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 § 102
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, 2, 4, 8, 9, 12-14, 16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN Publication 113471555).
Regarding claims 1, 4 and 16, Chen discloses a smart cell 100 comprising: a housing 101, a winding core 103 (electrode component) in the housing, a cover plate 102 (top cover) on top of the housing, an explosion-proof valve 110 in the center of the cover plate, and a pressure detecting device 122 (stress sensor) on the explosion-proof valve inside of the housing, wherein the pressure detecting device detects pressure changes inside the smart cell and sends the information to a battery management system or operators (Paragraphs 0067, 0071, 0135-0138 and Figs. 1 and 25).
Regarding claims 2 and 14, Chen states that the pressure detecting device/strain gauge 129 is positioned in the center of a valve plate 123 of the explosion-proof valve, which is thinner than the outer base area 126 (Paragraphs 0135-0138).
As to claim 8, Chen teaches that the pressure measuring device can be installed inside the cover plate in a state being encapsulated by a protective film 116 (Paragraph 0077).
Regarding claim 9, Chen discloses a battery system 200 comprising: a power supply battery 201 that is composed of multiple smart cells, and a battery management system 202 that receives information from the detection devices of each cell and determines the state of each cell to control each cell in real time (Paragraph 0142-0143).
As to claims 12 and 20, Chen teaches that a pressure range is set that causes the explosion-proof valve to burst, and the pressure detecting device determines a change in the cell pressure and how close it is to this range so that the battery management system can investigate the problem or turn the cell off (Paragraph 0134).
Regarding claim 13, Chen discloses that the battery system can be used in an electric vehicle (Paragraph 0144). It would be known by one of ordinary skill in the art that in order for the battery system to run a vehicle, multiple battery modules would be needed and that a converter is used to transfer energy from the battery system to the vehicle.
Chen teaches every limitation of claims 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 12-14, 16 and 20 of the present invention and thus anticipates the claim.
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) 3 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN Publication 113471555) in view of Ogasawara (JP Publication 2014-192104).
The teachings of Chen have been discussed in paragraph 3 above.
Chen fails to disclose that the pressure detecting device is location on the surface of the explosion-proof valve that faces outside of the housing.
Ogasawara discloses a lithium ion secondary battery comprising: an outer casing 1 that houses a power generation unit, a thin-walled section 2 formed near a safety valve 4, and a strain sensor 3, which detects deformation, bonded to the thin-walled portion on the outside of the casing (Paragraph 0014 and Fig. 1)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention that the pressure detecting device of Chen could be placed on the outside of the housing because Ogasawara teaches that using sensing of deformation of the valve, the detecting device can detect a build in pressure within the cell.
Claim(s) 10 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN Publication 113471555).
The teachings of Chen have been discussed in paragraph 3 above.
Chen fails to specifically teach that the battery management system controls a fire extinguishing apparatus to extinguish a fire on a target battery cell.
Chen teaches that a pressure range is set that causes the explosion-proof valve to burst, and the pressure detecting device determines a change in the cell pressure and how close it is to this range so that the battery management system can investigate the problem or turn the cell off prior to cell explosion or fire (Paragraph 0134).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention that if the battery management system of Chen can detect when a fire can occur in an individual cell and act to prevent this, then it could send a signal to a fire extinguisher if a fire actually occurs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 11, 17 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRITTANY L RAYMOND whose telephone number is (571)272-6545. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm.
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BRITTANY L. RAYMOND
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1722
/BRITTANY L RAYMOND/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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