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 § 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.
Claims 1, 2, 4-10, 13-18, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20150295283 (“Eom et al.”) in view of US Pub. No. 20200176838 (“Kopp et al.”).
With regards to Claims 1, 10, and 17, Eom et al. teaches a battery module comprising a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, which are electroconductively connected serially and/or in parallel to each other, a switching device (relay 330 or relative thereof), which comprises a first connector (351 or relative thereof) and a second connector (351 or relative thereof), wherein the first connector is electroconductively connected to a voltage tap of a terminally arranged one of the battery cells, and wherein the second connector is electroconductively connected to a voltage tap of the battery module (Abstract, Figs. 1-7, [0004], [0049]-[0051], [0056], and [0057]-[0066]).
Eom et al. does not teach a temperature control element as claimed.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element configured such that a temperature control fluid flows through the temperature control element and which is also thermoconductively connected to a plurality of battery cells (Abstract, Figs. 1-6, [0012]-[0018], and [0021]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a temperature control element in Eom et al.’s overall battery module, such that a first region of the temperature control element is arranged immediately adjacent the plurality of battery cells, and a second region of the temperature control element is immediately adjacent the switching device in order to integrate a cooling mechanism into the battery module to reliably control the temperature [0012].
With regards to Claims 2 and 18, Eom et al. teaches the switching device is arranged immediately adjacent the terminally arranged one of the battery cells (Figs. 1-7) .
With regards to Claims 4 and 20, the combination teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element.
Eom et al. does not teach a housing of the battery module forms the temperature control element.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a housing of its battery module forms the temperature control element (Abstract and Figs. 1-6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed structure in order to integrate a cooling mechanism into the battery module.
With regards to Claims 5 and 21, the combination teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element.
Eom et al. does not teach a cover element enclose a temperature control fluid intake formed by the housing of the battery module such that the temperature control element is formed.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a cover element encloses a temperature control fluid intake formed by the housing of the battery module such that the temperature control element is formed (Abstract, Figs. 1-6, and [0079]-[0084]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed structure in order to integrate a cooling mechanism into the battery module.
With regards to Claims 6 and 7, the combination teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element.
Eom et al. does not teach a housing of the battery module and/or the cover element forms and/or comprises a plurality of flow guide elements and/or a plurality of flow interference elements.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a housing of the battery module and/or the cover element forms and/or comprises a plurality of flow guide elements and/or a plurality of flow interference elements (Abstract, Figs. 1-6, and [0093]-[0123]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed structure in order to effectively temperature control the battery module [0092].
With regards to Claim 8, the combination teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element.
Eom et al. does not teach the battery module comprising the claimed inlet and outlet.
However, Kopp et al. teaches the battery module comprises an inlet configured for an inflow of temperature control fluid, and the battery module comprises an outlet configured for an outflow of temperature control fluid (Fig. 1 and [0078]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed structure in order to provide a means to deliver a temperature control fluid to effectively temperature control the battery module.
With regards to Claim 9, the combination teaches a battery module comprising a temperature control element.
Eom et al. does not teach a U-shaped flow guide.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a U-shaped flow guide (Fig. 5 and [0123]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the battery module comprise a U-shaped flow guide to provide a uniform pressure loss [0123].
With regards to Claim 13-16, the combination teaches a battery module as set forth above.
Eom et al. does not tech the claimed structure.
However, Kopp et al. teaches a housing of the battery module forms the temperature control element, wherein a cover element encloses a temperature control fluid intake formed by the housing of the battery module such that the temperature control element is formed, and wherein the housing of the battery module and/or cover element forms and/or comprises a plurality of flow guide elements or a plurality of flow interference elements (Figs. 1-6, [0082]-0115], [0118]-[0119], [0121], [0123], [0129], and [0139]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed structure in order to effectively temperature control the battery module.
Claims 3, 11, 12, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20150295283 (“Eom et al.”) in view of US Pub. No. 20200176838 (“Kopp et al.”) as applied to Claim 1 or 17 respectfully above, and further in view of US Pub. No. 20210104714 (“Schmitt et al.”).
The combination teaches a battery module as set forth above.
Eom et al. does not teach a thermal compensation material arranged between the plurality of battery cells and the temperature control element and between the switching device and the temperature control element.
However, Schmitt et al. teaches a thermal compensation material arranged between the plurality of battery cells and the temperature control element and between an electronic component and the temperature control element (Abstract, [0026], [0027], and [0049]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a thermal compensation material as claimed to counteract any effects of temperature changes, and thus improving its stability in the battery module.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA CHAU whose telephone number is (571)270-5496. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11 AM-730 PM.
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/LC/
Lisa Chau
Art Unit 1785
/Holly Rickman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1785
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