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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-14, drawn to a method of assembling components of a traction battery by sandwiching the thermal interface material comprising a silicon-based material between a thermal exchange plate and a battery array in the reply filed on 8-24-2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8-24-2026. Applicant's election with traverse of Species 1, claims 1-4 and 8 in the reply filed on 8-24-2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is not a series burden to search all the other method species because each of claims 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13, each depend directly from claim 1 and adds a step. This is not found persuasive because: Species 2 – a species where after the separating step, a step of supporting at least one battery array on a component as claimed in claim 5. The component is not the elected thermal exchange plate claimed claim 2; Species 3 – a species where during the step of applying the thermal interface material to the component, a step of compressing the thermal interface material against a component as claimed in claim 6. The component is not the elected thermal exchange plate claimed claim 2; Species 4 – a species where during the step of dispensing the thermal interface material, a step of forming the material as a bead as claimed in claim 7. The claim depends from claim 1 and not from claim 2; Species 5 – a species where after the step of dispensing the thermal interface material onto a release sheet, a step of heating the release sheet as claimed in claim 9. The claim depends from claim 1 and not from claim 2; Species 6 – a species where after the step of dispensing the thermal interface material, a step of transporting to a position closer to the component by use of a conveyor assembly by gripping peripheral edges of the release sheet than a step of applying as claimed in claims 10-12. The claim depends from claim 1 and not from claim 2; and Species 7 – a species of dispensing a bead of the thermal interface material on a 1st and a 2nd release sheet which are conveyor slats as claimed in claims 13-14. The claim depends from claim 1 and not from claim 2. As can be seen there are many different method steps that can assemble the different components of the battery. Therefore, it would be a burden to search all the different method steps.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 5-7 and 9-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 8-24-2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 is rejected because it is unclear what component the thermal material is applied to. Claim 2 resolves this rejection. Claim 3 is rejected because the claim as written is unclear. The Examiner believes that the method step should cite instead “further comprising, after the separating, placing a battery array ‘component’ on the thermal exchange plate coated with the thermal interface material. Claim 4 is rejected because it is unclear what method step is meant by “communicating a liquid coolant through coolant channels”. The Examiner believes that method step(s) such as “supplying channels comprising a cold plate to the thermal exchange plate to allow for movement (flow) of a liquid coolant through coolant channels”. Claim 8 is rejected because unclear if the silicon material is silicon or not. This makes the claim vague and indefinite.
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) 1-4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai et al. (US 2019/0329367) in combination with of Rhodes et al. (US 2018/0026321). Tsai et al. teaches systems for applying materials to components which comprises a tool which is preferable for transforming a portion of the material from a supply of the material to a component. Tsai et al. teaches in [0045], a die is used to make an imprint in the TIM to be transferred by using a piece of an oversized, resilient material or an oversized die including a core or cavity filled with a resilient material may be used to complete the transfer of the imprinted TIM material. Tsai et al. teaches in [0028], that thermal interface materials are commonly provided as a thermal pad with release liners on both sides of the thermal pad so according to the disclosure teaches a process for applying materials such as thermal interface materials to components, which systems and processes may help reduce failure rate, such as reduced breaking of materials when peeling release liners off. Tsai et al. teaches in [0029], exemplary embodiments of systems and processes for applying thermal interface materials to a wide range of parts, substrates and components such as a heat pipe, a housing, etc. Tsai et al. teaches in [0124-0125], that the thermal interface materials, may include ceramic filled, silicon elastomer, boron nitride filled silicone elastomer, etc. Tsai et al. discloses the claimed invention teaching broadly, the three method steps claimed in claim 1 and also supplies TIM silicon possibilities, but does not specifically teach that the dispensing of the TIM material is for components of a traction battery. Rhodes et al. teaches a battery thermal interface material installation assembly and method comprising moving a material through a conduit to a cavity within a battery array. The conduit is at least partially provided by a thermal exchange plate of the battery array and further includes holding the material within the cavity to provide a thermal interface material between the thermal exchange plate and at least one battery cell assembly. Rhodes et al. teaches in [0003 and 0049], that battery packs circulate of coolant through a thermal exchange plate which carries the thermal energy away from the battery pack to reduce thermal energy levels. Rhodes et al. teaches in 0050-0051], that the TIM is sandwiched between the battery cell assemblies and the thermal exchange plate and in one nonlimiting embodiment, the TIM is a silicon-based material.Rhodes et al. teaches TIM between battery cells and thermal exchange plates and discloses coolant channels in the thermal exchange plate. Rhodes et al. discloses the components of a traction battery comprising a thermal exchange plate such as a cold plate and supplies silicon possibilities. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the transfer process of Tsai et al. to dispense the thermal interface material onto the thermal exchange plate component of Rhodes et al. because Tsai et al. supplies the transfer process of the silicon TIM materials and Rhodes et al. discloses silicon TIM between the battery cells and thermal exchange plate and discloses coolant channels in the thermal exchange plate
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/LAURA S. WEINER/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/Laura Weiner/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
