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:
Multiple adjustable flow valves 306 in Figure 3 (Paragraph 0063)
Inline release device 326 (Paragraph 0070)
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 11, the instant claim recites “endothermic solute container.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for endothermic solute container. Thus, it is unclear from the instant claim what the endothermic solute container is, particularly if it is a container made of endothermic solute or for holding endothermic solute. Appropriate correction is required. Applicant may overcome the 112b rejection by including language similar to that of claim 6.
Regarding claims 12-13, they are rejected based on their dependence on a previously rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1, 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu (Chinese Patent Publication No. 106785192 A) (machine translation relied upon).
Regarding claim 1, Yu teaches a vehicle battery cooling system (thermal management system for a battery in a hybrid or electric vehicle) (Paragraph 3) comprising:
multiple battery modules (Figure 1, Elements 120) each configured to provide power to one or more components of a vehicle (Paragraph 9);
a coolant pump (Figure 1, Element 160) (Paragraph 21);
multiple adjustable flow valves (Figure 1, Element 140) (Paragraph 11);
temperature sensor (Figure 1, Element 130) (Paragraph 12);
a battery thermal control module (controller) (Figure 1, Element 150) (Paragraph 13);
Yu teaches a plurality of cooling units corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, each cooling unit being configured to flow a cooling medium to cool a corresponding battery module (Paragraph 11). Yu teaches a pump for pumping the cooling medium into the inlet and through the cooling unit (Paragraphs 15, 21), which as stated above, serves the purpose of cooling the battery module. Thus, the pump of Yu is considered to be configured to supply coolant fluid to each of the multiple battery modules to cool the multiple battery modules, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Yu teaches the flow valves positioned near the inlet of the battery module in order to receive the cooling medium, which as stated above, is pumped from the pump through the cooling circuit. Thus, Yu teaches the multiple adjustable flow valves coupled between the coolant pump and a corresponding one of the multiple battery modules, which is further indicated in the annotated Figure below.
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Annotated Figure 1 of Yu
Yu teaches the flow valves to selectively control a rate of coolant fluid flowing to the corresponding one of the multiple battery modules (Paragraph 11), meeting the instant claimed limitation.
Yu teaches a temperature acquisition module (Figure 1, Element 130) used to acquire the temperature of a plurality of battery modules. Yu teaches the temperature acquisition module included a temperature sensing element and a processing element, which may be integrated or not integrated. In an embodiment, Yu teaches the temperature sending element is disposed at the battery module, which sends information to the processing element (Paragraph 41). As exemplified in Figure 1, Yu teaches a plurality of battery modules in the thermal energy management system. According to the teachings of Yu discloses above, each of the battery modules has a temperature sending element, thus Yu teaches multiple temperature sensors each configured to measure a temperature of one of the multiple battery modules associated with the temperature sensor, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Yu teaches the battery thermal control module (controller) in the system to determine the degree of opening of the flow valve corresponding to each battery module according to the temperature of the battery module (Paragraph 13) which is acquired by the temperature acquisition module (Paragraph 41). Thus, Yu is considered to teach a battery thermal control module configured to, obtain, via the multiple temperature sensors, a temperature of each of the multiple battery modules, meeting the instant claimed limitation.
Yu teaches the function of the controller in the system is additionally to calculate the degree of opening of the flow valve corresponding to each battery module according to the temperature of the battery module and further to open the flow valves according to the calculated opening degree. Yu teaches the opening degree of the flow rate valve corresponding to the battery module having a high temperature is larger than the opening degree of the flow rate valve corresponding to the low temperature of the battery module so that the temperature difference between the different battery modules is gradually reduced. Yu teaches an embodiment in which the difference between each battery module and a preset temperature is calculated in order to determine the degree of opening of the flow valve (Paragraph 41).
Thus, Yu teaches the controller configured to determine whether one or more of the multiple battery modules has a temperature above a specified overheating threshold value (preset temperature); and in response to a determination that the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules is above the specified overheating threshold value, change a setting (degree of opening) of one or more of the multiple adjustable flow valves to allow a greater flow of coolant fluid to the at least one battery module exceeding the specified overheating threshold value as compared to other ones of the multiple battery modules, meeting the instant claimed limitation.
