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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 03/16/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202320543686.3 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 05/31/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202321370416.3 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Chin on 01/26/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202420203107.5 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 cooling flow channels of claims 1 & 10, reinforcing beam of claim 8, battery management system of claim 15, & fire-resisting and pressure relief unit of claim 15 must be shown or the features canceled from the claims. No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: fire-resisting wall assembly 63. 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. 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 § 112
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.
Claims 6 & 10 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.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the projection area of the coolant-converging-channel" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the liquid outlets of several parallel cooling flow channels" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-5, 9, & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wen et al. (CN 109585727 A).
Regarding claim 1, Wen teaches a battery box (Pg. 1, “battery box”), comprising: a bottom plate (bottom plate 100) and a frame (side panels 200), the bottom plate and the frame together form an installation cavity (Par. 11; receiving space), the bottom plate is provided with a number of cooling flow channels (Fig. 6; cooling channels 120), and the cooling flow channels are used for circulating cooling medium (Par. 0070; cooling medium enters the cooling channel 120); a coolant-converging-channel (manifold 300/340), at least one end of the bottom plate is provided with the coolant-converging-channel (Fig. 1-2; manifold 300 is placed on the bottom plate), and the coolant-converging-channel connects to the bottom plate and is interconnected to the cooling flow channels (Par. 0082; “The manifold 300 distributes the cooling medium to the cooling channel 120”).
Regarding claim 2, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 1, wherein when the coolant-converging-channel is located outside the installation cavity, the frame includes a plurality of side plates (side plates 200) and at least one mounting plate (Fig. 1-2; the side plate 200 on the side of the manifold 300 serves as a mounting plate), a mounting slot is formed between the mounting plate and the bottom plate (Fig. 2, the mounting plate is indented above the bottom plate, forming a mounting slot), and at least part of the coolant-converging-channel is accommodated inside of the mounting slot (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 2, wherein the mounting plate includes a flat plate section and a bent plate section connected in sequence (Fig. 2; the mounting plate is flat and vertical above the manifold, and it then is bent directly inward), one end of the bent plate section is connected to the flat plate section (Fig. 2), another end of the bent plate section extends toward a direction of the installation cavity and is connected to the bottom plate (Fig. 2; the bent portion of the mounting plate extends directly towards the cavity and then down to the bottom plate), and the mounting slot is formed between the bent plate section and the bottom plate (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 2, wherein the plurality of side plates include a first side plate connected to both ends of the mounting plate (Fig. 1-2), the coolant-converging-channel extends along a second direction (Par. 0072 of the present specification designates the Y-direction as the second direction, thus the coolant-converging-channel must extend along the mounting plate; Wen Fig. 1), and a projection of the coolant-converging-channel on the first side plate along the second direction does not exceed the first side plate (Fig. 2; the manifold appears to be flush with the side plate 200).
Regarding claim 5, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 4, wherein the coolant-converging-channel is accommodated inside the mounting slot (Fig. 2, the manifold 300 is partially accommodated inside the mounting slot).
Regarding claim 9, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 1, wherein when the coolant-converging-channel is located outside the installation cavity, the coolant-converging-channel is provided at both ends of the bottom plate (Par. 0084, there may be two manifolds, one on an inlet side and one on an outlet side; Fig. 1), the coolant-converging-channel located on one end includes a liquid inlet flow channel interconnected to a liquid inlet of the cooling flow channel (Par. 0084; the manifold includes a water inlet 111, which is connected to the cooling channels 120), and the coolant-converging-channel located at another end includes a liquid outlet flow channel interconnected to a liquid outlet of the cooling flow channel (Par. 0084; the manifold includes a water outlet 112, which is connected to the cooling channels 120).
Regarding claim 14, Wen teaches a battery pack comprising a plurality of batteries (Par. 0068-69, multiple battery modules are housed in the battery box) and a battery box according to claim 1 (Par. 0068), and the battery box is suitable to accommodate the plurality of batteries (Par. 0068-69; since the battery housing contains a plurality of battery modules, it constitutes the requirements of a battery pack).
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Si et al. (CN 113381090 A).
Regarding claim 6, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 1, wherein the coolant-converging channel is located outside the installation cavity (Fig. 1-2). Wen fails to teach a flange extending outside the installation cavity.
However, Si teaches a battery box comprising a frame (Par. 0011; “wall panel surrounding the base plate”) and a bottom plate (Par. 0011; base plate), wherein one end of the frame facing away from the bottom plate has a flange extending toward the outside of an installation cavity (Par. 0015, an upper flange formed on the tops of the wall panels extends outward; Fig. 1), and along the direction perpendicular to the bottom plate, a projection area of the flange on the bottom plate includes a projection area of a coolant-converging-channel on the bottom plate (Fig. 1; the flange extends above the inlet 401 and outlet 404).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating a flange extending outward from the top of the frame, as taught by Si. This would be done in order to provide a way to attach a cover to the battery box through upper cover mounting holes, as described in Si (Par. 0033).
