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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action regarding Application Ser. No. 18/345,515 to Qin et al., assigned to Contemporary Amperex Technology, Hong Kong Ltd., China, filed 06/30/2023 and published as U.S. PG Publication 2023/0361386A1 on 11/09/2023 is in response to applicant’s argument/remarks and claim amendment filed 06/01/2026. It is also in response to information disclosure statement, IDS, filed 03/19/2026. Applicant’s response is given full consideration.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/09/2026 has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered by the examiner. A duly initialed and signed copy is attached herewith. Accordingly, information disclosure statements are being considered if signed and initialed by Examiner.
Status of Claims
In the response filed 06/01/2026 applicant has amended independent claim 1 by the addition of new limitation of the refrigerant comprises antioxidant and preservatives comprise 0.5 to 2.0 wt % and 0.5 to 2.25 wt % of the total of the refrigerant respectively. Claim 6 has been amended to correct a type-error “methyl nonfluorobutyl ether” now corrected to recite “methyl nonafluorobutyl ether”. The dependence of claim 9 is changed from claim 6 to claim 7. The rest of the claims stand as previously filed. The status of the amendment stand as follows:
Currently amended 1, 6, 9
Original 2-5,7-8, 10
Claims 1-10 are currently pending in this application. All pending claims are under full consideration.
Withdrawal of Claims Objection
The typographical error in claim 6 “…methyl nonfluorobutyl ether…” has been corrected by the amendment of claim 6, which now recites, “…methyl nonafluorobutyl ether…” The amendment overcomes the previously presented objection to the claim. Therefore, the objection to claim 6 is hereby withdrawn.
The dependence of claim 9 is corrected to be now dependent on claim 7 instead of claim 6 as previously recited and presented. Therefore, the previously presented objection is also withdrawn.
Claims Rejections – 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code not included in this section can be found in the prior Office Action.
Claim 1-5, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Publication 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S. PG Publication 20210079281)
This rejection was presented in the previous non-final Office action and is maintained in this office action with the proper modification to address the amendment of the claims.
Regarding Claims 1 and 10 Eisenhour discloses a vehicle battery temperature control system (Eisenhour paragraph 0008), the battery 14 includes a plurality of stacked battery cells 17 (Eisenhour Fig. 2, paragraph 0024), the battery that includes the plurality of battery cells is equivalent to the battery pack. The battery pack is included in the electrical vehicle (Eisenhour Fig. 1, paragraph 0010), and the electrical vehicle is considered equivalent to the electrical device recited in claim 10.
Eisenhour discloses a housing 16 that define a chamber 24 to receive the battery 14 that includes plurality of battery cells 17 and contains a liquid coolant (Eisenhour Fig. 2, paragraph 0025) the liquid coolant is equivalent to the refrigerant. Thus, the battery cell is at least partially immersed in coolant. The chamber 24, considered equivalent to the case accommodating the battery 14 and the coolant 26, is provided with outlet and inlet (Eisenhour Fig. 2)
Eisenhour discloses conduit 28, 30 outside the chamber 24 and connect the inlet and outlet for the coolant to form a closed system (Eisenhour Fig. 2, paragraph 0026), the conduit 28, 30, considered equivalent to the circulating pipeline. Also disclosed is a heat exchanger 18 that includes a condenser and located in the conduit 28, 30 path, (Eisenhour Fig. 2, paragraph 0026).
The disclosed cooling system 10 include sensor 32 (Eisenhour Fig.2, paragraph 0028), and the sensor 32 include a pressure sensor operable to sense pressure in the chamber 24 (Eisenhour Fig. 2, paragraph 0031); thus, the pressure sensor is provided inside the chamber and configured to sense, equivalent to detect, the internal pressure of the chamber, the chamber being equivalent to the case.
The sensor 32 also includes a temperature sensor that is operable to sense or detect the temperature in the chamber 24 (Eisenhour paragraph 0031), the temperature sensor considered equivalent to the temperature monitoring device. Eisenhour discloses the coolant can be fluorine containing compound (Eisenhour paragraph 0025), and the temperature senor sense or detect the temperature vapor phase of the coolant (Eisenhour paragraph 0031), equivalent to detecting the temperature of a fluorine-containing cooling medium in real time, which means as it occurs, and also the temperature of the battery cell.
The disclosed cooling system 10 also includes a controller 34 that includes a microcomputer with a control program that controls the operations (Eisenhour paragraph 0028, 0030), considered equivalent to the battery control module.
