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 .
Claims 1-14 are pending and considered in the present Office action.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim makes reference to “fabric portion” which was amended in claim 5 to “fabric”; thus, claim 8 needs correction to maintain clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-10, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoo et al. (US 2020/0343499), hereinafter Yoo.
Regarding Claim 1, Yoo suggests a battery module, comprising: a cell assembly (100) having at least one battery cell (110); a body frame (210) configured to accommodate the cell assembly in an inner space and having an open portion (O1) formed in at least one side (Fig. 2); an end frame (240A) coupled to the open portion of the body frame and having at least one of a terminal (e.g., external input/output terminals from bus bar 225 at O2, [0062]) and a connector portion (e.g., connector 227 at H2 for external BMs, [0064]); and a blocking member (222) interposed between the end frame (240A) and the cell assembly (115) and configured to block movement of flame.
Regarding Claim 2, Yoo suggests the cell assembly includes a plurality of pouch-type batteries arranged in a horizontal direction in a form where electrode leads are disposed toward the open portion of the body frame, Fig. 2.
Regarding Claim 3, the solid nature of insulating material frame 222 suggest the blocking member (222) is configured to block the movement of flame toward at least one of the terminal and the connector of the end frame 240A.
Regarding Claim 4, Yoo suggests the blocking member has an air-permeable structure (e.g., hole H1).
Regarding Claim 9, Yoo suggests the blocking member is partially configured to have different permeability (i.e., parts of the blocking member 222 is solid while other parts include holes H1; thus, the member 222 is partially configured to have different states of permeability).
Regarding Claim 10, Yoo suggests lower portion includes holes H1, the upper portion is solid, fig. 2; thus, the blocking member is configured such that an upper portion of the blocking member has lower permeability (less holes) than a lower portion of the blocking member.
Regarding Claim 12, Yoo suggests the blocking member has an upper end bent toward the cell assembly, best seen in Fig. 2 on blocking member 222 associated with 240B.
Regarding Claim 13, Yoo suggests a battery pack, comprising the battery module, [0023]. claim 1.
Regarding Claim 14, Yoo suggests a vehicle, comprising the battery module, [0024].
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (US 2020/0343499) in view of Chang et al (US 2021/0305546), hereinafter Yoo, and Chang.
Regarding Claim 1-3, Yoo suggests a battery module, comprising: a cell assembly (100) having at least one battery cell (110); a body frame (210) configured to accommodate the cell assembly in an inner space and having an open portion (O1) formed in at least one side (Fig. 1); an end frame (240A) coupled to the open portion of the body frame and having at least one of a terminal (e.g., external input/output terminals from bus bar 225 at O2, [0062]) and a connector (e.g., connector 227 at H2 for external BMs, [0064]). Yoo suggests the cell assembly includes a plurality of pouch-type batteries arranged in a horizontal direction in a form where electrode leads are disposed toward the open portion of the body frame, Fig. 2.
Yoo does not suggest a blocking member. However, Chang suggests a blocking member (8) interposed between the end frame (6) and the cell assembly (1) isolates components of the battery module from the end plate to improve electrical safety, [0031]. It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to include a blocking member in Yoo with the expectation of improving electrical safety.
In light of the solid nature of the blocking member of Chang, one of ordinary skill in the art would expect the member to block movement of flame toward the terminal and connector of the end frame.
Regarding Claim 4, Yoo was modified with Chang, which suggests the blocking member 8 includes holes (e.g., 800, see e.g., Figs. 1 and 3, [0031]), thus has an air permeable structure.
Regarding Claim 12, Yoo was modified with Chang; Chang suggests the blocking member includes an upper end (e.g., 810) bent toward the cell assembly, see Fig. 3.
Regarding Claim 13, Yoo suggests a battery pack, comprising the battery module, [0023]. claim 1.
Regarding Claim 14, Yoo suggests a vehicle, comprising the battery module, [0024].
Claim(s) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo and Chang in view of Yoshida et al. (US 2020/0144576, or record), hereinafter Yoshida.
Regarding Claims 5-6, Chang does not suggest the blocking member includes a fabric of woven fibers using glass fibers. However, Yoshida forms a blocking member (13) between the end frame (3) and cell assembly (2), wherein the blocking member includes a fabric of woven fibers using glass fibers ([0045-0046]) thereby allowing insulation and heat resistance. It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art the blocking member is a fabric of woven fibers using glass fibers ([0045-0046]) to achieve not only insulation but heat resistance.
Regarding Claims 5, 7-8, Chang does not suggest the blocking member includes a fabric of woven fibers further including a body portion. However, Yoshida forms a blocking member (13) between the end frame (3) and cell assembly (2), wherein the blocking member includes a fabric of woven fibers (i.e., metal mesh, see e.g., [0032-0033, 0045-0046]), further including a body portion (i.e., surface coating of insulating material on the metal mesh), such that the fabric is located in a part of the body portion (i.e., fabric is located on a surface of the body), thereby allowing insulating and heat insulating property. It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art the blocking member includes a body portion and a fabric located in a part of the body portion (i.e., surface) with the expectation of providing an insulating property, and a heat insulating property.
Conclusion
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/ANNA KOROVINA/Examiner, Art Unit 1729
/ULA C RUDDOCK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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