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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-17 in the reply filed on 06/26/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Office Action does not establish a serious search and/or examination burden amongst the identified groups of claims, as the groups share common structural components and present an overlapping field of search. This is not found persuasive because a search for the method of Group I would not necessarily uncover results for Group II, claims 18-20, a method comprising providing a thermal component, coupling a plurality of battery cells with the thermal component; and disposing the thermal component in a housing of a battery pack.
As a non-limiting example, Jung et al. (US20230113945A1) cited in the instant rejection as a battery pack structure, does not discuss a method where the plurality of battery cells (100) are coupled with the thermal component (300), which is then disposed in a housing of a battery pack; Jung instead arranges the housing components (comprising end plate 450, main plate 410), cooling unit (300), and battery cells (100) in order and then couples these components concurrently, such that the battery cells (100) are disposed inside the housing of a battery pack prior to coupling the plurality of battery cells with the thermal component (Jung [0192], FIG. 2). This method would not necessarily read on the method of Group II, claims 18-20.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 06/26/2026
Claim Objections
Claim 10 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10 recites inter alia “the first external and the second external have an external thickness; and the first internal and the second internal have an internal thickness” (emphasis by Examiner).
The emphasized portions appear to be typographic errors intended to recite the first/second external walls and first/second internal walls in the structure of preceding claim 1, and are interpreted as reciting such.
Support for this interpretation is in ¶[0045] of the instant specification, which recites “…the external walls 205, 210 can have a first, external thickness. The internal walls 310, 320 can have a second, internal thickness…”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (CN115036615A, see attached machine translation)
Regarding claims 1-3, Xu discloses a thermal component (“heat sink”, [n0004]) comprising:
a second plate (200), which comprises claim 1’s structure of an egress channel (240, “inner flow channel”, [n0067], FIG. 4) defined at least partially by a first internal wall and a second internal wall (“side walls of the second plate 200”, [n0067], FIG. 4; see Annotated Xu FIG. 2 below);
a first plate (100), which comprises claim 1’s structure of a first ingress channel (140, “outer channels”) defined at least partially by the first internal wall (“wall of the second plate 200”) and a first external wall (“wall of the first plate 100”), and a second ingress channel (140, “outer channels”) defined at least partially by the second internal wall (“wall of the second plate 200”) and a second external wall (“wall of the first plate 100”) ([n0068], FIG. 4, Annotated Xu FIG. 2);
wherein the first ingress channel (140) and the second ingress channel (140) are fluidly coupled with the egress channel (240) at an end (see second end in annotations) of the thermal component (“The inner channel 240 and the outer channel 140 are connected”, [n0068], [n0059], Annotated Xu FIG. 2) as claimed in claim 2;
wherein the first internal wall is opposite the second internal wall such that the first ingress channel (140) is opposite the second ingress channel (140) (Annotated Xu FIG. 2, FIG. 4) as claimed in claim 3.
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Annotated Xu FIG. 2
Regarding claim 7, Xu discloses the thermal component of claim 1, comprising:
a first fitting (400, “collector”) disposed at a first end of the thermal component, the first fitting (400) configured to provide coolant to the first ingress channel (140) and the second ingress channel (140) ([n0061-n0063], Annotated Xu FIG. 2); and
a second fitting (300, “manifold”) disposed at a second end of the thermal component opposite the first end, the second fitting (300) configured to fluidly couple the first ingress channel (140) and the second ingress channel (140) with the egress channel (240) ([n0059], Annotated Xu FIG. 2)
Regarding claim 8, Xu discloses the thermal component of claim 1,
Xu’s thermal component comprises the first and second external wall which extend along a length direction ([n0053], the first and second external wall being components of the first plate 100, see Annotated Xu FIG. 2). Xu’s thermal component is configured for use in a battery pack ([n0048, n0050]); thus, Xu’s thermal component the first external wall and the second external wall are thus configured (i.e., capable) to extend along a direction of the battery pack designated as a length of the battery pack as claimed in claim 8.
