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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (KR 20210144378A), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a battery pack comprising:
a battery module accommodating a plurality of battery cells; and ([0037] includes a battery case 10 in which a plurality of battery packs 2 are mounted)
a lower protective cover comprising a lower panel detachably coupled to a lower portion of the battery module and a plurality of buffer parts on one surface of the lower panel. (Fig. 3, [0041] shows a base plate member 11, and [0053] a plurality of reinforcement members 20)
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches the battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the lower panel has a plate shape, and the plurality of buffer parts are on a surface of the lower panel facing the battery module. ([0041] a base plate member 11)
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.
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.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (KR 20210144378A), hereinafter Kim, as applied to the claims 1 and 2, and further in view of Matecki et al., (US 2022/0194199A1), hereinafter Matecki.
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches each buffer part of the plurality of buffer parts:
has a hollow pipe shape. ([0053], Fig. 4-6 shows a plurality of reinforcement members 20, buffer parts 22 and 23 are depicted as hollow shaped members)
Kim does not teach the battery pack wherein each buffer part of the plurality of buffer parts:
extends in a longitudinal direction of the lower panel
Matecki teaches the battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein each buffer part of the plurality of buffer parts:
extends in a longitudinal direction of the lower panel and has a hollow pipe shape. ([0040-0043] Fig. 3 - hollow areas that run longitudinally between the upper and lower panel portions.)
Substituting the lateral orientation of the buffer parts of Kim with the longitudinal orientation of Matecki would yield the predictable result of providing protection from impacts to the bottom plate of the battery pack as the substituted components and their functions were known in the art. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to incorporate the buffer parts into a longitudinal orientation in order to provide protection to the bottom plate of the battery pack.
Regarding claim 4, the teachings of Kim in claim 3 as modified by Matecki are incorporated herein. Kim teaches the battery pack in claim 3, wherein
each buffer part of the plurality of buffer parts comprises a top surface and a bottom surface each being parallel to the lower panel, and left and right side surfaces connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. (Fig. 5 shows 20 reinforcement member with a top surface 44 and bottom surface 42, and left and right side surfaces connecting the top surface to the bottoms surface.)
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., (KR 2021/0144378A), hereinafter Kim, as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, in view of Matecki et al. (US 2022/0194199A1), hereinafter Matecki, as applied to claim 3 and 4 above, and further in view of You (US 2018/0183033A1), hereinafter You.
Regarding claim 5, the teachings of Kim as modified by Matecki in claim 4 above are incorporated herein. Kim as modified by Matecki does not teach:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has an inward concave shape.
You teaches:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has an inward concave shape. (Figs. 4 and 5, [0036] Energy absorbing plate 13 that has a structure where the left and right side surfaces have a concave shape)
Substituting the concave shape of the structure shown in Fig. 5 of You into the hollow buffer parts structure of Kim would yield the predictable results of additional impact protection to the bottom plate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to incorporate the concave side structure into the buffer parts for additional impact protection to the bottom plate.
Regarding claim 6, the teachings of Kim as modified by Matecki in claim 4 above are incorporated herein. Kim does not teach:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has an outward convex shape.
You teaches:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has an outward convex shape. (Figs. 4, 5 [0036] Energy absorbing plate that has a structure where the left and right side surfaces have a convex shape)
Substituting the convex shape of the structure shown in Fig. 5 of You into the hollow buffer parts structure of Kim would yield the predictable results of additional impact protection to the bottom plate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to incorporate the convex side structure into the buffer parts for additional impact protection to the bottom plate.
Regarding claim 7, the teachings of Kim as modified by Matecki in claim 4 above are incorporated herein. Kim does not teach:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions.
You teaches:
The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the left and right side surfaces has a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions. (Figs. 4, [0036] Energy absorbing plate that has a structure where the left and right side surfaces have a plurality of concave and convex shapes)
Substituting the concave and convex shapes of the structure shown in Fig. 5 of You into the hollow buffer parts structure of Kim would yield the predictable results of additional impact protection to the bottom plate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to incorporate the convex and concave side structures into the buffer parts for additional impact protection to the bottom plate.
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Claims 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., (KR 2021/0144378A), hereinafter Kim, as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, in view of Matecki et al. (US 2022/0194199A1), hereinafter Matecki, as applied to claim 3 and 4 above, and in view of You (US 2018/0183033A1), hereinafter You, as applied to claims 5, 6, and 7 above, and further in view of Stephens et al. (US 2020/0398652A1), hereinafter Stephens.
Regarding claims 8, 9, 10, and 14, the teachings of Kim as modified by Matecki and You in the claims above are incorporated herein. Kim does not teach:
a plurality of cooling passages in a lower portion of the battery module, and wherein the cooling passages are between adjacent buffer parts of the plurality of buffer parts.
Stephens teaches:
a plurality of cooling passages in a lower portion of the battery module, and wherein the cooling passages are between adjacent buffer parts of the plurality of buffer parts.
For claims 8, 9, 10, and 14, Stephens (Figs. 3 and 3A and paragraphs [0038-0040]) depicts a tray floor structure with cooling channels 22 on the bottom tray directly below the battery modules. Incorporating the cooling channels shown in Figs. 3 and 3A of Stephens into the tray structure of Kim would yield the predictable results of creating cooling passages between the buffer parts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to incorporate the cooling channel structures into the bottom tray for to create cooling passages between the buffer parts.
Regarding claims 11, 12, 13, and 15, the teachings of Kim as modified by Matecki and You in the claims above are incorporated herein. Kim does not teach:
each cooling passage of the plurality of cooling passages has a size that is not in contact with the lower panel.
Stephens teaches:
each cooling passage of the plurality of cooling passages has a size that is not in contact with the lower panel.
Fig. 3A and paragraph [0046] show an air gap 62 disposed directly between the cooling channel 22 and the lower surface of the floor structure. See the rejection to claims 8-10 and 14 for full details on the combination, incorporated herein but not reiterated herein for brevity’s sake.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mario Gamboa whose telephone number is (571)272-9213. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 8:00 -5:00, Fri 8:00- 12:00 EST.
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/MARIO R GAMBOA/Examiner, Art Unit 1729
/ULA C RUDDOCK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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