MOUNTED BATTERY SYSTEM
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/6/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following limitations below must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim 1: “gap” and “channel”.
Claim 3: “housing”, “the first side of the first portion by the first housing side”, and “the first side of the second portion by the second housing side”.
Claim 4: “wherein the first housing side and the second housing side extend from battery assembly to contact the mount base when the battery assembly is bonded to the battery mount”.
Claim 5: Fig. 2 may show the potting medium (220) but it does not show its relation to first side of the first and second portions.
Claim 8: none of the figures show these two items being equal.
Claim 9: “a distance between the second assembly side and the first side of the second portion are set by a geometry of the respective at least one spacing elements.”
Claim 10: “spacing element” and “in a state of compression”.
Claim 12: “supporting portion” and “protrusion”.
Claim 13: “gap”.
Claim 14: “gap” and “channel”.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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 1-7, 9-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hinkeldey et al. (DE 10 2012 218102 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 14, Hinkeldey et al. teach a mounted battery system for an electric vehicle (Abstract; paragraph 0001) comprising:
a battery assembly (Figs. 1, 5, and 6, element 100 discloses a battery assembly.) which comprises a plurality of cells arranged fixed relative to each other (Fig. 1, element 102 disclose prismatic battery cells.); and
a battery mount which comprises a mount base, a first portion extending from the mount base, and a second portion extending from the mount base (Fig. 5 discloses a tray, element 104. See annotated figure 5 below.);
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Fig. 5 of Hinkeldey
wherein the battery assembly is bonded to a first side of the first portion and to a first side of the second portion with an adhesive, wherein the first side of the first portion is facing the first side of the second portion, and wherein a gap is formed between the battery assembly and the mount base (Fig. 5; paragraph 0048 disclose a foil, element 300, can be used as a potting compound and aligned in the tray, element 104, wherein the cell module is directly cast, glued pressed, or similarly embedded in the tray, element 104.);
wherein the first side of the first portion and the first side of the second portion extend in a first direction which is parallel to the mount base and wherein the battery assembly is bonded along the first side of the first portion in the first direction with the adhesive and the battery assembly is bonded along the first side of the second portion in the first direction with the adhesive (See annotated Fig. 5 above. Further, paragraph 0048 as previously stated discloses the first and second portions of the tray, element 104, are bonded to the cell, element 100.) such that the gap between the battery assembly and the battery mount extends in the first direction to form a channel sealed by the adhesive which contains vent gases of the battery assembly during thermal runaway of the battery assembly (Figs. 5 and 8; paragraphs 0045, 0048 disclose a flow field being formed in the tray, element 104, which clearly has a gap at the base for the flow fields, element 502, or channels, element 800 for the cooling medium to pass through. See annotated fig. 5 below.).
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Fig. 5 of Hinkeldey
Regarding claim 2, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, further comprising a cover which encloses a space adjacent to the battery mount when connected to the battery mount (Abstract; Figs. 1, 5, and 6 disclose a sealing element, element 110, or lid.) and wherein the sealed channel has at least one outlet in either of the cover and/or the mount base such that the vent gases of the battery assembly flow out of the at least one outlet during thermal runaway of the battery assembly Figs. 5 and 8; paragraphs 0045, 0048 disclose a flow field being formed in the tray, element 104, which clearly has a gap at the base for the flow fields, element 502, or channels, element 800 for the cooling medium to pass through. See annotated fig. 5 below.).
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Fig. 5 of Hinkeldey
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly further comprises a housing arranged to accommodate the plurality of cells, wherein the housing comprises a first housing side and a second housing side which opposes the first housing side, and wherein the battery assembly is bonded to the first side of the first portion by the first housing side being bonded to the first side of the first portion with the adhesive and the battery assembly is bonded to the first side of the second portion by the second housing side being bonded to the first side of the second portion with the adhesive; wherein the first housing side and the second housing side extend from battery assembly to contact the mount base when the battery assembly is bonded to the battery mount (Abstract discloses the tray, element 104, is also a housing. Therefore, annotated figs above disclose element 104 also serving as the claimed housing.).