Eisenhour discloses the liquid coolant 26 include 1,1,1 ,2-Tetrafluoroethane or 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (Eisenhour paragraph 0041) both example of fluorinated hydrocarbon, and equivalent to the second fluorine-containing cooling medium. Eisenhour is silent about the coolant, equivalent to the refrigerant, contains a fluorinated ether, called the first fluorine-containing cooling medium. Eisenhour, however, discloses the coolant can include any suitable type of refrigerant.
Jiao discloses an immersion type heat dissipate colling liquid for power lithium battery (Jiao claim 1, paragraph 0005, 0006), the cooling liquid is equivalent to the refrigerant. Jiao discloses the heat dissipation cooling liquid include hydrofluoroether compound and halogenated hydrocarbon (Jiao paragraph 0006), the hydrofluoroether is equivalent to the first fluorine- containing cooling medium that is a fluorinated ether, and the halogenated hydrocarbon is analogous to the second fluorine-containing cooling medium such as the fluorinated hydrocarbon since fluorine is a halogen.
Jiao discloses the disclosed immersion type heat dissipation cooling liquid containing the hydrofluoroether and halogenated hydrocarbon has good heat dissipation effect, high specific heat, low expansion, low toxicity, high insulation, flame retardancy inertness and can quickly achieve heat transfer effect (Jiao paragraph 0005).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the coolant of Eisenhour containing the fluorinated hydrocarbon (Eisenhour paragraph 0041), analogous to the halogenated hydrocarbon of Jiao (Jiao paragraph 0006), by the addition of the hydrofluoroether disclosed by Jiao (Jiao paragraph 0006) to obtain a cooling liquid similar in composition as disclosed by Jiao including a fluorinated hydrocarbon and a fluorinated ether and which provide the benefits disclosed by Jiao of a good heat dissipation effect, high specific heat, low expansion, low toxicity, high insulation, flame retardancy, inertness and can quickly achieve heat transfer effect (Jiao paragraph 0005). According to the MPEP such a modification is considered is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. (MPEP 2143 I C).
Jiao discloses the immersion type heat dissipation cooling liquid includes hydrofluoroether, halogenated hydrocarbon, antioxidant and preservative (Jiao paragraph 0006, 0011, 0026), the antioxidant and preservative prevent the corrosion and oxidation of the metal materials in the battery components (Jiao paragraph 0035). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified the coolant of Eisenhour containing the fluorinated hydrocarbon (Eisenhour paragraph 0041), by adding the antioxidant and preservative disclosed by Jiao (Jiao paragraph 0006, 0011, 0026) for the benefit of preventing the corrosion and oxidation of the metal materials in the battery components (Jiao paragraph 0035). According to the MPEP such a modification is the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. (MPEP 2143 I C).
Jiao discloses the antioxidant may be a bisphenol (Jiao paragraph 0035), and the preservative may be an imidazole compound (Jiao paragraph 0035). Jiao discloses the cooling liquid may include 0.01 parts to 0.5 parts of oxidant and 0.01 parts to 0.5 parts of preservative (Jiao paragraph 0006, 0033), and claimed ranges overlap with in the disclosed range. According to the MPEP “In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. (MPEP 2144.05)
Regarding claim 2 Jiao discloses the cooling liquid contains 30 parts to 70 part by weight of the hydrofluoroether, and 30 part to 50 part by weight of the halogenated hydrocarbon (Jiao paragraph 0006). The disclosed ranges are included in the claimed range of 40-90 weight % and 10 to 60 weight respectively. Further, the disclosed ranges also are included in the claimed range of 4:1 to 1:1 recited in claim 3. And the sum of the total weight of the two components can be 100 weight percent as recited in claim 4.
Regarding claim 5 Eisenhour discloses that the coolant covers the battery cells and nearly fills the internal space of the chamber 24 (Eisenhour Fig. 2), and which is close to but less than100%; thus, the disclosed filing rate can be within the claimed range which is close to 100% weight.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Publication 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S. PG Publication 20210079281) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Garrait et al (U.S. PG Publication 2023/0369680)
The discussion of Eisenhour and Jiao as applied to claim 1 above is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitation of the claim in this section.
