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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 7-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US20180272853A1 (Wang) .
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a battery pack [abs] comprising: a plurality of battery assemblies [0063] ; a lower pack housing [1; fig. 1] that includes a plurality of partition walls [beams [#12; 0101] , each partition wall disposed between adjacent battery assemblies, accommodates a respective one of the plurality of battery assemblies, and has an open upper surface; a gasket [#4; 0096] coupled on an edge of the upper surface of the lower pack housing and the partition wall to isolate each battery assembly accommodated in the lower pack housing together with the partition wall; and an upper pack housing coupled to the upper surface of the lower pack housing with the gasket therebetween to seal the battery assemblies [depicted below].
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Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches wherein a height of the plurality of partition walls [fig. 1; 0096] is greater than or equal to a height of the plurality of battery assemblies [in fig 1; it illustrates the walls are equal to the battery assembly].
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches wherein a distance between adjacent partition walls of the plurality of partition walls is less than a width of each of the plurality of battery assemblies [illustrated below].
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Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches wherein the lower pack housing includes a base [11; 0063] plate and a side wall frame coupled to an edge of the base plate [0064; depicted above in claim 1].
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches wherein the plurality of battery assemblies are arranged in two or more columns spaced from each other in a first direction, wherein a number of partition walls
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Regarding claim 9, Wang teaches wherein the pack housing includes: a unit frame assembly [#111; 0063], comprising a plurality of unit frames, each unit frame including the partition wall and a base plate extending in a first direction from a lower end portion of the partition wall, wherein an end portion of the base plate in one unit frame is coupled to an end portion of the base plate of a subsequent unit frame to sequentially couple the unit frames
Regarding claim 10, Wang teaches a first side frame coupled to the base plate of a foremost unit frame of the unit frame assembly in the first direction [claims 8]. As seen in fig. 3; the unit frame has four sides, therefore Wang teaches the claimed side frame of the frame assembly.
Regarding claim 11,Wang teaches a second side frame coupled to a sidewall of a rearmost unit frame of the unit frame assembly in the first direction. As seen in fig. 3; the unit frame has four sides, therefore Wang teaches the claimed side frame of the frame assembly.
Regarding claim 12, Wang teaches wherein each unit frame includes two or more partition walls positioned at a predetermined interval in the second direction, the two or more partition walls connected to one base, wherein the plurality of battery assemblies are disposed in two or more columns in the second direction, a number of the columns being equal to a number of the partition walls connected to each base, and wherein the battery pack further includes a center frame.
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(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20180272853A1 (Wang) further in view of English translation of JP2018129240A [Nakamoto]
Regarding claim 4, Wang is silent with respect to wherein a heat transfer member is provided between each of the plurality of battery assemblies and a bottom surface of the lower pack housing. Nakamoto teaches a battery pack [abs] and teaches the heat transfer member 145 dissipates heat that may be generated during use of the battery pack. The heat transfer member 145 is disposed between the unit cell assemblies 120 </ b> M and 120 </ b> N adjacent to each other in the stacking direction Z, or between the unit cells 120. The heat transfer member 145 has a contact portion 146 and a heat radiation portion 147 (corresponding to an extension portion). The heat transfer member 145 is made of a plate-like material such as aluminum having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the laminate film 122 covering the power generation element 121 of the unit cell 120 except for the electrode tab 124 [0120-0121].The heat transfer member 145 can be disposed at an arbitrary position in the lamination direction Z as described above [0126]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used modified Wang in view of Nakamoto and incorporate the heat transfer member as it is possible to efficiently cool the module stacks 111 to 114 according to the configuration of the unit cells 120 and the like included in the module stacks 111 to 114.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20180272853A1 (Wang) further in view US20140220391A1 [Fujii]
Regarding claim 5,Wang is silent with respect to wherein the lower pack housing has a cooling passage embedded in a bottom portion in direct contact with the plurality of battery assemblies. Fujii teaches power source apparatus [abs] and teaches a cooling plate below a bottom part of the module frame [Fig. 1-4; paragraph 0043]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to avail the teachings of utilizing cooling plate in order to have efficient thermal management of the battery module.
Claim(s) 6 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20180272853A1 (Wang) further in view US20170338520A1 [Lim]
Regarding claim 6, Wang is silent with respect to the battery pack further comprising an inter- busbar configured to pass through the partition wall and electrically connect adjacent battery assemblies. Lim teaches the bus bars as claimed [0044; i.e. 22a/b]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang in view of Lim to incorporate the bus bars in order to have an electrical connection between the battery assemblies [0044].
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches the gasket however is silent with respect to an outer frame coupled to the edge of the upper surface of the lower pack housing; and a plurality of isolation frames that extend parallel to the partition walls inside the outer frame and are coupled to upper surfaces of the partition walls to isolate adjacent battery assemblies. Lim teaches a battery device [abs] and teaches a battery pack assembly similar to Wangs battery pack. Lim teaches the isolation frame [0045; i.e. #21 insulation frame] as claimed. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang in view of Lim and incorporate the isolation frame as this allows the battery pack to function efficiently [0004-0007].
Regarding claim 14, Lim further teaches wherein each of the plurality of isolation frames include an inter-busbar coupling block [215] to which an inter-busbar [22a/22b; 0045] is coupled, wherein an inter-busbar coupling block coupling groove is formed in an upper portion of each partition wall, and wherein each isolation frame is coupled to the upper surface of respective partition wall such that the inter-busbar coupling block is inserted into the inter-busbar coupling block coupling groove [0044-0047; fig. 5/6].
Regarding claim 15, Wang in view of Lim teaches wherein, when the battery assemblies and the partition walls are arranged in two or more columns in an extending direction of the partition wall, and a center frame is installed perpendicular to the extending direction between the battery assemblies and between the partition walls, the plurality of isolation frames each include a pair of inter-busbar coupling blocks, and inter-busbar coupling block coupling grooves to which the of inter-busbar coupling blocks are coupled are formed in upper portions of the partition walls at both sides facing the center frame [please refer to full documents of Wang and Lim].
Conclusion
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/S.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1729
/ULA C RUDDOCK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1729
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