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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-3 and 5-9 are currently pending.
Claims 1-2 have been amended.
Claim 4 has been canceled
Claims 5-9 have been newly added.
Status of Amendment
The amendment filed on 8/21/2026 has been fully considered, but does not place the application in condition for allowance.
This Action has been made final.
Status of Rejections Pending since the Office Action of 21 May 2026
All objections from the previous Office Action are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
All rejections from the previous Office Action are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment. However, new grounds of rejection have been set forth below as necessitated by Applicant’s argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 6 is 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 6, the claim recites the limitation “the surface on which the adhesive layer is formed is adhered to a bottom surface of the battery cell” in lines 2-3. This limitation contradicts the limitation in claim 1, lines 4-5, stating “wherein the battery cell and the heat dissipation sheet are in contact with each other in an interface separable manner”, since the heat dissipation sheet and the battery cannot both be adhered together and be in contact in an interface separable manner. Thus, the limitation in claim 6 is indefinite. However, for examination purposes, examiner has interpreted this claim as what is stated in case there is a way that they are able to be both separable and adhesively bonded.
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) 1, 3, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn (US20200313253A1) in view of Yao et al. (US20210122952A1), hereinafter Yao.
Regarding claim 1, Ahn teaches a battery unit comprising a battery cell (Fig. 5, 100), a heat dissipation sheet (Fig. 5, 400, see figure below), a heat dissipation member (Fig. 5, 400, see figure below), and a cooler in this order so as to be in contact with each other (Fig. 5, 300),
wherein the resin heat dissipation member is bonded to the heat dissipation sheet and the cooler (Col. 2, lines 23-26). Ahn also teaches that the heat dissipation sheet contains resin.
Ahn does not specifically teach that the resin heat dissipation member is cured resin and that the battery cell and the heat dissipation sheet are in contact with each other in an interface separable manner,
wherein the heat dissipation sheet is flexible and freely deformable by a compressive load,
wherein the thermal conductivity of the heat dissipation sheet is 0.8W/m-K or more, and
wherein the Asker C hardness of the heat dissipation sheet is 0 or more.
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However, Yao teaches a battery assembly that includes a heat dissipation member to fill in gaps [0009]. Yao also teaches that the resin heat dissipation member and sheet is cured resin [0011].
Therefore, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date to modify the Ahn battery unit so that the resin heat dissipation member and sheet are cured resin, as stated in Yao. This is because Ahn states that the heat dissipation member can be made out of a resin material (Ahn Col. 4, lines 63-67) and Yao’s cured resin material provides better compatibility with various thermally conductive fillers and they provide superior adhesion to aluminum and steel substrates (Yao et al. [0011]).
In addition, modified Ahn by Yao teaches that the cured resin can be an epoxy resin (Yao [0011]). The instant specification teaches that the properties for the heat dissipation sheet include that it is interface separable with the battery cell [0044], it is flexible and freely deformable [0022], the thermal conductivity of the heat dissipation sheet is 0.8W/m-K or more [0027], and the Asker C hardness is 0 or more [0028]. The instant specification also teaches that the heat dissipation sheet is made out of epoxy resin [0023]. Therefore, it would be expected that the heat dissipation sheet of Ahn modified Yao share the same properties.
Regarding claim 3, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, comprising a wall portion on a surface of the cooler (Ahn Fig. 5, 200) and on a part or all of an outer periphery of the cured resin heat dissipation member (Ahn Fig. 5, 200).
Regarding claim 8, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, wherein a material of the cured resin heat dissipation member is the same as a material of the heat dissipation sheet (Ahn Fig. 5, 400; Col 4, lines 47-49). The heat dissipation member and the sheet are both the thermal interface material.
Regarding claim 9, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation sheet and the cured resin heat dissipation member comprise filler which is an insulating inorganic compound (Yao et al. [0079]).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Yao et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gallagher et al. (DE 102020121499 A1) (Original document and English translation attached for citations).
Regarding claim 2, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, but does not specifically teach the heat dissipation sheet being partially embedded in the cured resin heat dissipation member, and at least a part of a side surface of the heat dissipation sheet being restrained by the cured resin heat dissipation member.
Gallagher et al. teaches a battery cell (Fig. 3, 20), a heat dissipation sheet (Fig. 3, 56), a cured resin heat dissipation member (Fig. 3, 58), and a cooler (Fig. 3, 54). Gallagher also discloses that the heat dissipation sheet (Fig. 3, 56) is partially embedded in the cured resin heat dissipation member (Fig. 3, 58), and at least a part of a side surface of the heat dissipation sheet is restrained by the cured resin heat dissipation member (Fig. 3, 58, 56).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the modified Ahn battery unit in order to embed the heat dissipation sheet into the cured resin heat dissipation member because this modification will make it so that heat dissipation sheet can be protected from some of the aggressive media in the battery, such as battery fluid, while at the same time ensuring good heat transfer between the heat dissipation sheet and the cooler (Gallagher et al. [0022]).
Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Yao et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choi et al. (US 20180331336 A1), hereinafter Choi.
Regarding claim 5, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, but does not specifically teach that an adhesive layer having thermal conductivity is formed on one or both surfaces of the heat dissipation sheet.
Choi teaches a battery unit containing a secondary battery (Fig. 7, 100) and a heat dissipation sheet (Fig. 7, 200). Choi also teaches that an adhesive layer having thermal conductivity is formed on one or both surfaces of the heat dissipation sheet [0076].
Therefore, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date to further modify the modified Ahn battery unit to include an adhesive layer on the surface of the heat dissipation sheet because if impact or vibration is applied to the battery module, the base layer T1 may at least partially absorb the impact or vibration, thereby reducing breakage of the secondary battery (Choi et al. [0081]).
Regarding claim 6, further modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 5, wherein the adhesive layer is formed only on one surface of the heat dissipation sheet, and the surface on which the adhesive layer is formed is adhered to a bottom surface of the battery cell (Fig. 7, adhesive tape T, [0076]).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Yao et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kimura (US 20220282933 A1).
Regarding claim 7, modified Ahn teaches the battery unit according to claim 1, but does not specifically teach that a surface in contact with the cured resin heat dissipation member of the heat dissipation sheet is roughened.
Kimura teaches a battery unit containing a resin that connects to a metal portion [0092]. Kimura also teaches that a surface in contact with the resin member is roughened [0092].
Therefore, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date to further modify the modified Ahn battery to make a surface in contact with the cured resin heat dissipation member is roughened so that the surface and the resin portion can be joined tightly by an anchor effect (Kimura [0092]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 8/21/2026, with respect to claims 1-3 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of 5/21/2026 have been withdrawn. However, new grounds of rejection have been set forth above as necessitated by Applicant’s 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 YVONNE WEI whose telephone number is (571)270-0870. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5pm, Friday 7:30am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at (571) 272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YVONNE WEI/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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