Regarding claim 3, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 1, wherein changing a setting of one or more of the multiple adjustable flow valves includes increasing a degree of opening the adjustable flow valve corresponding to the at least one battery module exceeding the specified overheating threshold value, as described above in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 3.
As described above in the rejection of claim 1, Yu teaches the controller increasing the degree of the opening of the flow valve when the temperature acquisition module detects one of the battery modules is above a threshold temperature.
Further, Yu teaches an embodiment in which when the flow valve is in an open state, the other set of flow valves are in a closed state (Paragraphs 22, 50). The closing of the other set of valves according to the teachings of Yu is considered increasing a degree of restriction (restricting the degree of opening of the valves so that no cooling medium may pass through). Therefore, Yu teaches the changing a setting of one or more of the multiple adjustable flow valves of claim 1 includes increasing a degree of restriction of the adjustable flow valves corresponding to battery modules which are not exceeding the specified overheating threshold value, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Regarding claim 5, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a surge tank (Figure 1, Element 47). Yu teaches the cooling medium pumped from the tank into the cooling circuit via the pump (Paragraphs 46-47), which is considered to meet the claimed limitations of the surge tank in fluid communication with the coolant pump, wherein the surge tank is configured to supply coolant fluid to the coolant pump for pumping out to the multiple battery modules (via the coolant circuit Element 170), as illustrated in the annotated Figure below.
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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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu as applied to claims 1, 3-5 above, further in view of Csanyi (Non-Patent Literature, “The Essentials of Pumping, Pump Speed, and Flow Rate Control that Engineers Must Know”).
Regarding claim 2, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 1.
As described above, Yu teaches the battery cooling system including the temperature acquisition module and the controller working together to obtain the temperature of the battery module and control the pump (Paragraph 41). Yu teaches the pump for circulating coolant through the cooling circuit to reduce the temperature difference between the battery modules when the temperature of a battery module is larger than a preset temperature (Paragraphs 42, 46). Thus, Yu teaches controlling the flow of current through the battery modules in response to a determination that the temperature
Yu is silent as to the battery thermal control module is configured to increase a speed of the coolant pump in response to the determination that the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules is above the specified overheating threshold value.
However, Csanyi teaches that options for flow control in systems are commonly using bypass lines, throttling valves, or speed modifications to the pumps (Page 2). As discussed above Yu teaches an embodiment in which the valves controlling flow to the individual battery modules are adjusted (throttled) in the cooling process. However, Csanyi teaches that speed control of the pump (and therefore flow rate) is more efficient than valve throttling and advantageously results in the pump running smoothly at both high and low flow rate levels, resulting in improved savings on electrical power costs (Pages 2-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the pump of Yu to incorporate the teachings of Csanyi in which the flow of coolant through the cooling circuit is controlled by adjusting the speed of the pump. Yu teaches the pump in the vehicle battery cooling system as well as the flow rate of coolant to the batteries being controlled, namely increased in response to a battery overheating. Csanyi teaches it is known in the art to control the flow rate of coolant in a flow system by adjusting the speed of the pump to achieve the advantages of efficiency, cost reduction, and smooth flow. Thus, Yu modified by Csanyi teaches the instant claimed limitations.
Claims 6-7, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu as applied to claims 1, 3-5 above, further in view of Hahn (European Patent Publication No. 2346111 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 5.
Yu is silent as to an endothermic solute container in the surge tank, wherein the endothermic solute container is configured to house an endothermic solute and inhibit mixing of the endothermic solute with coolant fluid in the surge tank.
However, Hahn discloses a lithium-ion energy store with improved cooling (Paragraph 0009) provided by a coolant carrying out an endothermic reaction (Paragraph 0010). Hahn teaches that large energy stores can be sufficiently cooled by a coolant which performs an endothermic reaction to consume the heat of the energy store (Paragraph 0013), in order to ensure that overheating of the energy storage modules does not occur, thus improving safety (Paragraph 0011). Hahn teaches an embodiment in which the substances endothermically reacting with one another are initially spatially separated from each other by a separating device. Hahn teaches the separating device must be overcome mechanically, or damaged such that the spatial separation of the substances is no longer ensured, resulting in their mixing and reacting endothermically (Paragraph 0017). The reactants of the endothermic reaction, are housed in a shell (Element 19) which includes the separating device (Element 17), as seen in Figure 4 of Hahn.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the surge tank of Yu to incorporate the teachings of Hahn directed to a shell and separating device (endothermic solute container) so that the endothermic solute is housed in the surge tank, separated from the other reactant (the coolant of Yu) by the separating device. Hahn teaches the endothermic solute container houses the endothermic solute and separates (inhibits mixing of) the endothermic solute from the cooling fluid, meeting the instant claimed limitations. Hahn teaches this modification advantageously results in improved safety and cooling of a battery.