Regarding claim 5, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly further comprises a potting medium, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged fixed relative to each other by the potting medium bonding the plurality of cells together(Fig. 5; paragraph 0048 disclose a foil, element 300, can be used as a potting compound and aligned in the tray, element 104, wherein the cell module is directly cast, glued pressed, or similarly embedded in the tray, element 104.) and wherein the battery assembly is bonded to the first side of the first portion by exteriors of the cells and/or the potting medium being bonded to the first side of the first portion with the adhesive, and the battery assembly is bonded to the first side of the second portion by exteriors of the cells and/or the potting medium being bonded to the first side of the second portion with the adhesive (See annotated fig. 5 below.).
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Fig. 5 of Hinkeldey
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, wherein wherein a height of the first side of the first portion from the mount base and a height of the first side of the second portion from the mount base are at least 30 % or 75% of a height of the battery assembly from the mount base (See annotated Fig. 5 below. It appears the height of the side portions are slightly longer, over 100%, of a height of the battery assembly.).
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Fig. 5 of Hinkeldey
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly has a first assembly side facing the first side of the first portion, a second assembly side facing the first side of the second portion and wherein the mounted battery system further comprises at least one spacing element extending from the first assembly side and in contact with the first side of the first portion and at least one spacing element extending from the second assembly side and in contact with the first side of the second portion such that a distance between the first assembly side and the first side of the first portion and a distance between the second assembly side and the first side of the second portion are set by a geometry of the respective at least one spacing elements (Fig. 7; paragraphs 0017, 0045, and 0048 disclose the use of inserts, element 700, which can act as a spacer between the tray, element 104, and the battery cell, element 100. See annotated fig. 7 below.);
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Fig. 7 of Hinkeldey
wherein the at least one spacing element extending from the first assembly side and in contact with the first side of the first portion is in a state of compression (Paragraph 0017 discloses the insert can be under spring tension and press the barrier membrane against the battery cell to enable improved heat transfer.).
Regarding claim 11, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1, further comprising at least one supporting element within the gap formed between the battery assembly and the mount base and in contact with the battery assembly and the mount base (Fig. 5; paragraph 0038 discloses the use of internal ribs designed to support the battery module.).
Regarding claim 12, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 11, wherein the mount base comprises a supporting portion which extends from the mount base within the gap formed between the battery assembly and the mount base and which is in contact with the battery assembly, wherein the supporting portion is a protrusion from the mount base which is formed from a single piece of material with the mount base (Fig. 5; paragraph 0038 discloses the tray, element 104, has internal ribs, element 500, to form a flowfield, element 502, or channels for the cooling fluid. The rubs, element 500 are designed as supports for the battery module, element 100. Paragraph 0016 discloses the ribs and the tray are part of one element.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinkeldey et al. (DE 10 2012 218102 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yang et al. (WO 2022/149965 A1 using US 2023/0216126 A1 as an English language translation.).
Regarding claim 8, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1. However, they do not teach wherein a height of the first side of the first portion from the mount base and a height of the first side of the second portion from the mount base are equal to a height of the battery assembly from the mount base.
Yang et al. teach a mounted battery system (Abstract; Fig. 1 discloses an underframe, element 5, and a case, element 200.) wherein a height of the first side of the first portion from the mount base and a height of the first side of the second portion from the mount base are equal to a height of the battery assembly from the mount base (Fig. 1 shows two side portions of the case, element 200, comprising portions that extend vertically from the under frame, element 5, and surrounding both sides of the cell, element 100. Further, the height of the sides of the case, element 200, are equal to the height of the battery cells, element 100.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Hinkeldey with Yang in order to make the structure more compact.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinkeldey et al. (DE 10 2012 218102 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Hinkeldey et al. teach the mounted battery system of claim 1. However, they do not teach further comprising: a second battery assembly which comprises a plurality of cells arranged fixed relative to each other; and wherein the battery mount further comprises a third portion extending from the mount base; and wherein the second battery assembly is bonded to a second side of the second portion and to a first side of the third portion with the adhesive, wherein the second side of the second portion is facing the first side of the third portion, and wherein a gap is formed between the second battery assembly and the mount base.
However, Hinkeldey does disclose the battery modules (Figs. 1-9, element 100) can comprise multiple stacks (Paragraph 0033). Therefore, a second battery assembly is an example of duplication of parts. MPEP 2144.04 VI B: In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL S GATEWOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-7958. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:30.
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Daniel S. Gatewood, Ph.D.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1729
/DANIEL S GATEWOOD, Ph. D/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729 July 22nd, 2026
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