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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (WO 2022/110482 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches a charging and swapping system for a detachable battery pack (Fig. 1), comprising: a battery pack (2), comprising a housing and a battery cell disposed in the housing (as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, the battery pack 2 includes a housing that contains the battery components and cells); and a support plate (battery compartment 3 or trolley 4) connected with the battery pack through a detachable connection, the support plate being disconnected from the battery pack when the battery pack is to be replaced on a vehicle (1) or when charging of the battery pack at a charging station (charging stand 10) is completed (see at least the abstract and pages 9-11 of the attached translation).
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein one of the housing (the housing of battery pack 2) and the support plate comprises a groove (connecting groove 203), the other one of the housing and the support plate (4) comprises a protrusion (key 406a), and the protrusion is engaged with the groove (key 406a engages connecting groove 203, see Figs. 2 & 8).
Regarding claim 3, Chen teaches the system according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion or the groove are configured to be an elongated (the key 406a and connecting groove 203 are elongated in a rectangular shape, see Figs. 2 & 8) or cross shape.
Regarding claim 4, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding guide rail disposed on the housing (rollers 202 are arranged as a sliding guide rail on the housing of the battery pack 2, see Fig. 3), wherein the support plate (3 or 4) comprises a protruding portion (rail 303 or frame track 404 that protrudes, see Figs. 5, 7 & 8), the protruding portion is engaged with the sliding guide rail and configured to slide in or out of the sliding guide rail (the rail 303 or the frame track 404 engages the rollers 202, so the battery pack 2 can slide in or out of battery compartment 3 or trolley 4), and the support plate slides in or out of the sliding guide rail through the protruding portion (the battery compartment 3 or trolley 4 slides in or out of the rollers 202 through the frame rail 303 or track 404).
Regarding claim 5, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the support plate is provided with a limiting groove (the surface of translation block 406, adjacent to key 406a, can be considered a limiting groove), and an edge of the housing is provided with a flange engaged with the limiting groove (the edges of the connecting groove 203 can be considered a flange and engage with the translation block 406 when the key 406a is within the connecting groove 203).
Regarding claim 8, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein each of the housing and the support plate comprises a threaded hole (threaded hole 205 and screw frame 7), and the housing and the support plate are detachably connected through a bolt (screws 6) in the threaded hole (see Figs. 3, 5 & 6).
Regarding claim 9, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack (2) is mounted on the vehicle (1), and the support plate is a chassis or a floor (battery compartment 3 is part of a chassis or floor of the vehicle 1, see Fig. 1); or, when the battery pack (2) is placed on a charging base (9a) of the charging station (10), the support plate is a part of the charging base (see 1).
Regarding claim 10, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate (battery compartment 3) comprises at least one of a cooling plate, a protection plate (the housing of the battery compartment 3 serves as a protection plate, see Figs. 1 & 5), or a thermal insulation plate (the housing of the enclosed battery compartment 3 will provide some thermal insulation), or the support plate integrates functions of at least two of a cooling plate, a protection plate, or a thermal insulation plate.
Regarding claim 11, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, further comprising a charging device (charging pile 5) electrically connected to the battery pack (2) when the battery pack is charged at the charging station (10).
Regarding claim 12, Chen teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein: when the support plate (battery compartment 3) is placed on the vehicle (1), the support plate is detachably connected to the battery pack (2) for disconnecting the battery pack from the vehicle (1) or for installing a second battery pack (another of the battery packs 2) on the vehicle (1); and when the support plate (trolley 4) is placed on the charging station (10), the support plate (4) is detachably connected to the battery pack (2) for installing the battery pack on the charging station (10) or for disconnecting the second battery pack (another of the battery packs 2) from the charging station (10).
