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 .
Summary
This is the response to the Amendment/Request for Reconsideration filed on 07/29/2026.
Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application with claims 1-11 are withdrawn from consideration.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 12-13, 15 and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (US 217114534 with provided machine English translation) in view of Zhang (CN208706726 with provided machine English translation).
Addressing claims 12 and 18, Cheng discloses a battery pack [n0001], comprising:
a plurality of battery cells 1;
a plurality of ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductors 5 (figs. 1-2, [n0037]) disposed between and wrapped around at least a portion of respective ones of the plurality of battery cells (fig. 1), wherein each of the plurality of ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductors has a serpentine shape passing between each adjacent battery cell within a row (fig. 1); and
a coolant source connected to the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductors (paragraph [n0040] discloses inlets through which the coolant is introduced, which implies the existence of a coolant source that supplies coolant to the inlets).
Cheng discloses the battery pack is used in an electric vehicles [n0002], which implies the existence of a housing within which the plurality of battery cells are positioned. However, Cheng is silent regarding a housing within which the plurality of battery cells are positioned.
Zhang discloses a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells that are covered by serpentine bent tubes situated between adjacent battery cells in a row in order to dissipate heat generated by the battery cells (figs. 1-2) similarly to the arrangement of Cheng. Cheng further discloses a housing (the combination of the upper bracket 1 and the lower bracket 2 shown in fig. 1).
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the battery pack of Cheng with the housing disclosed by Zhang in order to improve vibration resistance and prevent displacement of the battery cells (Zhang, [0035]).
Addressing claims 13 and 19, Cheng discloses in paragraph [n0034] the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor includes a plurality of spaced passages 31 and 32 therethrough.
Addressing claim 15, fig. 1 of Cheng shows the ribbon-shaped hollow conductor has a height that is situated on the upper half of the battery cells, which corresponds to a height of between 50-100 percent of a height of the battery cell as claimed.
Claim(s) 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hermann (US 2010/0104938) in view of Cai (CN205960157 with provided machine English translation).
Addressing claims 12 and 18, Hermann discloses in figs. 2 and 7-8 a battery pack 701, comprising:
a housing (implicitly disclosed);
a plurality of battery cells 201 (fig. 2) in the housing;
a ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor 101 (figs. 1 and 3-6, coolant channel containing portion 101 is made of copper [0026]) disposed between at least one adjacent group of the plurality of battery cells (fig. 2, as required by claim 12) or a plurality of ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductors (figs. 1 and 3-6) wrapped around at least a portion of respective ones of the plurality of batter cells (fig. 2); and
a coolant source (radiator 703 in fig. 7, or thermal management system 803 in fig. 8) connected to the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductors (figs. 7-8).
Hermann is silent regarding the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor has serpentine shape passing between each adjacent battery cell within a row as claimed.
Cai discloses a battery pack comprising ribbon-shaped hollow conductor (fig. 3) having a serpentine shape passing between each adjacent battery cell within a row (fig. 1).
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the battery pack of Hermann with by configuring the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor to have serpentine shape passing between each adjacent battery cell within a row as disclosed by Cai in order to increase the contact area between the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor and the battery cells by placing the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor closer to the center of the battery that is conducive to reduce the internal temperature of the battery and to improve the heat dissipation performance of the electric vehicle battery (Cai, [0035]).
Addressing claims 13 and 19, figs. 3-6 show the ribbon shaped hollow copper conductor includes a plurality of spaced passages 301 therethrough.
Addressing claims 14 and 20, figs. 7-8 show the coolant source includes a liquid coolant that is pumped (via pump 705) through the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor.
Addressing claim 15, paragraph [0022] discloses the optimal height of the assembly is at least 75% of the overall height of the cell, which falls within the claimed range.
Addressing claim 16-17, paragraph [0009] disclose thicknesses of the layers of the ribbon-shaped hollow copper conductor that fall within the claimed range.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 12-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 BACH T DINH whose telephone number is (571)270-5118. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Friday 8:00 - 4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Barton can be reached at (571)-272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BACH T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726 08/07/2026
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