Regarding claim 6 Eisenhour discloses the coolant includes 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane or 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (Eisenhour paragraph 0025, 0041) both compounds are fluorinated hydrocarbon (i.e. fluorine containing) of the second fluorine-containing cooling medium. The fluorinated hydrocarbons of Eisenhour are analogous to the claimed fluorinated hydrocarbon in claim 6, and both belong to the same class of compounds. However, Eisenhour does not teach the specific fluorine-containing hydrocarbon compounds recited in claim 6. Garrait discloses a battery comprising energy storage cells, equivalent to the battery pack, immersed in the heat-transfer composition in the liquid state (Garrait paragraph 0015), considered equivalent to the refrigerant. Garrait discloses examples of the fluorine-containing refrigerant liquids, including heptafluoropropane and hexafluoropropane (Garrait paragraph 0055) disclosed among other halogen containing hydrocarbons, and both compounds recited in claim 6. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to have modified the refrigerant of Eisenhour and to have used the fluorinated hydrocarbon heptafluoropropane and hexafluoro propane compounds disclosed by Garrait (Garrait paragraph 0055) since such modification is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results (MPEP 2143 IB). .30Choosing heptafluoropropane and hexafluoro propane compounds from among the other compounds would have been obvious to try to a person of ordinary skill since it constitutes choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success (MPEP 2143 I E).
Jiao also discloses the cooling liquid include hydrofluoroether 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether, and methyl nonafluorobutyl ether (Jiao paragraph 0008), both recited in claim 6.
Claim 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Publication 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S.PG Publication 2021/0079281) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Du Bing (CN103134612; cited in the Information Disclosure Statement, IDS, filed 06/30/2023; the English language machine translation filed with the IDS is used here; and hereafter called CN '612)
The discussion of Eisenhour modified by/and Jiao as applied to claim 1 is fully incorporated here and is fully relied for the limitations of the claims in this section.
Regarding claim 7 Eisenhour discloses the cooling system 10 include sensor 32 (Eisenhour Fig.2, paragraph 0028) and the sensor 32 includes a temperature sensor that is operable to sense or detect the temperature in the chamber 24 (Eisenhour paragraph 0031). Eisenhour, however, is silent about the temperature sensor, equivalent to the temperature monitoring device, comprise of an optical fiber, a reflected light elimination source, a light source, and a light detection module
CN '612 discloses a lithium-ion battery internal temperature monitoring device (CN '612 paragraph 0007) that includes an optical fiber 6 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0007, 0014, being equipped with a reflected light elimination device 15 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0007, paragraph 0028, 0034), a light source module 11 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0028), a light source driving module 12 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0007, 0028), a light detection module (CN '612 paragraph 0007), and an optical coupler 9 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0007, 0028, 0035), all elements recited in claim 7. CN '612 discloses the temperature monitoring device disclosed has a simple structure, low cost, small size, and resistance to electromagnetic interference, and can achieve distributed or quasi-distributed temperature monitoring CN '612 paragraph 0006).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have used the temperature monitoring device of CN '612 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0006, 0007, 0028, 0035) in the cooling system 10 include the temperature sensor of Eisenhour (Eisenhour Fig.2, paragraph 0028) for the benefit of its simple structure, low cost, small size, and resistance to electromagnetic interference, and can achieve distributed or quasi-distributed temperature monitoring as taught by CN '612 (CN '612 paragraph 0006). According to the MPEP such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Regarding claim 8 CN '612 also discloses the optical fiber 6 is winding in more than one turns and then fixed one of its ends to the light elimination device 15 (CN '612 Fig. 1, paragraph 0034) recited is claim 8.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Publication 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S.PG Publication 2021/0079281) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Du Bing (CN103134612; cited in the Information Disclosure Statement, IDS, filed 06/30/2023; the English language machine translation filed with the IDS is used here; and hereafter called CN '612) as applied to claim 7, and Tu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2015/0247744)
The discussion of Eisenhour and Jiao as applied to claim 1 and further in view of CN '612 as applied to claim 7 is fully incorporated here, and is relied upon for the limitation of the claim in this section.
Regarding claim 9 CN '612 is silent about the optical fiber is coated with a metal that is resistant to corrosion by the fluorine-containing cooling medium. Tu discloses an optical fiber sensor coated with a metal (Tu Abstract, paragraph 0016) as a protective layer and may be formed by a nickel coating (Tu paragraph 0018). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the optical fiber of CN '612 by the teaching of Tu and to have coated it with a protective metal layer such a nickel coating (Tu paragraph 0018), to protect the optical fiber sensor by providing high temperature resistance metal packaged or metal coated optical fiber to protect from corrosive environment such as the fluorinated cooling compounds of Eisenhour. According to the MPEP such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
Response to Argument
In the response filed on 06/01/2026 applicant traverses the rejection of the claims under 103 over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Publication 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2021/0079281) presented in the previous non-final Office action 03/09/2026.