Regarding claim 13, Chen teaches a vehicle (1) comprising a charging and swapping system for a detachable battery pack (2), wherein the charging and swapping system comprises: a battery pack (2), comprising a housing and a battery cell disposed in the housing (as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, the battery pack 2 includes a housing that contains the battery components and cells); and a support plate (battery compartment 3 or trolley 4) connected with the battery pack through a detachable connection, the support plate (3 or 4) being disconnected from the battery pack (2) when the battery pack is to be replaced on a vehicle (1) or when charging of the battery pack (2) at a charging station (10) is completed (see at least the abstract and pages 9-11 of the attached translation).
Regarding claim 14, Chen teaches the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein one of the housing (the housing of battery pack 2) and the support plate comprises a groove (connecting groove 203), the other one of the housing and the support plate (4) comprises a protrusion (key 406a), and the protrusion is engaged with the groove (key 406a engages connecting groove 203, see Figs. 2 & 8).
Regarding claim 15, Chen teaches the vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the protrusion or the groove are configured to be an elongated (the key 406a and connecting groove 203 are elongated in a rectangular shape, see Figs. 2 & 8) or cross shape.
Regarding claim 16, Chen teaches the vehicle according to claim 13, further comprises a sliding guide rail disposed on the housing (rollers 202 are arranged as a sliding guide rail on the housing of the battery pack 2, see Fig. 3), wherein the support plate (3 or 4) comprises a protruding portion (rail 303 or frame track 404 that protrudes, see Figs. 5, 7 & 8), the protruding portion is engaged with the sliding guide rail and configured to slide in or out of the sliding guide rail (the rail 303 or the frame track 404 engages the rollers 202, so the battery pack 2 can slide in or out of battery compartment 3 or trolley 4), and the support plate slides in or out of the sliding guide rail through the protruding portion (the battery compartment 3 or trolley 4 slides in or out of the rollers 202 through the frame rail 303 or track 404).
Regarding claim 17, Chen teaches the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein an edge of the support plate is provided with a limiting groove (the surface of translation block 406, adjacent to key 406a, can be considered a limiting groove), and an edge of the housing is provided with a flange engaged with the limiting groove (the edges of the connecting groove 203 can be considered a flange and engage with the translation block 406 when the key 406a is within the connecting groove 203).
Regarding claim 20, Chen teaches the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein each of the housing and the support plate comprises a threaded hole (threaded hole 205 and screw frame 7), and the housing and the support plate are detachably connected through a bolt (screws 6) in the threaded hole (see Figs. 3, 5 & 6).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 6, 7, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (WO 2022/110482 A1) in view of Bar et al (DE 10 2017 221 538 A1).
The teachings of Chen, as applied to claims 1 and 13, have been discussed above.
Chen does not teach (re claims 6 and 18) wherein the support plate and the battery pack are connected by a detachable adhesive; (re claims 7 and 19) wherein the battery pack and the support plate are separated by heating the detachable adhesive over a threshold temperature.
Bar et al teaches that a battery pack (traction battery 3) may be attached to a vehicle (frame structure 5) with a detachable adhesive, where the battery pack (3) is separated by heating the adhesive over a threshold temperature (see Fig. 2 and the last three paragraphs on page 3 through the first paragraph on page 4 of the attached translation).
In view of the teachings of Bar et al, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to include with the system and vehicle of Chen, (re claims 6 and 18) wherein the support plate and the battery pack are connected by a detachable adhesive; (re claims 7 and 19) wherein the battery pack and the support plate are separated by heating the detachable adhesive over a threshold temperature, since the use of adhesive would provide a more secure connection of the battery to the battery compartment of the vehicle. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date would recognize that the use of adhesive would be an alternative to the use of other fasteners, such as the bolts used by Chen. Thus, the use of adhesive represents the selection of one of a limited number of known options to fasten the battery pack to the vehicle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the additional references cited on the attached PTO-892, which are related to electric vehicle battery swapping systems or electric vehicle battery cooling.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jared Fureman whose telephone number is (571)272-2391. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JARED FUREMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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