Furthermore, Xu discloses that a battery may be positioned directly contacting the outer wall of the first plate (100), i.e., interfacing with the first external wall and/or second external wall (Annotated Xu FIG. 2); thus, the first external wall is configured (i.e., capable) to interface with a first set of battery cells, and the second external wall configured to interface with a second set of battery cells as claimed in claim 8.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (CN115036615A) as applied to claim 1, further as evidenced by Joy (Understanding Pressure Drop Formula and Significance, copy provided with this Office action)
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Annotated Xu FIG. 1
Regarding claim 11, Xu discloses the thermal component of claim 1.
Although Xu does not disclose the component top and component bottom explicitly as indicated in Annotated Xu FIG. 1 (above), these portions of the thermal component are broadly and reasonably interpreted as a top and a bottom relative to each other, as Xu specifies the thermal component is not limited to any specific orientation ([n0044]).
Cooling fluid in Xu’s battery flows from an inlet pipe (430), through the ingress and egress channels of the first/second plates, and then out the outlet pipe (440) ([n0063]). The flow path (see dashed arrows) along a component bottom is slightly longer than a component top’s flow path (see dotted arrows). Pressure drop across a pipe is approximated by the Darcy-Weisbach formula (see Joy p. 4):
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where a length L of the flow path along the component top is shorter and thus has less pressure drop (Joy p. 5 §Pressure drop in fittings), and allows a correspondingly greater flow rate of the coolant and cooling performance (p. 6 §Pressure drop and flow rate).
Thus, Xu’s channel system (i.e., the ingress/egress channels) extending between the component top and component bottom is an asymmetrical channel system with respect to the slight differences (i.e., asymmetry) in flow rate and cooling performance, and is thus configured to provide more cooling at the component top than the component bottom as claimed in claim 11.
Claims 1-3,6-9 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Penny et al. WO2021018675A1 (copy provided with this Office action).
Regarding claims 1-3, Penny discloses a thermal component (2800, “heat exchanger”) disposed in the housing ([0149]), the thermal component configured to interface with the plurality of battery cells ([0160], FIG. 13), the thermal component extending along a length of the battery pack ([0151], FIG. 30), the thermal component comprising:
an egress channel (3015, “second channels”; [0157], FIGs. 30, 31) defined at least partially by a first internal wall (3004 “dividing wall”) and a second internal wall (3005, “dividing wall”) ([0155], FIGs. 30, 31);
a first ingress channel (3014) (“first outermost channel”) defined at least partially by the first internal wall (3004) ([0157]) and a first external wall (3000, “first sidewall”) ([0152], FIGs. 30, 31); and
a second ingress channel (3016, “inner channel”) defined at least partially by the second internal wall (3005) ([0157]) and a second external wall (3001, “second sidewall”) ([0152], FIGs. 30, 31) as claimed in claim 1.
The first ingress channel and the second ingress channel (“each channel of a first set of channels”) are fluidly coupled with the egress channel (“second channels, being return flow channels”) at an end of the thermal component ([0143], FIG. 27) as claimed in claim 2.
The first internal wall (3004) is opposite the second internal wall (3005) in a vertical direction such that the first ingress channel (3014) is opposite the second ingress channel (3016) (FIGs. 30, 31) as claimed in claim 3.
Regarding claim 6, Penny discloses the thermal component of claim 1, comprising a height.
Based on a height of a jelly roll of a battery cell (see projected circular areas of battery cells in FIG. 30, [0160], having a height), the height of the thermal component is to be greater than or equal to the height of the jelly roll.
Regarding claim 7, Penny discloses the thermal component of claim 1, comprising a first fitting (702, “first end housing”) disposed at a first end of the thermal component ([0131, 0133], FIG. 22), the first fitting configured to provide coolant to the first ingress channel and the second ingress channel ([0134-0136], [0159], FIGs. 22-26, 30); and
a second fitting (2700, “second end housing”) disposed at a second end of the thermal component opposite the first fitting (702), the second fitting fluidly coupling the first ingress channel and the second ingress channel (“first set of channels”) with the egress channel (“second channels, being return flow channels”) ([0143], FIG. 27) as claimed in claim 7.