Regarding the claim objection of claim 6 and 9 presented in the previous non-final Office action applicant argues that the errors in the previous claims have been corrected and that the claims as amended are now clear. Examiner agrees that the amendment of both claim 6 and 9 have removed the ambiguity in the claims. Therefore, as presented above in this Office action the objection to claim 6 and 9 have been withdrawn.
Regarding the rejection of claim 1-6, 10 rejected under 103 over Eisenhour (U.S. PG Pub. 2012/0003510) in view of Jiao et al. (U.S. PG Pub. 2021/00792810) applicant presents the text of claim 1, and briefly discusses the rejection of the claims. As noted in the rejection of claim 1 the refrigerant disclosed by the primary reference of Eisenhour includes a fluorinated hydrocarbon but does not include the fluorinated ether, wherein the refrigerant composition of Eisenhour is modified by the fluorinated ether of the refrigerant of Jiao to arrive at the claimed composition.
Regarding the modification of the coolant of the primary reference of Eisenhour that contains the fluorinated hydrocarbon by the fluorinated ether of Jiao applicant disagrees with the combination of the references and argues that “the Examiner's rationale is based on the remark that Jiao discloses using a halogenated hydrocarbon, which according to the Examiner discloses the claimed use of a fluorinated hydrocarbon, as fluorine is a halogen. However, it is well known, in particular in the domain of chemistry, that disclosure of a genus does not anticipate disclosure of a particular species of the genus” (Remarks page 7-8).
Examiner notes that the primary reference of Eisenhour discloses the fluorinated hydrocarbon (Eisenhour paragraph 0041), but is silent about the fluorinated ether. Therefore, it is modified by the teaching of Jiao et al. who discloses refrigerant including fluorinated ether. Thus, the teaching of the combination of the two references meets the claim limitation of a refrigerant that comprise fluorinated hydrocarbon (Eisenhour paragraph 00410) and a fluorinated ether (Jiao paragraph 0006). Applicant’s argument that the combination is based on the teaching of the secondary reference of Jiao of halogenated hydrocarbon is not persuasive since the primary reference includes fluorinated hydrocarbon (See Office action paragraph 20), and the secondary reference of Jiao is relied upon for its disclosure of the fluorinated ether that is not disclosed by the primary reference of Eisenhour and not for the fluorinated hydrocarbon (See Office action paragraph 20-23). Thus, the combined teaching of Eisenhour and Jiao meets the limitation of the refrigerant that includes both the fluorinated hydrocarbon of Eisenhour (Eisenhour paragraph 0041) and the fluorinated ether of Jiao (Jiao paragraph 0006).
Furthermore, Applicant’s argument “that it is well known, in particular in the domain of chemistry, that disclosure of a genus does not anticipate disclosure of a particular species of the genus” is not persuasive since the rejection is based on an obviousness rationale, and the rejection does not claim anywhere that Jiao anticipated the claimed fluorinated hydrocarbon. As noted above the primary reference of Eisenhour discloses a fluorinated hydrocarbon in the refrigerant (Eisenhour paragraph 0041) and does not require the teaching of halogenated hydrocarbon of Jiao as argued by applicant. It is re-iterated here that Jiao is relied upon for its disclosure of the fluorinated ether and not its disclosure of halogenated hydrocarbon as argued by applicant.
Examiner also notes that the newly added limitation of the antioxidant and the preservative are both disclosed by the secondary reference of Jiao (Jiao paragraph 0006, 0011, 0026) as presented above in this Office action. Therefore, the amendment to claim 1 does not overcome the applied references.
For reason presented in this Office action and in the previous Office action the combined teaching of the applied references of Eisenhour and Jiao et al. meets the claims limitation and renders the claimed invention obvious.
The arguments presented here is also extend to the rejection of the dependent claims as well. This Office action is made non-final since the rejection of claim 1 has been modified by the newly applied reference of Garrait (U.S. 2023/0369680) that was not presented in the previous non-final rejected and is not necessitated by an amendment of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR M KEKIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5918. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00 pm.
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/OMAR M KEKIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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