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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by SON et al. (KR 20170098590 A)
As to claim 1, Son et al. discloses a cartridge (200) for a secondary battery, the cartridge comprising:
a cell accommodating case (figure 5) [0047] comprising a cooling plate (220) and an outer frame formed along an outer edge of the cooling plate (figure 5, the outer frame-210); and
a coupling portion connected to the cell accommodating case and having a coupling hole through which a bolt, when inserted therethrough, passes in a direction in which the cell accommodating case is stacked, wherein the coupling portion comprises a first communication hole formed in a direction different from the direction in which the bolt passes.
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As to claim 2, Son et al. discloses the cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cell accommodating case further comprises an accommodating portion which is configured to accommodate one or more secondary battery cells therein (figure 4).
As to claim 3, Son et al. discloses the cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first communication hole is configured to communicate with the accommodating portion (see annotated figure below).
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As to claim 8, Son et al. discloses a battery module (10) comprising:
a cartridge (200) comprising a cell accommodating case comprising a cooling plate (220) and an outer frame (210) formed along an outer edge of the cooling plate (220, figure 5), and a coupling portion connected to the cell accommodating case and having a coupling hole through which a bolt, when inserted therethrough, passes in a direction in which the cell accommodating case is stacked; and
one or more secondary battery cells (100) accommodated in the cartridge (figure 4), wherein the coupling portion comprises a first communication hole formed in a direction different from the direction in which the bolt passes (see figure below).
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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) 6 and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SON et al. (KR 20170098590 A) in view of Buck et al. (US 20120231318 A1).
As to claim 6, Son et al. discloses the cartridge of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein a diameter of the coupling hole is greater than that of the bolt.
Buck discloses a battery module with tie rods going through the frames to secure the assembly together [0043]. The bolts would be smaller in diameter than the hole in order to slide into the hole.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to have the holes have a greater diameter than the bolt in order for the bolt to slide into the hole and allow for clamping of the cells together.
As to claims 9 and 10. Son discloses the battery module of claim 8, but fails to disclose the addition of compression pads. Buck discloses a battery module figure 4 and teach one or more compression pads (40-foam element) accommodated in the cartridge. And furthermore teaches the compression pads (40) are disposed between the different secondary battery cells (figure 4) [0043].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to include the foam elements of Buck to the battery module of Son because this would allow for protection and act as a spacer.
As to claim 11, Son et al. discloses a cartridge module comprising: a battery module stack in which a plurality of the battery modules of claim 8 are stacked (figure 4); Son does not explicitly show a bolt.
Buck discloses a bolt which connects the battery modules to each other, wherein the bolt penetrates the coupling portion of each of the battery modules.
Buck discloses a battery module with tie rods going through the frames to secure the assembly together [0043].
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to have the bolts secure the components of the battery module together.
As to claim 12, Modified Son et al. discloses the cartridge module of claim 11, and Buch further comprising end plates (36) at both ends in a direction in which the battery modules are stacked. (figure 4 of Buck).
As to claim 13, Modified Son et al. discloses the cartridge module of claim 12, wherein at least one of the end plates comprises a through hole through which the bolt, when inserted therethrough, passes (see figure 4 of Buck).
As to claim 14, Son et al. discloses a hole but does not disclose wherein a difference between a diameter of the coupling hole and that of a second portion of the bolt positioned in the coupling hole is greater than a difference between a diameter of the through hole and that of the second portion of the bolt positioned in the through hole.
However it has been held that the configuration or shape of a claimed device is a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed device is significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
As to claim 15, Modified Son discloses the cartridge module of claim 12, wherein the bolt comprises a fixing portion that is configured to be fixed to the end plate ( the head of the bolt 42 or the nut 44) [0043] or figure 4.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SON et al. (KR 20170098590 A) in view of You et al. ( KR 1020160104452, provide in IDS on 4/12/2023).
As to claim 7, Son et al. discloses the cartridge of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the cell accommodating case comprises a third communication hole on a surface different from a part connected to the coupling portion.
You discloses a cartridge for a battery with a hole (116 )located at the long side of the cartridge (see figure 2). The hole is for venting (page 9 of 10 top right paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to include the hole for venting.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-5 and 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The closest prior art of record (Son et al) discloses a communication hole but there is no reason or suggestion to add another hole to the same locating thereby having a second communication hole which is formed in a direction different from the direction in which the bolt passes and the direction in which the first communication hole is formed. And the second communication hole is configured to communicate with an outside of the cartridge module.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIA J LAIOS whose telephone number is (571)272-9808. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm.
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/Maria Laios/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727