Regarding claim 8, Penny discloses the thermal component of claim 1, wherein the first external wall and the second external wall are configured to extend along a length of a battery pack ([0158]), the first external wall (3000) configured to interface with a first set of battery cells (“first stacks of battery layers”) and the second external wall (3001) configured to interface with a second set of battery cells (“second stacks of battery layers”) ([0101-0102], FIG. 13).
Regarding claim 9, Penny discloses the thermal component of claim 1, wherein the first ingress channel (3014, “outermost channel”) and the second ingress channel (3016, “first channel type”) have a combined ingress cross-sectional area of 38-44% (outer channels area) + 100% (channels type 1 area) = 138-144% of a nominal area; and the egress channel (3015) has an egress cross-sectional area (channels type 2 area) of 80-86% of the nominal area ([0157], FIGs. 30, 31); thus, the egress cross-sectional area (80-86% nominal area) is less than the combined ingress cross-sectional area (138-144% nominal area) to increase a flow rate through the egress channel as claimed in claim 9.
Regarding claims 12-14, Penny discloses a battery pack (“a battery installation”) for an electric vehicle, comprising:
a housing (“a floor pan of the vehicle”) ([0308]);
a plurality of battery cells (“array of battery cells”) disposed in the housing ([0308]); and
a thermal component (2800, “heat exchanger”) disposed in the housing ([0149]), the thermal component configured to interface with the plurality of battery cells ([0160], FIG. 13), the thermal component extending along a length of the battery pack ([0151], FIG. 30), the thermal component comprising:
an egress channel (3015, “second channels”; [0157], FIGs. 30, 31) defined at least partially by a first internal wall (3004 “dividing wall”) and a second internal wall (3005, “dividing wall”) ([0155], FIGs. 30, 31);
a first ingress channel (3014) (“first outermost channel”) defined at least partially by the first internal wall (3004) ([0157]) and a first external wall (3000, “first sidewall”) ([0152], FIGs. 30, 31); and
a second ingress channel (3016, “inner channel”) defined at least partially by the second internal wall (3005) ([0157]) and a second external wall (3001, “second sidewall”) ([0152], FIGs. 30, 31) as claimed in claim 12.
Penny further discloses a first fitting (702, “first end housing”) disposed at a first end of the thermal component ([0131, 0133], FIG. 22), the first fitting configured to provide coolant to the first ingress channel and the second ingress channel ([0134-0136], [0159], FIGs. 22-26, 30); and
a second fitting (2700, “second end housing”) disposed at a second end of the thermal component opposite the first fitting (702), the second fitting fluidly coupling the first ingress channel and the second ingress channel (“first set of channels”) with the egress channel (“second channels, being return flow channels”) ([0143], FIG. 27) as claimed in claim 13.
Penny further discloses the plurality of battery cells comprising a first battery cell (“first stacks of battery layers”) and a second battery cell (“second stacks of battery layers”); the first battery cell configured to interface with the first external wall; and
the second battery cell configured to interface with the second external wall, the first battery cell offset from the first battery cell ([0101-0102], FIG. 13) as claimed in claim 14
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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. CN115036615A as applied to claim 1:
Claim 6 recites inter alia “a height…based on a height of a jelly roll of a battery cell”. Claim 6 does not specify or require any form of structural or functional relationship between the jelly roll of the battery cell and the thermal component, aside from the relative heights of the two. Therefore, under a broadest reasonable interpretation of the limitation, a height of the thermal component may be based on that of a jelly roll of any battery cell, including a jelly roll of a battery cell with no association to the thermal component.
Regarding claim 6, Xu discloses the thermal component of claim 1.