Regarding claim 7, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 6.
Yu is silent as to the battery thermal control module configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank, in response to a determination that the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules exceeds a solute release temperature threshold.
As discussed above, Yu teaches the battery control module configured to adjust the conditions of the cooling system in system via the controller when the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules exceeds a preset temperature. Hahn teaches mechanical activation of the endothermic reaction (via damage to the separator between the endothermic solute container and the surge tank in order to endothermically react the endothermic solute and coolant) in order to cool the coolant so that it may be useful in assisting in battery overheating.
Therefore, the ordinary artisan would further find it obvious, given the teachings of Yu and Hahn, to configure the thermal control module of the battery to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank, in response to a determination that the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules exceeds a solute release temperature threshold in order to provide cooling to the batteries, as recognized by Yu and Hahn.
Regarding claim 16, as discussed above in the rejection of claim 1, Yu teaches a vehicle battery cooling system comprising:
multiple battery modules each configured to provide power to one or more components of a vehicle;
a coolant pump configured to supply coolant fluid to each of the multiple battery modules to cool the multiple battery modules;
multiple temperature sensors each configured to measure a temperature of one of the multiple battery modules associated with the temperature sensor;
and a battery thermal control module configured to,
obtain, via the multiple temperature sensors, a temperature of each of the multiple battery modules;
determine whether one or more of the multiple battery modules has a temperature above a specified overheating threshold value
As discussed above in the rejection of claim 6-7, the modification of Yu by Hahn teaches an endothermic solute container configured to release the endothermic solute into the surge tank. As the surge tank of Yu comprises the coolant, Yu in view of Hahn is considered to teach the endothermic solute container configured to release an endothermic solute into the coolant, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
As discussed above in the rejection of claim 6-7, the modification of Yu by Hahn teaches that in response to a determination that the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules is above the specified overheating threshold value (solute release temperature threshold as described in claim 7), activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute into the surge tank. As the surge tank of Yu comprises the coolant, Yu in view of Hahn is considered to teach the release of the endothermic solute into the coolant fluid, as required by the instant claimed limitation.
Regarding claim 17, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 16.
As described above in the rejection of claim 5, Yu teaches a surge tank in fluid communication with the coolant pump, wherein: the surge tank is configured to supply coolant fluid to the coolant pump for pumping out to the multiple battery modules, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Further described above, the resulting modification of Yu by Hahn resulting in the endothermic solute container of Hahn housed in the surge tank of Yu, further meeting the instant claimed limitations of an endothermic solute container in the surge tank.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu and Hahn as applied to claims 6-7, 16-17 above, further in view of Porter (U.S. Patent No. 3874557).
Regarding claim 8, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 7, wherein as described above, modified Yu teaches the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank.
Modified Yu is silent as to a motor impeller in contact with the endothermic solute container powered by the thermal control module to break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container.
As described above, Hahn teaches mechanical activation of the endothermic reaction through damage to the separator which spatially separators the endothermic solute and the coolant, allowing them to mix and reduce the temperature of the coolant in order to assist during battery overheating. Hahn teaches the separation is no longer ensure when the separator undergoes damage such as melting or tearing (Paragraph 0018), thus Yu in view of Hahn is open to a variety of means to overcome spatial separation of endothermic solute and coolant, allowing them to mix.
Porter discloses a self-cooling container for food and beverages (Column 1, Lines 1-5) in which a two-part coolant system is contained in a separate fashion and whose mixing is initiated when desired in order to provide cooling (Column 1, Lines 25-35). Porter teaches the components of the cooling system are mixed by actuating a rupturing device (Column 1, Lines 35-40). Porter teachings the ingredients that may provide the desired cooling may be ammonium nitrate and salt (Column 1, Lines 55-60), overlapping with the teachings of Hahn (Paragraph 33) and the instant disclosure (Paragraph 0050) in which ammonium nitrate participates in the endothermic reaction. Porter further teaches the rupturing device is a rotatable hooked knife which is rotated to penetrate the pouch comprising the cooling ingredient, allowing the mixing between the ingredients of the endothermic reaction (Columns 1-2, Lines 60-70; 1-10). Porter teaches the actuation of the rotatable hooked knife eliminates the need for additional separator tools to actuate the cooling process (Column 1, Lines 35-40).