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Yang et al. (WO 2024/066392 A1, priority date of 9/30/2022).
Regarding claim 7, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 2, wherein the side plates include a first side plate connected to both ends of the mounting plate. Wen fails to teach a reinforcing plate on the first side plate and a sandwich cavity formed between the reinforcing plate and the first side plate, but Wen does teach a desire to strengthen the box and lessen the weight (Par. 0004, 0088).
However, Yang teaches a battery box (box body 11) with a first side plate (Annotated Fig. 4; longitudinal side beam 111 has a wall portion which acts as a first side plate), and a reinforcing plate is provided at one end of the first side plate close to a bottom plate (Annotated Fig. 4; the longitudinal side beam 111 has a reinforcement portion which extends from the lower portion of the beam), the reinforcing plate is arranged on a side of the first side plate away from an installation cavity (Annotated Fig. 4), a side of the reinforcing plate facing away from the installation cavity protrudes (Annotated Fig. 4; the reinforcement portion of the beam protrudes away from the installation cavity), and a sandwich cavity is formed between the reinforcing plate and the first side plate (Annotated Fig. 4, there are cavities formed between the reinforcement portion and wall portion of the beam).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating a reinforcing plate on the first side plate with a sandwich cavity in between, as taught by Yang. One of ordinary skill would have determined that this would result in increased structural strength at a low cost of weight.
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Annotated Fig. 4
Regarding claim 8, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 2, wherein the side plates include a first side plate connected to both ends of the mounting plate. Wen fails to teach a reinforcing beam, but does teach a desire to improve structural strength (Par. 0088).
However, Yang teaches a battery box (box body 11), wherein a reinforcing beam is provided on a side of a first side plate (Annotated Fig. 4; the longitudinal side beam 111 has a reinforcement portion which extends from the wall portion of the beam) away from an installation cavity (Annotated Fig. 4), and the reinforcing beam extends along a first direction (Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating a reinforcing beam on the first side plate, as taught by Yang. One of ordinary skill would have determined that this would result in increased structural strength of the battery box.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Wunsche et al. (US 20210119282 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Wen teaches the battery box of claim 1, comprising: a box body (Fig. 1), the box body includes the bottom plate and the frame (base plate 100, side walls 200), the bottom plate and the frame together form the installation cavity (Par. 0011; “receiving space”), the bottom plate is provided with a number of parallel cooling flow channels (cooling channels 120), the cooling flow channels are used for circulating cooling medium (Par. 0070; cooling medium enters the cooling channel 120), and the frame is provided with a liquid inlet structure (inlet connector 500; Fig. 1-2) and a liquid outlet structure (outlet connector 600; Fig. 1); the coolant-converging-channel (manifold 300), the coolant-converging-channel is installed on the bottom plate (Fig. 1-2; manifold 300 is placed on the bottom plate), and a coolant-converging-channel cavity is formed inside the coolant-converging-channel (Par. 0072; the manifold 300 has an internal cavity). Wen fails to teach the coolant-converging-channel cavity being divided into a liquid inlet flow channel and a liquid outlet flow channel, and a flow guide structure.
However, Wunsche teaches a coolant-converging-channel (first frame profile 210) which is installed on a bottom plate (cooling plate 270), a coolant-converging-channel cavity is formed inside the coolant-converging-channel (Fig. 5; the frame has a plurality of cavities), the coolant-converging-channel cavity is divided into a liquid inlet flow channel (first channel 215; Par. 0068-69, coolant is fed into the connection point 221, which is in direct communication with the first channel 215) and a liquid outlet flow channel (second channel 216; Par. 0070, connection point 224 is used as an outlet, which is in direct communication with the second channel 216), one end of the liquid inlet flow channel is interconnected with a liquid inlet structure (connection point 221; Fig. 9), another end of the liquid inlet flow channel is interconnected with liquid inlets of several parallel cooling flow channels (Fig. 13; the connection point 273.1 serves as the inlet, which sends fluid through the coolant passages 271), one end of the liquid outlet flow channel is interconnected with liquid outlets of several parallel cooling flow channels (Fig. 13; the connection point 273.2 serves as the outlet, which receives fluid from the coolant passages 271), and another end of the liquid outlet flow channel is interconnected with a liquid outlet structure (connection point 224; Fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by dividing the coolant-converging-channel into liquid inlet and outlet flow channels and placing them in communication with cooling flow channels in the bottom plate, as taught by Wunsche. This would be done in order to distribute cooling throughout the bottom plate of the battery box, as stated in Wunsche (Par. 0068-69).
Wunsche also teaches a flow guide structure, the flow guide structure includes a male end (connection point 217) and a female end (gasket 280), the male end is arranged on the coolant-converging-channel (Fig. 6), the female end is arranged on the bottom plate (Fig. 6), the male end is matching connected to the female end (Par. 0065), and the flow guide structure allows a cooling medium to enter evenly into several parallel cooling flow channels (Par. 0065; a fluid connection is present between the connection points through the gasket 280).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating a flow guide structure with matching male and female parts on the coolant-converging-channel and bottom plate, as taught by Wunsche. This would be done in order to ensure a tight fluid connection between the coolant-converging-channel and bottom plate, as stated in Wunsche (Par. 0065).
