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 .
Summary
This is the response to the Amendment/Request for Reconsideration filed on 08/13/2026.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 remain pending in the application.
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) 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260).
Addressing claims 1 and 20, Fuhr discloses a rechargeable energy storage system (figs. 5-6), comprising:
a cell holder tray 42 including a plurality of vent passages 52 each aligned with a corresponding one of a plurality of threaded features (mating thread feature in the socket 44 of tray 42 described in paragraph [0081], which aligns with the vent passage 52 as shown in fig. 9), wherein the cell holder tray includes an upper tray portion including the plurality of vent passages 52 and the plurality of threated features (see annotated fig. 10 below) and a lower tray portion forming air vent channel 50 [0054] in communication with the plurality of vent passages and the air vent channel 50 is directly below the plurality of vent passages (fig. 10); and
a plurality of battery cells 24 each threadedly joined to a respective one of the plurality of threaded features of the cell holder tray ([0081], fig. 31).
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Fuhr is silent regarding the lower tray portion includes a plurality of vent channels that are isolated from one another by walls therebetween that extend from a bottom of the lower tray portion to a lower surface of the upper tray portion.
Yasui discloses a rechargeable energy storage system comprising a plurality of batteries positioned within a cell holder tray including a plurality of vent passages 36 (fig. 6). The cell holder includes a first tray portion 30 including the plurality of vent passages 36 and a second tray portion (23+21) forming a plurality of vent channels 20 that are isolated from one another by walls (partitions 152, figs. 2 and 10, [0076]) therebetween that extend from the upper surface of the first tray portion to the lower surface of the second tray portion (fig. 1). The plurality of vent channels 20 are directly and fluidically connected to a respective row of the plurality of vent passages (figs. 2 and 10).
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the rechargeable energy storage system of Fuhr with the partition walls forming vent channels that are isolated from one another with the partition walls extending from the bottom layer of the lower tray portion to a lower surface of the upper tray portion so that the plurality of vent channels are directly below a respective row of the plurality of vent passages as disclosed by Yasui in order to release the gas generated from the battery cells, prevent the exhausted gas from returning to the battery cells section and improve the safety of the battery module (Kozu, [0087-0088]).
Addressing claim 2, paragraph [0081] of Fuhr discloses the threaded features 128 is formed on the housing 25 of the battery cell, which satisfies the limitation an outer shell 25 that is integrally threaded.
Addressing claim 9, paragraph [0081] of Fuhr discloses the mating thread feature in the socket 44 of the tray 42, which satisfies the limitation the plurality of threaded features of the cell holder tray are integrally formed with the cell holder tray because the mating thread feature is formed in the socket 44 of the tray 42.
Addressing claim 11, Fuhr discloses in paragraph [0048] that the tray 42, which includes the sockets 44 and the corresponding threaded features, is made of polymeric material which satisfies the claimed plastic material.
Addressing claims 17-18, the limitations of current claims are drawn to the process of forming the threaded features in the cell holder tray that do not structurally differentiate the claimed threaded features from those of the prior art (see MPEP 2113 Product-by-Process Claims).
Claim(s) 3-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260) as applied to claims 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 above, and further in view of Goerzen (DE102021207360 with provided machine English translation).
Addressing claims 3-8, Fuhr is silent regarding the limitations of current claims.
Goerzen discloses fastening a plurality of battery cells to a holder 110 via threaded engagement (fig. 12); wherein, the battery cells have threaded sleeve (adapter 60a) made of plastic or metal [0022] for engaging the battery cells with the holder 110.
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the battery cells of Fuhr with the known adapters made of plastic or metal as disclosed by Goerzen in order to obtain the predictable result of fastening the battery cells to the holder via threaded engagement (Rationale B, KSR decision, MPEP 2143). The adapter of Georzen corresponds to the claimed threaded sleeve of claims 3-5 and 8, the plastic shell of claim 6 and the metal shell of claim 7.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260) as applied to claims 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 above, and further in view of Kobayashi (US 2010/0196751).
Addressing claim 7, Fuhr discloses the casing 25 as the structural equivalence to the claimed shell; however, Fuhr is silent regarding the claimed metal shell.
Kobayashi discloses battery cell comprises an outer shell that has engagement features 34 for mating with a corresponding engagement features in the holding plate 22A (figs. 3-4); wherein, the outer shell is made of metal [0043].
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the battery cells of Fuhr with the known metallic material disclosed by Kobayashi in order to obtain the predictable result of forming engagement features for securing the battery cell to the corresponding holding plate (Rationale B, KSR decision, MPEP 2143) and reduce the weight of the battery assembly (Kobayashi, [0043]).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260) as applied to claims 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2024/0322292).
Addressing claim 12, Fuhr is silent regarding the threaded features of the cell holder tray are formed from metal.
Kim discloses the battery cells holders 30 and 40 are made of metal material [0064].
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the cells holder of Fuhr with the metallic material disclosed by Kim in order to minimize the battery system from being broken or damaged by an external impact (Kim, [0064]). In the modified holder tray of Kim, the threaded features are also made of metallic material because the threaded features are formed in the sockets 44 of the holder tray that is made of metal.
Claim(s) 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260) as applied to claims 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 above, and further in view of Tamegger et al. (DE102014106056 with provided machine English translation).
Addressing claims 13-16, Fuhr is silent regarding the claimed ring-shaped insert with interior surface having the plurality of threaded features.
Tamegger discloses ring-shaped insert 292 having interior surface comprising threaded features 278 for receiving a corresponding structure having external threaded features (fig. 42).
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the storage system of Fuhr with the known ring-shaped inserts having threaded surface as disclosed by Tamegger in order to obtain the predictable result of threadedly engaging the battery cells having threaded external surface to a corresponding hole having the threaded insert (Rationale B, KSR decision, MPEP 2143). The limitations of claims 14-16 are drawn to the methods of inserting the ring-shaped insert into the cell holder tray that do not structurally differentiate the claimed storage system from that of the prior art (See MPEP 2113).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuhr et al. (US 2011/0135975) in view of Yasui et al. (US 2012/0021260) as applied to claims 1-2, 9, 11, 17-18 and 20 above, and further in view of Schaar et al. (US 2020/0365932).
Addressing claim 19, Fuhr is silent regarding the claimed materials of the cell holder tray.
Schaar discloses the cell mount 16, which corresponds to the claimed cell holder tray, is made of ABS or PP [0026].
At the time of the effective filing date of the invention, one with ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the cell holder tray of Fuhr with the known ABS or PP material disclosed by Schaar in order to obtain the predictable result of forming a cell holder tray for holding battery cells in the desired position with light weight construction (Rationale B, KSR decision, MPEP 2143).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 and 11-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the 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.
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/BACH T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726 09/15/2026
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