Porter is considered analogous art because the teachings are pertinent to the problem faced by the claimed invention, namely how to mix, at a desired time, an endothermic species with a liquid which are spatially separated, in order to provide cooling.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle battery cooling system of Yu including the endothermic solute container of Hahn to incorporate the teachings of Porter in which an impeller is in contact with the endothermic solute container, wherein the rotation of the impeller (rotatable hooked knife) breaks at least a portion of the endothermic solution container. Doing so would advantageously result in the initiation of the cooling of a coolant by an endothermic ingredient through mixing initiated by a rupturable membrane, without the need for additional separator tools to actuate the cooling process, as recognized by Porter.
Modified Yu is silent as to the impeller being motorized, where in the battery thermal control module is configured to power the motorized impeller in order to break the endothermic solution to release the endothermic solute.
However, as discussed above, Yu teaches the battery control module configured to adjust the conditions of the cooling system in system via the controller when the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules exceeds a preset temperature. Therefore, the ordinary artisan would further find it obvious, given the teachings of Yu in view of Hahn and Porter above, to configure the battery thermal control module to power the impeller of Porter via a motor in order to allow for the mixing of the coolant with the endothermic solute to initiate cooling, a desire of Hahn and Porter, as previously discussed.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu and Hahn as applied to claims 6-7, 16-17 above, further in view of Saffir (U.S. Patent No. 2184152) and Eclipse (Non-Patent Literature “Electromagnets (Solenoids)”).
Regarding claim 9, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 7, wherein as described above, modified Yu teaches the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank.
Modified Yu is silent as to a magnet inside the endothermic solute container.
As described above, Hahn teaches mechanical activation of the endothermic reaction through damage to the separator which spatially separators the endothermic solute and the coolant, allowing them to mix and reduce the temperature of the coolant in order to assist during battery overheating. Hahn teaches the separation is no longer ensured when the separator undergoes damage such as melting or tearing (Paragraph 0018), thus Yu in view of Hahn is open to a variety of means to overcome spatial separation of endothermic solute and coolant, allowing them to mix.
Saffir teaches a multiple-chambered ampoule where each cell or chamber is sealed from the other and provided is a means for destroying the seal (Column 1, Lines 1-5). Saffir teaches adjacent chambers separated by a partition which is desirably removed for mixing of chemical components (Column 2, Lines 25-35). Saffir teaches the application of a magnet on the outside of the ampoule to attract a ferromagnetic member inside the ampoule, which breaks through the partition under the attractive force. Saffir teaches the ferromagnetic member having sufficient mass to perform such an operation (Column 2, Lines 35-45). Saffir teaches the advantage of the invention to permit separate storage of chemicals prior to on demand mixing under a set of conditions to facilitate a controlled chemical reaction (Columns 1 and 2).
Saffir is considered analogous art because the teachings are pertinent to the problem faced by the claimed invention, namely how to control the on-demand mixing of two substances which are housed so as to inhibit mixing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle battery cooling system of Yu including the endothermic solute container of Hahn to incorporate the teachings of Saffir in which a magnet (ferromagnetic member) is comprised inside the endothermic solute container to be attracted in order to break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container. Doing so would advantageously result in a controlled chemical reaction from the on-demand mixing of previously separated chemical components, as recognized by Saffir.
Thus Yu in view of Hahn and Saffir teaches a magnet (ferromagnetic member) inside the endothermic solute container which is attracted to a magnet outside of the endothermic solution container, thereby releasing coolant by breaking a portion of the endothermic solute container under the force of attraction.
Modified Yu is silent as to a solenoid outside the endothermic solute container, wherein the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank by powering the solenoid to attract the magnet and break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container.
