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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6, 8-13 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Niedzwiecki (US 2013/0095360 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 6 & 16, Niedziecki teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising: a cell holder tray (202) including a plurality of snap-fit battery interlocking features (204); and a plurality of prismatic battery cells (200) each joined to a respective one of the battery interlocking features of the cell holder tray (figs. 4-5; [0032]).
Regarding claim 2, Niedziecki teaches the battery interlocking features including protrusions (210) to guide the cell into their positions on the cell holder and have mechanical interlock features that engage with the cells to mechanically lock them after assembly (figs. 4-5; [0034]).
Regarding claim 4, Niedziecki teaches the plurality of battery interlocking features forming a watertight seal between the plurality of battery cells and the cell holder tray (fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8, Niedziecki teaches the snap fit holding onto a seam (triangular wedge 174) of the plurality of battery cells and pulling them down towards the cell holder tray (figs. 4-5; [0032]).
Regarding claim 9, Niedziecki teaches the plurality of battery interlocking features including at least one of chamfered or stepped wall to guide the plurality of battery cell in their locations (figs. 4-5).
Regarding claim 10, Niedziecki teaches the interlocking features including a deflecting part (i.e flexible members 208) (figs. 4-5; [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding claims 11-13, Niedziecki teaches the interlocking features engaging sides and bottoms of the plurality of battery cells (figs. 4-5).
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-7, 9, 11-13, 15 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho (US 2014/0199573 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 6, 15 & 18, Cho teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising: a cell holder tray including an upper tray (120) and a lower tray (130) each including a plurality of snap-fit battery interlocking features (111+122); and a plurality of cylindrical battery cells (110) each joined to a respective one of the battery interlocking features of the cell holder tray (figs. 1-3; [0037]-[0038]).
Regarding claim 2, Cho teaches the battery interlocking features including protrusions (122 to guide the cell into their positions on the cell holder and have mechanical interlock features that engage with the cells to mechanically lock them after assembly (figs. 1-3; [0037]).
Regarding claim 4, Cho teaches the plurality of battery interlocking features forming a watertight seal between the plurality of battery cells and the cell holder tray (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Cho teaches the cell holder including three snap features around each of the plurality of battery cells (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Cho teaches the plurality of battery interlocking features including at least one of chamfered or stepped wall to guide the plurality of battery cell in their locations (fig. 2).
Regarding claims 11-13, Cho teaches the interlocking features engaging sides and bottoms of the plurality of battery cells (figs. 1-2).
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.
Claims 3, 14, 17 & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2014/0199573 A1) in view of Compton (US 2023/0261300 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Cho teaches the rechargeable energy storage system of claim 1 but is silent as to an adhesive securing the plurality of battery cells to the cell holder tray. Compton teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising a plurality of cylindrical cells (120) arranged between an upper holder tray (182) and a lower holder tray (142), and an adhesive (226+228) securing the plurality of battery cells to each holder tray (fig. 4; [0060]-[0061] & [0075]-[0076]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to provide an adhesive in order to securely attach the plurality of battery cells to each holder tray.
Regarding claim 14, Cho teaches the rechargeable energy storage system of claim 1 but is silent as to the cell holder tray including a plurality of vent channels under the cells. Compton further teaches a plurality of vent channels positioned under the cells (fig. 4; [0060]-[0061], [0064]& [0096]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, provide a plurality of vent channels below the vent passages in order to allow the hot gasses and particles to flow away from the battery cells in thermal runaway and out of the structural battery pack thereby protecting the plurality of battery cells ([0060] & [0096]).
Regarding claim 17, Cho teaches the rechargeable energy storage system of claim 1 but is silent as to the plurality of battery cells being encapsulated in a polymer potting. Compton further teaches the plurality of battery cells being encapsulated by a potting (330) ([0088]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to encapsulate the plurality of battery cells in a polymer potting in view of increasing the stiffness and dampening vibrations as taught by Compton ([0088]). While Compton does not explicitly teach a polymer potting, one of ordinary skill readily understands that polymers are well-known examples of potting material in electronics.
Regarding claim 20, Cho teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising: a cell holder tray including an upper tray (120) and a lower tray (130) each including a plurality of snap-fit battery interlocking features (111+122); and a plurality of cylindrical battery cells (110) each joined to a respective one of the battery interlocking features of the cell holder tray (figs. 1-3; [0037]-[0038]). Cho is silent as to the cell holder tray including a plurality of vent passages through the cell holder tray and the cell holder tray including a plurality of vent channels below the vent passages; and the plurality of battery cells being encapsulated in a polymer potting. Compton teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising a plurality of cylindrical cells (120) arranged between an upper holder tray (182) and a lower holder tray (142), and a plurality of vent channels below the vent passages (152) (fig. 4; [0060]-[0061], [0064] & [0096]). Compton further teaches the plurality of battery cells being encapsulated by a potting (330) ([0088]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to provide a plurality of vent channels below the vent passages in order to allow the hot gasses and particles to flow away from the battery cells in thermal runaway and out of the structural battery pack thereby protecting the plurality of battery cells ([0060] & [0096]). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to encapsulate the plurality of battery cells in a polymer potting in view of increasing the stiffness and dampening vibrations as taught by Compton ([0088]). While Compton does not explicitly teach a polymer potting, one of ordinary skill readily understands that polymers are well-known examples of potting material in electronics.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2014/0199573 A1) in view of Fees (US 2019/0123318 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Cho teaches the rechargeable energy storage system of claim 1 but is silent as to a flame-retardant elastomer sealant between the plurality of battery cell and the cell holder tray. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to provide a flame-retardant elastomer sealant between battery cells and a battery cell holder/compartment in order to block propagation of likely contaminants (e.g., liquids such as water, flames and/or smoke from fires, carbon, electrolyte particles, dust and debris, etc.) from entering into battery module compartments from an external environment and/or from exiting the battery module compartments towards a protected area (e.g., a passenger cabin of an electric vehicle) as taught by Fees ([0038]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2014/0199573 A1) in view of Sugiyama (US 2024/0021941 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Cho teaches the rechargeable energy storage system of claim 18 but is silent as to at least one of the upper tray and the lower tray being made from one of nylon, polycarbonate and polypropylene. Sugiyama teaches a rechargeable energy storage system comprising a plurality of battery cells arranged between upper and lower holder trays made from nylon, polycarbonate and/or polypropylene (fig. 1; [0051]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to form the upper and lower trays from nylon, polycarbonate and/or polypropylene as suitable materials for forming upper and lower trays of a plurality of battery cells in a rechargeable energy storage system. “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MPEP 2144.07 I.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL T ZEMUI whose telephone number is (571)272-4894. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm (EST).
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/NATHANAEL T ZEMUI/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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