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 claims 1-9 in the reply filed on July 23, 2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Achten et al. (US 2019/0299505 A1) (“Achten”).
With respect to claim 1, Achten discloses a compression pad (abstr., 0018, 0107) comprising a first material having a first compressive strength, a second material having a second compressive strength that is different than the first compressive strength, wherein a volume of the first material is surrounded by the second material – the first material is the material of the internal structure e.g. elastomeric polyurethane (0023, 0025, 0030), the second material is a foamed elastomer (0026-0028), the volume of the first material is surrounded by the second material – e.g. Figs. 8a, 8b, 10a, 10b (0140-0142).
The recitation “A compression pack for a battery cell stack” has been interpreted as a recitation of intended use. Achten discloses that the pad can be used for various purposes (pp. 7-10), thus, since Achten discloses a pad having all the recited elements it would be expected that the pad according to Achten is capable to perform as intended.
Regarding claim 2, Achten teaches the pad of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises an elastomer (0030).
As to claim 3, Achten teaches the pad of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a foamed elastomer (0027, 0028).
With respect to claim 4, Achten teaches the pad of claim 1, wherein the pad comprises multiple volumes of the first material distributed in the second material – e.g. elements 200 distributed in element 10 (Figs. 8a and 8b), or elements 300 distributed in element 10 (0142).
Regarding claim 5, Achten teaches the pad according to claim 4, wherein a distribution density of the multiple volumes of the first material in the second material is inhomogenous – e.g. Figs. 7 and 8a.
As to claim 6, Achten teaches the pad of claim 5, wherein the pad comprises a central region and adjacent side regions, wherein in the central region, the distribution density of multiple volumes of the first material in the second material is greater than in the side regions (Fig. 8a).
With respect to claim 7, Achten teaches the pad of claim 4, wherein the multiple volumes have a straight-line shape (e.g. Fig. 10a).
Regarding claim 8, Achten teaches the pad of claim 4, wherein the multiple volumes have an arc shape (Fig. 10b).
As to claim 9, Achten teaches the pad of claim 1, wherein the first material is arranged in a free space within the pad – the volumes of the first material are arranged within the spaces within the second material (Figs. 8a – 10a).
Information Disclosure Statement
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOANNA PLESZCZYNSKA whose telephone number is (571)270-1617. The examiner can normally be reached M-F ~ 11:30-8.
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/Joanna Pleszczynska/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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