However, Eclipse teaches that an electromagnet (solenoid) is a magnet powered by electricity, where the strength of the magnet can be easily altered by adjusting the amount of electric current flowing through it. Eclipse teaches this is unlike a permanent magnet, where the amount of available magnetic output is fixed (Page 2).
It would have been further obvious to modify the magnet applied to the exterior of the chamber of Saffir to attract the ferromagnetic material within the chamber to incorporate the teachings of Eclipse in which the magnetic is a solenoid. Doing so would advantageously result in the ability to control the strength of the magnetic field, as recognized by Eclipse.
Further, the teachings of Eclipse indicate the solenoid is powered by electricity, therefore it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan to configure the battery thermal control module to power the solenoid in order to provide the necessary electricity for the solenoid to produce a magnetic field.
Thus, the modification of Yu by Hahn, Saffir, and Eclipse results in a magnet (ferromagnetic member) inside the endothermic solute container which is attracted to a solenoid outside of the endothermic solution container that is powered by the battery thermal control module, thereby releasing coolant by breaking a portion of the endothermic solute container under the force of attraction between the magnet and the solenoid, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu and Hahn as applied to claims 6-7 and 16-17 above, further in view of Dobmeier (Spanish Patent Publication No. 2235759).
Regarding claim 10, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 7, wherein as described above, modified Yu teaches the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute in the surge tank.
As discussed above, Hahn teaches the separator between the coolant and the endothermic solute may be damaged via melting when the coolant temperature is too hot (Paragraph 0018).
Modified Yu is silent as to a fuse in contact with the endothermic solute container powered by the thermal control module to break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container.
As described above, Hahn teaches mechanical activation of the endothermic reaction through damage to the separator which spatially separators the endothermic solute and the coolant, allowing them to mix and reduce the temperature of the coolant in order to assist during battery overheating. Hahn teaches the separation is no longer ensured when the separator undergoes damage such as melting or tearing (Paragraph 0018), thus Yu in view of Hahn is open to a variety of means to overcome spatial separation of endothermic solute and coolant, allowing them to mix.
Dobmeier discloses a cooling system to control the temperature of an environment, such as a truck (Page 2). Dobmeier teaches the cooling system comprising a tank which is provided with a fuse plug that melts is the coolant temperature is abnormally high and releases refrigerant for cooling (Page 6, Paragraph 2).
Dobmeier is considered analogous art because the teachings are pertinent to the problem faced by the claimed invention, namely to provide an opening in a container via melting when the temperature of coolant is too hot.
Therefore, Dobmeier teaches a fuse is known in the art to solve the same problem of liquid release from a tank at a desired time, namely when the temperature of coolant in a flow system is too great and it can no longer provide the cooling function. Yu in view of Hahn, as described above, teaches melting a separator as a suitable way of releasing an endothermic solute to cool a liquid coolant. Thus, it would be obvious to the ordinary artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a fuse in the endothermic solute container of Yu in view of Hahn in order to release the endothermic solute so it mixes with the liquid coolant in order to reduce its temperature.
Modified Yu is silent as to the battery thermal control module being configured to power the fuse in order to break the endothermic solution to release the endothermic solute.
However, as discussed above, Yu teaches the battery control module configured to adjust the conditions of the cooling system in system via the controller when the temperature of at least one of the multiple battery modules exceeds a preset temperature. Therefore, the ordinary artisan would further find it obvious, given the teachings of Yu, Hahn, and Dobmeier above, to configure the battery thermal control module to power the fuse to allow for the mixing of the coolant with the endothermic solute to initiate cooling, a desire of Hahn, as previously discussed.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu and Hahn as applied to claims 6-7, 16-17 above, further in view of Porter, Saffir, Eclipse, and Dobmeier.
Regarding claim 18, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 16.
As described above in the rejection of claim 8, Yu in view of Porter teaches a motorized impeller in contact with the endothermic solute container, wherein the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute by powering the motorized impeller to break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
As described above in the rejection of claim 9, Yu in view of Saffir and Eclipse teaches a magnet inside the endothermic solute container and a solenoid outside the endothermic solute container, wherein the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute by powering the solenoid to attract the magnet and break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
As described above in the rejection of claim 10, the teachings of Yu and Dobmeier teaches a fuse in contact with the endothermic solute container, wherein the battery thermal control module is configured to activate the endothermic solute container to release the endothermic solute by powering the fuse to break at least a portion of the endothermic solute container, meeting the instant claimed limitations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15, 19-20 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.
