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The top plate 78 [first plate] comprises a plurality of slots 86 [plurality of apertures] (Figs 4-5, 7-8). Further, barriers 64A-D [dividers] are disposed between cell stacks 58A-F along the cell stack axis ([0044], Fig 3), and the slots 86 are aligned with the barriers ([0057], Fig 3). A thermal layer 92 is disposed between a first side 54 of the battery cells 18 and the top plate 78 [first plate] of the coolant plate 66 ([0066], Fig 6), and the thermal layer 92 may be formed of an adhesive layer ([0066]). Therefore, Dorgan discloses dividers adhesively secured directly.
However, while Dorgan teaches an embodiment where inserts 90 are disposed in the slots 86 [plurality of apertures] to join the top and bottom plate ([0065], Fig 9), Dorgan does not explicitly disclose wherein the plurality of dividers [barriers] are secured directly to an extension of the second plate that extends through one of the plurality of apertures within the plurality of apertures.
Liptak teaches that retention features 140 [plurality of extensions] can be provided on either the thermal exchange plate 80b [first/top plate] or the tray 70b [second/bottom plate] with corresponding apertures 144 provided in the other of the thermal change plate or tray ([0064]). Liptak teaches these features lock the tray and thermal exchange plate in place and provide a liquid seal of the open area 88 and other portions of the system ([0064], see Fig 11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the retention features [plurality of extensions] of the tray to join with the thermal exchange plate as taught by Liptak with the bottom plate of Dorgan for the purpose of locking the plates together and providing a liquid seal. In addition, because Dorgan teaches that the barriers [dividers] are adhesively secured ([0066]), the combination renders obvious the plurality of dividers are each secured directly to an extension [retention features] of the second plate that extends through one of the plurality of apertures within the plurality of apertures.
Regarding claim 11, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The coolant plate 66 includes a top plate 78 [first plate] and a bottom plate 80 [second plate] ([0055], Fig 4). A channel [coolant passageway] is disposed between the top plate and bottom plate ([0014]). Therefore, the top plate and bottom plate are spaced a distance from each other in some areas to provide the at least one coolant passageway.
Regarding claim 12, modified Dorgan discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. The energy storage assembly 16 including the battery pack 20 and coolant plate 66 are part of a movable platform 10 of a vehicle ([0028],[0030]). Therefore, the cell stack and thermal exchange device are constituents of a traction battery pack.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB BUCHANAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1186. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM (ET).
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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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/JACOB BUCHANAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725