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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 4-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1, 4-5, 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN-108258367-A (X) in view of US-20230246284-A1 (Q).
Regarding claim 1, X teaches
A battery support for a battery assembly (Figs. 1 and 2 in their entirety) having multiple cells (4) arranged in parallel axially (see Fig. 2), and a heat dissipating means (1, 3, and 6, taken together) therebetween, the heat dissipating means including multiple independent spacer components (3) arranged abreast in such a way as to be separable from each other (see Figs. 1 and 2 where the spacer components are arranged abreast, then see Fig. 3 where one of (3) is separated individually), and multiple accommodating recesses (see annotated Fig. 1 below. On the labeled axis T represents transverse direction and L represents longitudinal direction) arranged on two sides in a transverse direction of each spacer component, each accommodating recess being partially shape-fitted to a circumferential sidewall of each cell,
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each spacer component being made of a flexible material (3e) with a thermal conductivity greater than that of air ([0038], the silicone sleeve is chosen to maintain contact with the battery to reduce thermal resistance. This means it is there to prevent an airgap, meaning that air would have lower thermal conductivity than the silicon sleeve and electrically insulating material), and the heat dissipating means restricting movement of each cell perpendicular to the axial direction of each cell (the cells are held between the heat dissipating means in both the T and L directions which are perpendicular to the axial direction), wherein the accommodating recesses are positioned opposite each other between adjacent spacer components to form multiple accommodating cavities (see annotated Fig. 1 above), each accommodating cavity being able to accommodate each cell in a shape-matched manner, wherein the accommodating recesses on the two sides in the transverse direction of each spacer component are staggered in a longitudinal direction (see Fig. 1), wherein the multiple cells in the multiple accommodating cavities form multiple cell strings (see annotated Fig. 1 below), each cell string extending in the longitudinal direction and arranged in the transverse direction, wherein each spacer component extends in the longitudinal direction between two adjacent cell strings, and wherein the cells of adjacent cell strings are offset in the transverse direction (see annotated Fig. 1 below).
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While X implies the existence of support components located at tops and bottoms of the cells because one must be provided to prevent the cells from moving in an axial direction, X does not explicitly teach these components.
Q teaches a battery unit including a plurality of cells arranged in a staggered manner (see Fig. 2). Q teaches the battery unit is clamped between a top shell (70) and a bottom shell (71) [0041]. Q teaches the benefit of the top and bottom shells are to protect the battery unit module and reduce the possibility of damage when impacted [0041].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the instant invention to clamp the battery support assembly of X between the top and bottom shell of Q to protect the battery module from impacts. It would have been obvious to do because Q teaches a benefit to providing top and bottom shells to the battery unit, so one of ordinary skill in the art would know to arrange the battery support assembly of X in the same manner of the battery unit by adding top and bottom shells to achieve the same benefit.
This modification of X results in retaining components on the top and bottom of the cells which would restrict movement of each cell in the axial direction because the cells would not be able to move beyond the top and bottom shells.
Therefore, claim 1 is unpatentable over X and Q.
Regarding claim 4, X teaches the accommodating cavities defined by adjacent spacer components are cylindrical (see Figs. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 5, X teaches the heat dissipating means further comprises an end component) located at an outer side in the transverse direction of all of the spacer components and arranged abreast of the spacer components, the end component having multiple accommodating recesses, the accommodating recesses of the end component facing the accommodating recesses of the adjacent spacer component to form accommodating cavities, which accommodate the cells in a partially shape- adapted manner (see annotated Fig. 1 below).
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Regarding claim 8, X teaches a height of the heat dissipating means is more than half a height of each cell ([0016], 60% to 85% is entirely enclosed in “greater than half a height”).
The limitations: “the heat dissipating means preferably extends over the height of each cell, and a weight reduction hole is optionally provided on the heat dissipating means.” Are optional limitations and therefore are not required to be taught by X nor Q.
Regarding claim 9, X teaches each spacer component is a rotationally symmetric structure (X is rotationally symmetrical when rotated about the L axis).
Regarding claim 10, X teaches the accommodating recesses are distributed uniformly in the longitudinal direction (see Figs. 1 and 2), and the spacing between adjacent accommodating recesses is smaller than a diameter of the accommodating cavity (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, X teaches a thickness of any part of each spacer component is smaller than the a diameter of the each accommodating cavity (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, Q teaches the retaining components at the top and bottom are connected to each other ([0038-41], see Figs. 8 and 9). The combination of X and Q amounts to no more than arrange the battery support assembly of X in between top and bottom shells in the same manner as the battery unit of Q is. This means that the heat dissipating means, which is a part of the battery support assembly of X, would also be clamped between the top and bottom shells of Q.
Therefore, claim 12 is unpatentable over X and Q.
Regarding claim 13, X teaches the heat dissipating means is in direct contact with a housing (2 and 5 form a housing) of the battery assembly.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of X and Q as described above in the rejection of claim 1 teaches a battery assembly, comprising: multiple cells (4); the battery support (entirety of Fig. 1), the cells being accommodated in the accommodating cavities formed by the spacer components of the heat dissipating means (see annotated X Fig. 1 below).
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Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN-108258367-A (X), US-20230246284-A1 (Q), and in further view of US-20170154705-A1 (K).
Regarding claim 6, the teachings of X and Q are explained in the rejection of claim 1.
X further teaches an electrically insulating layer (3d) coating the heat dissipating means on the spacer and end components [0018]. X further teaches the heat dissipating means is a snake-shaped flat tube made of aluminum (3c is aluminum) [0022].
X is silent to the specific material of the electrically insulating layer.
K teaches an organic, electrically insulating, and thermally conductive material comprising EPDM [0063]. K teaches the benefit of the EPDM is that it enables effective thermal conductivity between insulators (2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the instant invention to form the electrically insulating layer of X out of the EPDM of K in order to achieve the benefit of enabling effective thermal conductivity. It would have been obvious to do because X does not specify a material for the electrically insulating layer and K teaches one with a known benefit of effective thermal conductivity. Further, because X teaches the spacers are a part of a liquid cooling system [0021], one of ordinary skill in the art would have found motivation to elect a thermally conductive insulator to improve thermal conductivity across the coating layers 3d and 3e to improve cooling efficiency.
While the metal plate is not a required limitation, the aluminum tube (3c) is a flat serpentine tube which meets the requirements of a metal plater, and it is integrally moulded on the spacer components because it is sleeved by the silicone and electrically insulating EPDM layers.
Therefore, the combination of X, Q, and K teach all of the requirements of claim 6.
Regarding claim 7, X teaches the metal plate extends in one piece in the longitudinal direction in the spacer component (see Fig. 3). While limitations “the metal plate is disposed close to the accommodating recesses and shape-adapted to the accommodating recesses” are optional, X still teaches them. This is because the metal plate is the core of the spacer that forms the accommodating recesses, so it is necessarily close to the accommodating recesses and shape adapted to the accommodating recesses.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUISE JAMES IANNUCCI whose telephone number is (571)272-6917. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allison Bourke can be reached at (303) 297-4684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LOUISE JAMES IANNUCCI/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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