Regarding claim 11, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 1.
Yu does not teach an inline release device in fluid communication between the coolant pump and the multiple adjustable flow valves, the inline release device including endothermic solute container.
As discussed above, Hahn discloses a lithium-ion energy store with improved cooling (Paragraph 0009) provided by a coolant carrying out an endothermic reaction (Paragraph 0010). Hahn teaches an embodiment in which the substances endothermically reacting with one another are initially spatially separated from each other by a separating device. Hahn teaches the separating device must be overcome mechanically, or damaged such that the spatial separation of the substances is no longer ensured, resulting in their mixing and reacting endothermically (Paragraph 0017). The reactants of the endothermic reaction, are housed in a shell (Element 19) which includes the separating device (Element 17), as seen in Figure 4 of Hahn.
Hahn teaches the shell comprising the endothermic reaction reactants and the separating device are implemented as an auxiliary component to cool the battery by forming a part of the cell cabinet (Abstract). Hahn lacks any teachings related to or an embodiment in which coolant is flowed through the separate chambers of the shell or through the separating device (Figure 4, Element 17). Because the teachings of Hahn are not directed toward the implementation of the endothermic solute container in a flow system, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yu in view of Hahn to implement the endothermic solute container in an inline position of the flow system, as Yu teaches no such inline release device in fluid communication between the coolant pump and the multiple adjustable flow valves and the endothermic solute container disclosed by Hahn is not part of a flow system through which coolant can freely pass.
Regarding claim 12, claim 12 depends from claim 11 and thus is objected to based on the lack of teaching, suggestion, or motivation of Yu regarding an inline release device including an endothermic solute container, as discussed above.
Regarding claim 13, Claim 13 depends from claim 12 and thus is objected to based on the lack of teaching, suggestion, or motivation of Yu regarding an inline release device including an endothermic solute container, as discussed above.
Regarding claim 14, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 1.
Yu does not teach multiple inline release devices each in fluid communication between the coolant pump and a corresponding one of the multiple battery modules, wherein each of the multiple inline release devices includes an endothermic solute container.
As discussed above, Hahn teaches the shell comprising the endothermic reaction reactants and the separating device are implemented as an auxiliary component to cool the battery by forming a part of the cell cabinet (Abstract). Hahn lacks any teachings related to or an embodiment in which coolant is flowed through the separate chambers of the shell or through the separating device (Figure 4, Element 17). Because the teachings of Hahn are not directed toward the implementation of the endothermic solute container in a flow system, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yu in view of Hahn to implement the endothermic solute container in an inline position of the flow system, as Yu teaches no such multiple inline release devices in fluid communication between the coolant pump and a corresponding one of the multiple battery modules and the endothermic solute container disclosed by Hahn is not part of a flow system through which coolant can freely pass.
Regarding claim 15, claim 15 depends from claim 14 and thus is objected to based on the lack of teaching, suggestion, or motivation of Yu regarding an inline release device including an endothermic solute container, as discussed above.
Regarding claim 19, Yu teaches the vehicle battery cooling system of claim 16.
Yu does not teach an inline release device in fluid communication between the coolant pump and multiple adjustable flow valves each associated with a corresponding one of the multiple battery modules, wherein the inline release device includes the endothermic solute container.
As discussed above, Hahn teaches the shell comprising the endothermic reaction reactants and the separating device are implemented as an auxiliary component to cool the battery by forming a part of the cell cabinet (Abstract). Hahn lacks any teachings related to or an embodiment in which coolant is flowed through the separate chambers of the shell or through the separating device (Figure 4, Element 17). Because the teachings of Hahn are not directed toward the implementation of the endothermic solute container in a flow system, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yu in view of Hahn to implement the endothermic solute container in an inline position of the flow system, as Yu teaches no such inline release device in fluid communication between the coolant pump and the multiple adjustable flow valves and the endothermic solute container disclosed by Hahn is not part of a flow system through which coolant can freely pass.
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 depends from claim 19 and thus is objected to based on the lack of teaching, suggestion, or motivation of Yu regarding an inline release device including an endothermic solute container, as discussed above
Conclusion
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/O.A.J./Examiner, Art Unit 1789
/MARLA D MCCONNELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1789