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
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.
1. Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao et al (USPN 2014/0193990).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao discloses a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) (a rechargable battery 100, see figure 1, see par. 0031), the RESS comprising:
a housing (a battery housing 104 shown in figure 1) having a plurality of walls (top, bottom, side walls) that define a battery cell receiving zone;
a plurality of battery cells (battery cells 114, see figure 1) arranged in the battery cell receiving zone;
a first electrical connector (a first connector 180) connected to the plurality of battery cells (the battery cells 114) (see figures 3, 5);
a second electrical connector (a second connector 180) connected to the plurality of battery cells (114) (see figure 3, 5, par. 0042);
an electric circuit (a power path formed via the terminals 134, see par. 0003, 0033) defined between the first electrical connector (180), the second electrical connector (180), the plurality of battery cells (114), and an electrical load (components of a vehicle, see par. 0003); and
a fuse (such as a fuse circuit 106, see par. 0024) connected in one of the electric circuit (134), the fuse (106) provided on the housing (the battery housing 104 shown in figure 1) and being configured to create an open in the electric circuit (see figure 8).
Regarding claim 2, Zhao discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 106) is mounted to one of the plurality of walls (such as the fuse circuit 106 is mounted to the top wall of the battery housing 104 shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 3, Zhao discloses wherein the housing (the housing 104) includes a cover (a cover of the battery housing 104 shown in figure 1), the fuse (the fuse circuit 106) being mounted to the cover.
Regarding claim 4, Zhao discloses a battery disconnect unit (108) arranged in the housing (104), the fuse (106) being mounted to the battery disconnect unit (see figure 1).
Regarding claim 5, Zhao discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse 106) includes a base portion (a base portion 120) mounted to the RESS (the battery 114) and an electrical contact portion (contact 138) that is selectively removeable from the base portion (120).
Regarding claim 6, Zhao discloses wherein the fuse (106) includes a handle (154, see figure 2) pivotally mounted to the electrical contact portion (138 see figures 2, 6-8).
Regarding claim 7, discloses Zhao discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 106) includes a latch element (a latch 156) that secures the electrical contact portion (138) to the base portion (see figure 6).
2. Claim 1-5, 8-15, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Borghi et al (USPN 2022/0169125).
Regarding claim 1, Borghi discloses a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) (a rechargable battery 200, see figure 1, 3), the RESS comprising:
a housing (a battery housing 202 shown in figure 4a, 4g) having a plurality of walls (top, bottom, side walls) that define a battery cell receiving zone;
a plurality of battery cells (battery cells 300, see figure 1) arranged in the battery cell receiving zone;
a first electrical connector (a first connector 528B coupled to a positive terminal of the battery module 300) connected to the plurality of battery cells (the battery cells 300) (see figure 7E, par. 0118);
a second electrical connector (a second connector 528A coupled to a negative terminal of the battery module 300) connected to the plurality of battery cells (114) (see par. 0125, see figure 7E);
an electric circuit (electrical conductors of the battery module 300 includes positive and negative terminals coupled the first positive connector 528B of the connection structure 500, see figure 3) defined between the first electrical connector (528B), the second electrical connector (528A), the plurality of battery cells (300), and an electrical load (an inverter driver 122 coupled to a connector 140 of a vehicle, see par. 0055); and
a fuse (such as a fuse circuit 600, see figures 3, 4B, 8) connected in one of the electric circuit (the positive and negative output terminals of the battery module 300, see figure 3), the fuse ( the fuse circuit 600) provided on the housing (the battery housing 1202 shown in figure 4b) and being configured to create an open in the electric circuit (see par. 0135, 0136, and figure 8A).
Regarding claim 5, Borghi discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) includes a base portion the fuse circuit 600 shown in figure 7A, includes a base portion coupled to the busbar 502, also see figure 7D) mounted to the RESS (the battery 200) and an electrical contact portion (622-628) that is selectively removeable from the base portion (the contacts 622-628 removably connected to the base portion of the fuse circuit 600, see figure 7D and par. 0132).