The thermal component comprises a measure of height. As it would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that a finite number of relations exist between a height of the thermal component and a jelly roll of a given battery cell (i.e., greater than, equal to, or less than a height of the jelly roll), it would be obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art to select a battery wherein, based on a height of a jelly roll of a battery cell, the height of the thermal component is to be greater than or equal to the height of the jelly roll from the finite possible height configurations (MPEP 2143 I. E).
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (CN115036615A) as applied to claim 1, further in view of in view of Jung et al. (US20230113945A1):
Regarding claims 4 and 5, Xu discloses
The thermal component of claim 1. Xu’s thermal component reads on portions of claim 4, wherein the first external wall (“wall of the first plate 100”; see Annotated Xu FIG. 2) comprises a portion (an outer surface) configured to interface with a side of a first battery cell, the first external wall configured to transfer heat from the first battery cell to a coolant flowing through the first ingress channel (140); and the second external wall comprises a portion configured to interface with a side of a second battery cell, the second external wall configured to transfer heat from the second battery cell to a coolant flowing through the second ingress channel (140) ([n0055], Annotated Xu FIG. 2).
However, although improving the heat exchange efficiency is pertinent to Xu’s disclosure ([n0067]), and alternate embodiments of Xu’s thermal component are envisioned as circular-shaped structures (a concave surface being present on the inside of a curve) ([n0053]), Xu fails to further disclose structures of a first and second concave portion in the first external wall configured to interface with a side of a first and second battery cell as claimed in claim 4, or a wavy profile of the thermal component configured to at least partially surround a plurality of battery cells to increase an area of contact between the plurality of battery cells and the thermal component as claimed in claim 5.
Jung, directed to a battery pack (1) comprising an analogous thermal component (300, “cooling unit”) (Jung [0072-0073], FIG. 2), teaches forming a cooling tube (310) including the first and second external walls with respective first and second concave portions (316) configured to interface with a side of a first and second battery cell to increase the cooling performance ([0142-0143], FIG. 12, 17), this structure being broadly and reasonably interpreted as a wavy profile, which is noted to at least partially surround a plurality of battery cells to increase an area of contact between the plurality of battery cells and the thermal component ([0216-0217], FIG. 22).
Thus, in seeking to improve the cooling performance and contact ability with a first and second battery cell, it would be obvious before the effective filing date of the instant application for one having ordinary skill in the art to form Xu’s first and second external walls with first and second concave portions configured to interface with sides of a respective first and second battery cell as claimed in claim 4, i.e., a wavy profile configured to at least partially surround a plurality of battery cells to increase an area of contact between the plurality of battery cells and the thermal component as claimed in claim 5 as taught by Jung, with a reasonable expectation of success as Jung desires to improve the heat exchange efficiency and envisions suitable embodiments (e.g., a circular thermal component) which comprise at least a concave surface.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (CN115036615A) in view of Guo et al. WO2020049233A1 (see attached machine translation)
Xu discloses the thermal component of claim 1. The first external wall and second external wall (see interpretation under §Claim Objections) have a measure of external thickness (i.e., a thickness of the external walls), and the first internal wall and second internal wall have a measure of internal thickness (i.e., a thickness of the internal walls) (Annotated Xu FIG. 2), as claimed in claim 10.
Xu further notes the thermal component dissipates large amounts of heat from a battery (i.e., between the battery and ingress channels through the external walls) ([n0048-n0050], [n0073]), but only gradual heat exchange occurs between the first and second plate cavities (i.e., through the internal walls) in order to maintain temperature distribution uniformity ([n0031]). While this suggests a need for a greater heat transfer rate through the external walls, where interface thickness is known to inversely correspond with heat transfer rate, Xu fails to further specify measurements of the external thickness relative to the internal thickness, as claimed in claim 10 reciting inter alia “the external thickness is less than the internal thickness”.
