CTNF 18/470,533 CTNF 99898 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 and 17-20, in the reply filed on 04/02/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the grounds that applicant believes there is no search burden and alleges the claims have similar subject matter. This is not found persuasive because Group II is drawn to a method which requires searching operating steps and procedures while Group I is an apparatus requiring search of structural components. A search for the structural components of Group I will not necessarily yield the same results as a search for the method limitations, even if some overlap does exist as asserted by the applicant. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claim 20 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. In particular, claim 20 recites a plurality of compartments are configured to prevent the exposed positive electrode and the exposed negative electrode from being fluidically coupled to the electrically conductive fluid, however one of ordinary skill in the art would not know what specific structure of the compartment would prevent the exposed positive electrode and the exposed negative electrode from being fluidically coupled to the electrically conductive fluid. For example, is there a structural feature which blocks the electrically conductive fluid from reaching the exposed electrodes or prevents the exposed electrodes from reaching the fluid? Furthermore, the specification does not designate a compartment structure which performs this function. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Yoo et. al. (US20200083575A1) . Regarding claim 1, Yoo discloses an energy storage device(i.e. battery module 10) comprising: an energy storage cell(i.e. secondary battery 100)(Fig. 8, ¶[0042]) including a metal sleeve/substrate(i.e. metal can), wherein the energy storage cell includes a coating(i.e. adhesive solution 400) disposed on the metal substrate/metal sleeve(Fig. 8, ¶[0040]), wherein the coating is an applied coating . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-22-aia AIA Claim s 2-9 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo et. al. (US20200083575A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Guerin et. al. (US20110090614A1) . Regarding claim 2 and 4, Yoo discloses an energy storage device of claim 1 and further discloses the coating is thermally conductive but is silent about the coating being non-conductive(the examiner is interpreting this feature as electrically non-conductive per ¶[0043]) of the specification). Guerin, related to energy storage devices, teaches a tray 34 with an energy storage unit 20(Fig. 2, ¶[0100]) and an adhesive(i.e. glue) which is heat conducting and electrically insulating(¶[0128]) which is injected into the receptacle with a thickness of 2 mm or less(¶[0138]). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized adding electrical insulation to the adhesive of Yoo at the thickness described by Guerin would limit undesirable electrical conductivity outside the cell. Therefore it would have been obvious to have used electrically insulating adhesive as taught by Guerin to limit undesirable electrical conductivity. Regarding claim 3, Yoo discloses an energy storage device of claim 1 and further discloses the applied coating may be an epoxy((¶[0051]). Regarding claims 5, and 7-9, modified Yoo discloses an energy storage device of claims 2 and 6. The limitations related to the electrolytic and electroless coatings of claims 5 and 7-9 do not exclude the selection of an applied coating and therefore claim 3 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 1. Regarding claim 6, modified Yoo discloses an energy storage device of claims 5 and further discloses no discussion of a passivation film on the positive or negative electrode. Regarding claim 17 and 18, Yoo discloses an energy storage module(i.e. battery module 10) comprising: a plurality of battery cells(i.e. secondary batteries 100)(Fig. 7, ¶[0042]), wherein each of the battery cells includes metal substrate(i.e. metal can, ¶[0041]), an exposed positive electrode, an exposed negative electrode(the term exposed is being interpreted as exposed for electrical conductivity as described in ¶[0043] of the specification, therefore Yoo discloses secondary cells which necessarily contain positive and negative electrodes which are electrically connected, ¶[0003], [0006]), and a coating(i.e. adhesive solution 400) was applied on the metal substrate(Fig. 8, ¶[0040]), wherein the coating is thermally conductive, a block including a plurality of compartments(tray 200, sockets 510; wherein one battery cell of each of the plurality of battery cells is disposed in one of the plurality of compartments(Fig. 7). but is silent about the coating being non-conductive(the examiner is interpreting this feature as electrically non-conductive per ¶[0043]) of the specification). Guerin, related to energy storage devices, teaches a tray 34 with an energy storage unit 20(Fig. 2, ¶[0100]) and an adhesive(i.e. glue) which is heat conducting and electrically insulating(¶[0128]) which is injected into the receptacle(¶[0138]). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized adding electrical insulation to the adhesive of Yoo as taught by Guerin would limit undesirable electrical conductivity. Therefore it would have been obvious to have used electrically insulating adhesive as taught by Guerin to limit undesirable electrical conductivity. Regarding claim 19, Yoo discloses an energy storage module of claim 18 and further discloses wherein the plurality of compartments are fluidically coupled to transfer an electrically conductive fluid between each of the plurality of compartments(Fig. 8, ¶[0048] of Yoo, see water, applicant discloses water as an example of a conductive fluid, ¶[0049] of specification). Regarding claim 20, Yoo discloses an energy storage module of claim 18 and further discloses the coolant is retained within the enclosed path(¶[0068]), thereby preventing the exposed positive electrode and the exposed negative electrode from being fluidically coupled to the electrically conductive fluid. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAREN J. ARMSTRONG whose telephone number is (703)756-1243. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Barton can be reached at (571) 272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /K.J.A./Examiner, Art Unit 1726 /JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 20 May 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/470,533 Page 2 Art Unit: 1726 Application/Control Number: 18/470,533 Page 4 Art Unit: 1726 Application/Control Number: 18/470,533 Page 5 Art Unit: 1726 Application/Control Number: 18/470,533 Page 6 Art Unit: 1726 Application/Control Number: 18/470,533 Page 7 Art Unit: 1726
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