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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (CN 113571833; English translation relied upon, translation obtained from Espacenet) in view of Peter et al. (DE 102009050878; English translation relied upon, translation obtained from Espacenet) and Woo et al. (US 2022/0263058).
Regarding Claim 1, Sun meets the claimed,
A battery drying device ([n0008] teaches a dehumidifiying explosion-proof valve) comprising: a membrane disposed external to a battery housing of a battery ([n0051] and Figs. 1 and 2 teach membrane 412 which is external to housing 1 and attached to vent 411), and configured to prevent liquid water from passing through the membrane and to allow gaseous water to pass through the membrane ([n0051] teaches that membrane 412 is waterproof and allows gas to pass); a moisture adsorber disposed external to the battery housing and downstream from the membrane ([n0042] and Fig. 1 teach dehumidification component 42. [n0044] teaches that component 42 dehumidifies using magnesium chloride which adsorbs water), and configured to absorb moisture in the gaseous water ([n0043] teaches that dehumidification component 42 adsorbs water vapor); an adjustable connection valve disposed adjacent to the battery housing and downstream from the moisture adsorber ([n0042] teaches a regeneration sealing valve 43 that is downstream from the moisture adsorber and adjacent to the battery housing), and configured to: in a regular operation mode, be open and allow air from which the moisture is absorbed by the moisture adsorber into the battery housing ([n0056] teaches that regeneration sealing valve 43 can allow air to enter the battery housing); and in a regeneration mode, be closed ([n0043] teaches that regeneration sealing valve 43 can close);
Sun does not teach an adjustable regeneration valve nor does it teach an electrically operated pump.
Peter is analogous as it teaches a battery housing with a dehumidifying element arranged outside of it.
Peter meets the claimed,
[…] an adjustable regeneration valve interposed between the membrane and the moisture adsorber and configured to: in the regeneration mode, be open and allow air between the membrane and the moisture adsorber to be released into an environment external to the battery housing; and in the regular operation mode, be closed position ([0030] teaches adding a valve through a separate opening on the third layer — which is between the first layer, a membrane, and the second layer, the adsorbing material — in order to control the removal of water vapor heated through a heating element);
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have another valve in order to better control the release of gaseous water.
Sun/Peter does not teach an electric pump.
Woo is analogous as it teaches a battery drying apparatus for the purposes of drying a battery.
Woo meets the claimed,
[…] and an electrically operated pump interposed between the moisture adsorber and the adjustable connection valve, and configured to: in the regeneration mode, generate a drying air flow for the moisture adsorber; and in the regular operation mode, be switched off ( [0040] and Fig. 2 teach fan module 40 which sucks air in through injecting line 30 and shunts it out through exhausting line 70).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to add an air intake duct with a fan and an air outtake duct as taught by Woo to the battery drying device as taught by Sun/Peter in order to obtain a sufficient amount of drying in a shorter amount of time; see Woo [0052].
Regarding Claim 2, Sun meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating device integrated into the moisture adsorber, and configured to: in the regeneration mode, heat the moisture adsorber so that the moisture is released from the moisture adsorber into the air between the membrane and the moisture adsorber; and in the regular operation mode, be switched off ([n0026] teaches a heating element that heats the dehumidification element).
Regarding Claim 3, Sun meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 1, further comprising a drying housing disposed external to the battery housing ([n0009] teaches that the housing is external to the battery pack body), and comprising an inlet opening at which the membrane is disposed ([n0051] teaches that a membrane is provided on vent 411).
Regarding Claim 4, Sun meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 3, wherein the drying house further comprises a connection opening at which the moisture adsorber is disposed ([n0029] and Fig. 1 teach a moisture adsorber that is disposed at a connection opening).
Regarding Claim 5, Sun does not teach a regeneration opening.
Peter is analogous as it teaches a battery housing with a dehumidifying element arranged outside of it.
Peter meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 4, wherein the drying housing further comprises a regeneration opening interposed between the inlet opening and the connection opening and at which the adjustable regeneration valve is disposed ([0030] teaches the use of a valve through a separate opening in order to control the removal of water vapor heated through a heating element).