Guo is directed to a heat exchanger (1) comprising thermal components (10, “probes”) which perform heat exchange with a surrounding fluid ([0014]); similarly to the structure of Xu’s thermal component, an inlet (14) and outlet (15) of each thermal probe is positioned at the same end ([0019], FIG. 6), where a heat transfer fluid performs heat exchange in ingress channels (12, “peripheral channels”) and then returns via an egress channel (11, “central channel”) ([0054], FIG. 6). Guo further teaches a desirability to decrease a thickness of the external walls (“heat exchange wall”) in order to facilitate heat exchange with the ingress channels (12) ([0067], FIG. 6). At the same time, Guo teaches that it may be desirable to limit heat exchange between the egress channel (11) and ingress channel (12) through using a comparatively thicker internal wall ([0057], FIG. 6). A skilled artisan would recognize that Xu’s disclosure of a gradual heat exchange between the ingress channels and egress channels (Xu [n0031]) suggests a need to limit the heat exchange to some degree so as to avoid excessive heat exchange between the channels.
Thus, it would be obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art to decrease Xu’s external thickness of the first/second walls to improve the heat transfer efficiency with the surroundings, e.g., a battery, and to maintain or increase a thickness of the internal thickness of the first/second internal walls to limit the heat exchange and ensure gradual, uniform heat exchange between the ingress and egress channels as taught by Guo, thus reading on the entirety of claim 10. Such a modification would be made with a reasonable expectation of success, given the analogous structure and function of ingress/egress channels between Guo and Xu’s heat thermal components, and because a skilled artisan would necessarily select at least some measure of external thickness and internal thickness in manufacturing Xu’s thermal component.
Claims 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (CN-115036615-A; see attached machine translation) in view of Jung et al. (US-20230113945-A1).
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Annotated Xu FIG. 2
Regarding claim 12-14, Xu’s disclosure is directed to a thermal component (1000, “radiator”, “heat sink”, [n0052]) which interfaces with a battery on an outer surface of an external wall (“wall of the first plate 100”) ([n0055]), reading on claim 12’s recitation of “[a] thermal component configured to interface with the plurality of battery cells”
Xu’s thermal component structure comprises a first plate (100) and a second plate (200) ([n0007-n0008], [n0040]), wherein:
the second plate (200) comprises claim 12’s structure of an egress channel (240, “inner flow channel”, [n0067], FIG. 4) defined at least partially by a first internal wall and a second internal wall (“side walls of the second plate 200”, [n0067], FIG. 4; see Annotated Xu FIG. 2 above);
and the first plate (100) comprises claim 12’s structure of a first/second ingress channel (140, “outer channels”) defined at least partially by the first/second internal wall (“wall of the second plate 200”) and a first/second external wall (“wall of the first plate 100”) ([n0068], FIG. 4, Annotated Xu FIG. 2).
A first fitting (400, “collector”) is disposed at a first end of the thermal component, the first fitting (400) configured to provide coolant to the first ingress channel (140) and the second ingress channel (140) ([n0061-n0063], Annotated Xu FIG. 2); and a second fitting (300, “manifold”) is disposed at a second end of the thermal component opposite the first end, the second fitting (300) configured to fluidly couple the first ingress channel (140) and the second ingress channel (140) with the egress channel (240) ([n0059], Annotated Xu FIG. 2), reading on the structure of claim 13.
Xu’s thermal component is intended for use in a battery pack in an electric vehicle ([n0047-n0048, n0050]), where the scope of claim 12’s preamble is directed to a battery pack for an electric vehicle. Xu’s thermal component also extends along a length direction ([n0053]), and would thus be capable of extending along a length of the battery pack as claimed in claim 12. However, Xu taken alone fails to disclose the battery pack itself, alongside the housing and a plurality of battery cells as claimed in claim 12’s remaining limitations of “a battery pack for an electric vehicle, comprising: a housing; a plurality of battery cells disposed in the housing”, where the thermal component is disposed in the housing and extends along a length of the battery pack as claimed.