Regarding claim 8, Borghi discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) is a pyro fuse (645, see figure 8A) including a pyro element that selectively creates the open (see par. 0135).
Regarding claim 9, Borghi discloses wherein the pyro element (a pyro fuse 646) is part of the electrical contact portion (622-628).
Regarding claim 10, Borghi discloses wherein the electric circuit (the positive and negative output terminals of the battery module 300 in figure 3) includes a positive portion and a negative, the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) being arranged in the positive portion between the plurality of battery cells (600) and the electrical load (122).
Regarding claim 11, Borghi discloses a vehicle (a vehicle 100, in figure 1) comprising:
a body (such as a body of the vehicle 100 shown in figure 2);
an electric drive unit (122) supported in the body; and
a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) (a battery system 200) electrically connected to the electric drive unit (122, see par. 0050), the RESS comprising:
a housing (a housing 202 of the battery 200, see figure 4G) having a plurality of walls that define a battery cell receiving zone;
a plurality of battery cells (battery cells 300) arranged in the battery cell receiving zone;
a first electrical connector (a first connector 528B coupled to a positive terminal of the battery module 300) connected to the plurality of battery cells (the battery cells 300) (see figure 7E, par. 0118);
a second electrical connector (a second connector 528A coupled to a negative terminal of the battery module 300) connected to the plurality of battery cells (114) (see par. 0125, see figure 7E);
an electric circuit (electrical conductors of the battery module 300 includes positive and negative terminals coupled the first positive connector 528B of the connection structure 500, see figure 3) defined between the first electrical connector (528B), the second electrical connector (528A), the plurality of battery cells (300), and the electric drive unit (the inverter driver 122 coupled to a connector 140 of a vehicle, see par. 0055); and
a fuse (such as a fuse circuit 600, see figures 3, 4B, 8) connected in one of the electric circuit (the positive and negative output terminals of the battery module 300, see figure 3), the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) provided on the housing (the battery housing 1202 shown in figure 4b) and being configured to create an open in the electric circuit (see par. 0135, 0136, and figure 8A).
Regarding claims 2, 12, Borghi discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) is mounted to one of the plurality of walls (see figures 4a, b, e).
Regarding claims 3, 13, Broghi discloses wherein the housing (202) includes a cover (see figures 4g, e), the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) being mounted to the cover.
Regarding claims 4, 14, Borghi discloses a battery disconnect unit (612, see par 0133) arranged in the housing (202, see figure 4E), the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) being mounted to the battery disconnect unit (see figure 8B).
Regarding claims 5, 15, Borghi discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) includes a base portion (a base portion of the fuse circuit 600 show in figures 7a, d) mounted to the RESS (200) and an electrical contact portion (622-628) that is selectively removeable from the base portion.
Regarding claim 18, Borghi discloses wherein the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) is a pyro fuse including a pyro element (a pyro fuse 646) that selectively creates the open.
Regarding claim 19, Borghi discloses wherein the pyro element is part of the electrical contact portion (622-628).
Regarding claim 20, Borghi disclose wherein the electric circuit includes a positive portion and a negative portion (electrical conductors of the battery module 300 includes positive and negative terminals coupled the first positive connector 528B of the connection structure 500, see figure 3), the fuse (the fuse circuit 600) being provided in the positive portion between the plurality of battery cells (300) and the electric drive unit (see figure 3).
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.
3. Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Borghi et al (USPN 2022/0169125) in view of Zhao et al (USPN 2014/0193990).
Regarding claims 16-17, Borghi discloses the fuse (the fuse circuit 600), but does explicitly disclose the fuse includes a handle pivotally mounted to the electrical contact portion and a latch element that secures the electrical contact portion to the base portion as claimed.
Zhao discloses a protection circuit comprises a fuse (a fuse circuit 106) includes a handle (154, see figure 2) pivotally mounted to the electrical contact portion (138 see figures 2, 6-8), and a latch element (a latch 156) that secures the electrical contact portion (138) to the base portion (see figure 6).
It 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 to have modified the fuse of Borghi to incorporate a handle and a latch element as disclosed by Zhao in order to easily provide a service to the battery pack and safety operation.
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-271-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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