The examiner finds that Sun/Peter/Woo differs from the claim only in the combination of the use of a valve through a separate opening as taught by Peter. The examiner finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The examiner notes that one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the use of a valve through a separate opening with the battery drying device as taught by Sun because it yields the predictable result of controlling the flow of water vapor from the housing (See Peter [0030]).
Regarding Claim 9, Sun meets the claimed,
A battery comprising the battery drying device according to claim 1 ([n0006]-[n0008] teaches the usage of a dehumidifying explosion-proof valve with a battery pack).
Regarding Claim 10, Sun meets the claimed,
A vehicle comprising the battery according to claim 9 ([n0002] teaches the battery pack is used in an electric vehicle).
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (CN 113571833; English translation relied upon, translation obtained from Espacenet) in view of Peter et al. (DE 102009050878; English translation relied upon, translation obtained from Espacenet) and Woo et al. (US 2022/0263058), and further in view of Hofler et al. (US 2014/0165420).
Regarding Claim 6, Sun/Peter do not teach a separate ventilation opening.
Woo is analogous as it teaches a battery drying apparatus for the purposes of drying a battery.
Woo meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 5, wherein the drying housing further comprises a ventilation opening ([0040] and Fig. 2 teach fan module 40 which sucks air in through injecting line 30 and shunts it out through exhausting line 70),
The examiner finds that Sun/Peter/Woo differs from the claim only in the combination of the use of a separate ventilation opening. The examiner finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The examiner notes that one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the use of a separate ventilation opening as taught by Woo because it yields the predictable result of expelling the air inside the housing (see Woo [0022]).
Sun/Peter/Woo does not teach the ventilation opening and the regeneration opening being on opposite ends.
Hofler is analogous as it teaches drying the insides of a housing and carrying the moisture-laden water out of the housing.
Hofler meets the claimed,
[…] the ventilation opening and the regeneration opening respectively being arranged on opposite sides of the moisture adsorber ([0035] and Fig. 1 teach the intake and outtake vents being on opposite sides of the drying apparatus).
The courts have held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application (See MPEP 2143(I)).
The examiner finds that Sun/Peter/Woo differs from the claim only in the combination of the ventilation opening and the regeneration opening being on opposite ends as taught by Hofler. The examiner finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The examiner notes that one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the locations of the ventilation opening and the regeneration opening being on either sides as taught by Hofler with the battery drying device as taught by Sun/Peter/Woo because it yields the predictable result of creating air flow through a housing using air from an external source (See Hofler [0035]).
Regarding Claim 7, Sun/Peter/Woo/Hofler does not specifically teach a valve being disposed in the ventilation opening. However, Sun does teach the use of valves for controlling air flow through a battery drying device.
As such, Sun meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 6, wherein the battery drying device further comprises an adjustable ventilation valve disposed adjacent to the ventilation opening, and configured to: in the regeneration mode, be open and allow air from the environment into the ventilation opening; and in the regular operation mode, be closed ([n0056] teaches that regeneration sealing valve 43 can allow air to enter the battery housing).
The examiner finds that Sun/Peter/Woo differs from the claim only in the combination of a valve as taught by Sun. The examiner finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The examiner notes that one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the usage of a valve as taught by Sun with the battery drying device as taught by Sun/Peter/Woo because it yields the predictable result of controlling air entering and leaving the battery drying device (See Sun [n0025]).
Regarding Claim 8, Sun/Peter does not teach an electrically operated pump downstream from a ventilation opening.
Woo is analogous as it teaches a battery drying apparatus for the purposes of drying a battery.
Woo meets the claimed,
The battery drying device according to claim 6, wherein the electrically operated pump is disposed downstream from the ventilation opening, and is further configured to draw the air allowed into the ventilation opening ([0040] and Fig. 2 teach fan module 40 which sucks air in through injecting line 30 and shunts it out through exhausting line 70).
The modification of Sun/Peter with Woo above in Claim 6 meets the claim where Woo teaches a fan 42 downstream of injecting line 30 in Fig. 2.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW Y. HO whose telephone number is (571)842-1342. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 - 6:00, Mon - Thurs.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao S. Zhao can be reached at (571) 270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.Y.H./ Examiner, Art Unit 1744
/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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