However, battery pack structures for electric vehicles compatible with the structure of Xu’s thermal component are known in the art; Jung (US20230113945A1) provides one such structure of a battery pack (1) for an electric vehicle comprising a housing (400, “side structure unit”), a plurality of battery cells (100) disposed in the housing (400); and a thermal component (300, “cooling unit”) disposed in the housing (400) (Jung [0072-0073], FIG. 2), the thermal component (300) extending along a length (“longitudinal direction”) of the battery pack ([0134], FIG. 2), reading on the scope the remaining limitations of claim 12.
Additionally, the thermal component (300) used in Jung’s battery pack for the same purpose of contacting a plurality of battery cells for cooling (Jung [0136], FIG 31) shares structural and functional similarities with Xu’s thermal component such as the ingress and egress channels (352, “upper channel”, 354, “lower channel”) ([0145-0149], FIGs. 13, 14) being similarly supplied with coolant by the same first fitting (370, “inlet/outlet portion”) at a first end ([0156], FIGs. 13, 14), and a second fitting (356, “connection channel”) disposed at an opposite second end fluidly coupling the ingress (352)/egress (354) channels ([0152]). Given the similar layout of fittings supplying the ingress/egress channels between each thermal component, a skilled artisan would not need to extensively modify the flow paths or function of Xu’s thermal component or Jung’s battery pack to adapt Jung’s structure of battery pack for use with Xu’s thermal component.
Though Xu’s thermal component is not identical in structure to Jung’s, being depicted oriented horizontally ([n0053] FIG. 1) while Jung uses a thermal component oriented vertically (Jung [0217], FIG. 21), Xu specifies that the thermal component is not limited to any specific orientation ([n0044], [n0041]) and it would be within the skill of an ordinary artisan to rotate Xu’s thermal component to a vertical orientation for use in Jung’s battery pack structure.
Therefore, as Xu intends for use of the thermal component in a battery pack for an electric vehicle, where Jung provides a known structure of an electric vehicle battery pack, it would be obvious before the effective filing date of the instant application for one having ordinary skill in the art to select Jung’s structure of battery pack for use with Xu’s thermal component, thus providing a housing, a plurality of battery cells disposed in the housing; Xu’s thermal component disposed in the housing, and the thermal component extending along a length of the battery pack, thus reading on the scope of the remaining limitations of claim 12 (MPEP 2144.07). Such a modification would not require extensive modification of Xu’s thermal component given the similar layout of fittings supplying the ingress/egress channels between each thermal component, and would therefore be made with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 15, modified Xu discloses the battery pack of claim 12. While Xu intends for the thermal component to quickly absorb large amounts of heat from the battery to prevent thermal runaway (Xu [n0048-n0050]), where the battery is positioned directly contacting an external surface of the thermal component ([n0055]), Xu fails to further recite that the plurality of battery cells are bonded to the thermal component via an adhesive as claimed in claim 15.
Jung, relied upon to teach limitations pertaining to the battery pack structure of claim 12, further teaches adhesively fixing a cooling tube (310) of the thermal component to the plurality of battery cells (100) (Jung [0143]), stably fixing the plurality of battery cells and improving the cooling performance (100) ([0228-0230], FIG. 2). The improved cooling performance is desired by Xu, and a skilled artisan would further appreciate Jung’s benefits of improved stability in the design of a battery pack. Furthermore, as Xu envisions positioning a battery directly contacting an external surface of the thermal component, a skilled artisan would not need to rearrange the positions of the plurality of battery cells or thermal component for bonding with via adhesive.
Thus, as Xu desires to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the thermal component to absorb large amounts of heat from a battery, and Jung teaches the use of adhesive to improve the heat dissipation efficiency, it would be obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art to bond modified Xu’s plurality of battery cells to the thermal component via an adhesive as taught by Jung. Such a modification would be made with a reasonable expectation of success, as Xu envisions providing the battery directly contacting an external surface of the thermal component, this structure provided by bonding the battery to the thermal component.
