DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 112
2. 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.
3. Claims 8 and 9-10 are 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.
4. Claim 8 recites the limitation "the battery cell" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purpose of this Office Action, the limitation has been interpreted as "a battery cell".
5. Claims 9-10 are rejected as depending from claim 8.
6. Claims 12 and 13-14 are 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.
7. Claim 12 recites the limitation "the battery cell" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purpose of this Office Action, the limitation has been interpreted as "a battery cell".
8. Claim 12 recites the limitation "the casing" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of this Office Action, the limitation has been interpreted as "a casing".
9. Claims 13-14 are rejected as depending from claim 12.
10. Claims 17 and 18 are 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.
11. Claim 17 recites the limitation "the bottom plate" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of this Office Action, the limitation has been interpreted as "a bottom plate".
12. Claim 18 is rejected as depending from claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
16. Claim(s) 1, 2, 7-13, and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN114937853A) as cited in IDS dated 11/27/23 with citations from equivalent (US 2025/0233256) in view of Gao (US2023/0411727).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a battery device (abstract, Fig. 4) comprising:
at least one cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells(200, Fig. 4, [0051]); a housing structured to include a bottom plate and a sidewall for accommodating the at least one cell assembly in the housing (see box body 110 with frame 117, second cold plate 190 and bottom protection plate 119 in Fig. 4, [0059]) and; a cooling plate disposed between a lower surface of the cell assembly and the bottom plate of the housing and configured to transfer heat generated by the cell assembly to outside the cell assembly(first cold plate 180, Fig. 4, [0078]-[0080]), wherein the cooling plate includes one gas discharge hole structured to allow gas generated by the cell assembly to pass through(through hole 181, Fig.3, [0078]); a gas flow space formed by the cooling plate, the bottom plate and the sidewall of the housing and located between the cooling plate and the bottom plate of the housing and configured to allow the gas discharged through the gas discharge hole to flow(second region 115, Fig. 3, [0052]-[0053]); but does not explicitly disclose a blocking member disposed on the cooling plate and configured to block flames or heat in the gas flow space from being transferred to the cell assembly.
Gao teaches a battery pack including a thermal management assembly and a vehicle([0002]). Gao teaches the second housing 130 can include the cooling plate 150 and a protective plate 131 arranged below the cooling plate 150(Fig. 5, [0071]). Gao teaches the battery pack 100 can also include a thermal insulation member 140 located below the protective plate 131(Fig. 5, [0071]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery device of Liu with a blocking member disposed on the cooling plate and configured to block flames or heat in the gas flow space from being transferred to the cell assembly as taught by Gao as applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results. MPEP 2143.
Regarding claim 2, modified Liu discloses the blocking member is disposed on a lower surface of the cooling plate facing the gas flow space(Gao, see thermal insulation member 140 disposed on a lower surface of cooling plate 150 in Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, modified Liu discloses the cooling plate includes a cooling flow path for a refrigerant(Liu [0081]); and the gas discharge hole is disposed in a region of the cooling plate in which the cooling flow path is not disposed(Liu [0051]-[0053], Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8, modified Liu discloses the cooling plate includes a first plate located to face a battery cell (Gao, first plate 151, Fig. 5, [0076]) and a second plate located to face the gas flow space(Gao, second plate 152, Fig. 5, [0076]); and the cooling flow path is formed between the first plate and the second plate(Gao, fluid channel 153, Fig. 5, [0076]).
Regarding claim 9, modified Liu discloses the blocking member is disposed on a lower surface of the second plate (Gao, see thermal insulation member 140 disposed on a lower surface of second plate 152 in Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10, modified Liu discloses the blocking member is attached to a lower surface of the cooling plate facing the gas flow space and has a sheet or pad shape(Gao, thermal insulation member 140, Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 11, modified Liu discloses the blocking member includes at least one of ceramic wool, or aerogel(Gao [0075]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Liu discloses a battery cell includes a gas discharge valve disposed in a lower surface of a casing(Liu, see explosion proof valve 230 of cell 200 in Fig. 3, [0051]); and the gas discharge hole is disposed in a position corresponding to the gas discharge valve(Liu, through hole 181, Fig.3, [0078]).
Regarding claim 13, modified Liu discloses the battery cell includes a prismatic or cylindrical secondary battery(Liu [0064]).
Regarding claim 15, modified Liu discloses the cooling plate is disposed on a support surface formed on the sidewall(Liu [0071], Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, modified Liu discloses a heat transfer member is disposed between the cell assembly and the cooling plate to transfer heat generated in the cell assembly to the cooling plate(Liu, insulating heat conduction piece 186, Fig. 4, [0081]).
Regarding claim 17, Liu discloses a battery device (abstract, Fig. 4) comprising: a housing having an internal space (see box body 110 with frame 117, second cold plate 190 and bottom protection plate 119 in Fig. 4, [0059]); at least one cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells disposed in the internal space of the housing (200, Fig. 4, [0051]); a cooling plate structured to partition the internal space of the housing into a cell accommodating space structured to accommodate the cell assembly (see first cold plate 180 and first region 113 with cells 200, Figs. 3 & 4, [0078]-[0080]) and to form a gas flow space between the cooling plate and a bottom plate of the housing to receive gas discharged from the cell assembly (second region 115, Fig. 3, [0052]-[0053]); but does not explicitly disclose a blocking member disposed on a lower surface of the cooling plate to face the gas flow space.
Gao teaches a battery pack including a thermal management assembly and a vehicle([0002]). Gao teaches the second housing 130 can include the cooling plate 150 and a protective plate 131 arranged below the cooling plate 150(Fig. 5, [0071]). Gao teaches the battery pack 100 can also include a thermal insulation member 140 located below the protective plate 131(Fig. 5, [0071]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the battery device of Liu with a blocking member disposed on a lower surface of the cooling plate to face the gas flow space as taught by Gao as applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results. MPEP 2143.
Allowable Subject Matter
17. Claim 3 is 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.
In particular, the allowable limitation is the gas flow space is divided into a plurality of discharge spaces by one or more partitions.
Liu does not disclose, teach or render obvious the gas flow space is divided into a plurality of discharge spaces by one or more partitions.
18. Claims 4-6 are objected to as being dependent upon allowable claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the allowable claim and any intervening claims.
19. Claim 14 is 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. And the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112 set forth in this Office Action on claims 12-14 is overcome.
In particular, the allowable limitation is the blocking member includes a through-portion that has an opening or is capable of being opened to communicate with the gas discharge hole.
Gao does not disclose, teach or render obvious the blocking member includes a through-portion that has an opening or is capable of being opened to communicate with the gas discharge hole.
20. Claim 18 is 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. And the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112 set forth in this Office Action on claims 17-18 is overcome.
In particular, the allowable limitation is the gas flow space is divided into a plurality of discharge spaces by one or more partitions; and each discharge space is structured to communicate with at least one venting hole formed in the housing.
Liu does not disclose, teach or render obvious the gas flow space is divided into a plurality of discharge spaces by one or more partitions; and each discharge space is structured to communicate with at least one venting hole formed in the housing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTORIA HOM LYNCH whose telephone number is (571)272-0489. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM EST M-F.
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, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. 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.
/VICTORIA H LYNCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
Prosecution Insights