Claim 17 recites inter alia the structure of “a plurality of modules…a set of thermal components of the plurality of thermal components disposed in each of the plurality of modules”. While Applicant’s disclosure does not explicitly define the structure of a “module”, ¶[0059] and FIGs. 9-10 of the instant specification describe the structure as including “a plurality of battery assemblies 100”, and “a plurality of thermal components 120”
Thus, a structure within a battery pack comprised by the housing including a plurality of battery assemblies, i.e., sets of battery cells and a plurality of thermal components is broadly and reasonably interpreted as reading on the structure of a “module” as claimed in claim 17.
Regarding claims 16 and 17, modified Xu discloses the battery pack of claim 12.
While Xu envisions expanding the heating range of the thermal component to suitably provide heat exchange with a battery (Xu [n0054]), Xu taken alone fails to further disclose a structure of the battery pack of as claimed in claim 16, comprising the plurality of battery cells comprising a first/second set of battery cells, a plurality of thermal components comprising a first/second thermal component extending in parallel, and the first/second set of battery cells interfacing with the respective first/second thermal component.
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Annotated Jung FIG. 17
Jung, relied upon to teach limitations pertaining to the battery pack structure of claim 12, further teaches a plurality of thermal components (300) (Jung [0136]) comprising at least a first and second thermal component (300) (see Annotated Jung FIG. 17 above), the first thermal component (300) extending parallel to the second thermal component (300) (i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack, [0134]); and the first set of battery cells (100) interfacing with the first thermal component (300) and the second set of battery cells (100) interfacing with the second thermal component (300) ([0134-0136, Annotated Jung FIG. 17). Use of a plurality of cooling units (300) contacting respective sets of battery cells (100) increases the cooling performance ([0136]); furthermore, the housing (400) provides protection to the battery pack in a longitudinal direction such that orienting the first and second thermal component (300) in this longitudinal direction would allow the rigid housing to protect the thermal components ([0299, 0167, 0171])
Thus, in seeking to sufficiently provide or improve the cooling performance in modified Xu’s battery pack, it would be obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art to provide modified Xu’s battery cells as a plurality with a first/second set of battery cells, and provide a plurality of Xu’s thermal component as a first and second thermal component interfacing with the respective first and second set of battery cells, thus rendering obvious a portion of the limitations of claim 16.
It would further be obvious to provide the first and second thermal components extending (in parallel) in a longitudinal direction of the housing, thus fully rendering claim 16 obvious, in order to utilize the rigidity of the housing to protect the first/second thermal components as taught by Jung.
Such modifications would not modify the intrinsic function of Xu’s thermal component intended for use in a battery pack or of Jung’s battery pack, and would therefore be made with a reasonable expectation of success.
Furthermore, the above structure of the first and second thermal component (300) (i.e., a set of thermal components of the plurality of thermal components) with a first/second set of battery cells interfacing with the first/second thermal component (Annotated Jung FIG. 17) includes the components
attributed to Applicant’s structure of a battery module (see claim interpretation section above, inst. spec. ¶[0059]) and reads on claim 17’s recitation of the battery module wherein “a set of thermal components of the plurality of thermal components [are] disposed in each of the plurality of modules”.
Xu modified in view of Jung does not expressly disclose the structure of a housing comprising a plurality of modules; however, the number of battery cells are variously set according to the required voltage or capacity (Jung [0004]), and Jung teaches structures of battery pack comprising multiple modules, i.e., sets of thermal components (300) interfacing with a first/second set of battery cells (100) (Annotated Jung FIG. 17). It would therefore be obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art seeking to meet voltage or capacity requirements for the battery pack to duplicate the module structure of claim 16, thus arriving at claim 17’s structure of a housing comprising a plurality of modules, and a plurality of thermal components including the thermal component, a set of thermal components of the plurality of thermal components disposed in each of the plurality of modules (MPEP 2144.04 VI. B), with a reasonable expectation of success as no intrinsic function of Jung’s battery pack or Xu’s thermal component is changed through the modification.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EVERETT T CHOI whose telephone number is (703)756-1331. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11:00-8:00.
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, Jonathan G Leong can be reached on (571) 270 1292. 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.
/E.C./Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 8/4/2026
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