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Wunsche, and further in view of Si.
Regarding claim 11, Wen teaches a liquid inlet structure including a water inlet (water inlet connector 500), the water inlet passes through on the frame (Fig. 1), the liquid outlet structure includes a water outlet (water outlet connector 600), the water outlet passes through on the frame (Fig. 1). Wen fails to teach first and second flow collecting blocks, liquid inlet and outlet flow ports on the bottom wall of the coolant-converging-channel, and the coolant-converging-channel being located inside the installation cavity.
However, Wunsche teaches a bottom wall (Fig. 13) of the coolant-converging-channel being provided with a number of liquid inlet flow ports (connection points 217.2) and a number of liquid outlet flow ports (connection points 217.1), several of the liquid inlet flow ports are interconnected with the liquid inlet flow channel (Fig. 13, Par. 0079; connection points 217.2 are in fluid communication with the connection points 273.2, which correspond to the inlet), several of the liquid outlet flow ports are interconnected with the liquid outlet flow channel (Fig. 13, Par. 0078; connection points 217.1 are in fluid communication with the connection points 273.1, which correspond to the outlet), the liquid inlet flow ports and the liquid outlet flow ports correspond to the cooling flow channel one-to-one (Par. 0080; connection points 217.1 and 217.2 are respectively in communication with coolant passages 271.1 and 271.2), each of the liquid inlet flow ports is interconnected with the liquid inlet of one cooling flow channel (connection points 217.2 correspond to coolant passages 271.2), and each of the liquid outlet flow ports is interconnected with a corresponding liquid outlet of the cooling flow channel (connection points 217.1 correspond to coolant passages 271.1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill In the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating liquid inlet and outlet flow ports on the bottom wall of the coolant-converging-channel and connecting them to cooling flow channels, as taught by Wunsche. This would be done in order to provide integral, independent cooling circuits, as stated in Wunsche (Par. 0080).
Wen additionally fails to teach first and second flow collecting blocks.
However, Si teaches a battery box (Fig. 1) with a liquid inlet structure which includes a water inlet (inlet connecting pipe 401) and a first flow collecting block (inlet plug 402), the water inlet passes through a frame (wall panels 101, 102, 201, 202; inlet connecting pipe 401 passes through the front wall panel 101), and the first flow collecting block is interconnected with the water inlet and a liquid inlet flow channel (Par. 0032; coolant is sent through the inlet structure into the liquid cooling plate); and a liquid outlet structure which includes a water outlet (outlet connecting pipe 404) and a second flow collecting block (outlet plug 405), the water outlet passes through on the frame (outlet connecting pipe 404 passes through the front wall panel 101), and the second flow collecting block is interconnected with the water outlet and a liquid outlet flow channel (Par. 0032; coolant is sent out through the outlet structure from the liquid cooling plate).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating flow collecting blocks into the inlet and outlet structures, as taught by Si. One of ordinary skill would have determined that this would result in direct communication between the first and second flow blocks with the inlet flow channel and outlet flow channel, respectively.
Wen finally fails to teach the coolant-converging-channel being located inside the installation cavity. However, it is the Examiner’s position that the location of the coolant-converging-channel is unpatentable because shifting the position of the coolant-converging-channel from the outside to the inside of the installation cavity would not have modified the operation of the device (See MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C)).
Regarding claim 12, Wen fails to teach an upper limit step and a lower limit step.
However, Wunsche teaches an upper limit step (connection point 217) which is provided in a circumferential direction of a liquid inlet flow port (Fig. 6, 7), and the upper limit step constitutes the male end of the flow guide structure (See claim 10 above; the connection point 217 is located on the coolant-converging-channel); a lower limit step (gasket 280) is located on the bottom plate at a position corresponding to the upper limit step (Fig. 13, arrows show correspondence between 217 and 280, which is unmarked but designated by the solid arrow), the lower limit step constitutes the female end of the flow guide structure (See claim 10 above; the gasket 280 is located on the bottom plate), the upper limit step and the lower limit step intersect with each other and form a mating connection surface (Pr. 0065), and the upper limit step introduces the cooling medium into the cooling flow channel (Par. 0065; a fluid connection is present between the connection points through the gasket 280).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery box taught by Wen by incorporating an upper limit step and lower limit step which serve as the male and female ends of the flow guide structure, as taught by Wunsche. This would be done in order to ensure a tight fluid connection between the coolant-converging-channel and bottom plate, as stated in Wunsche (Par. 0065).
Additionally, it is the Examiner’s position that the recessed shape of the lower limit step is a matter of choice which a person of obvious skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the configuration of the lower limit step is significant. There is no evidence suggesting that the battery box would operate differently depending on whether the lower limit step is recessed and the upper limit step protrudes, or vice versa (See MPEP 2144.04(IV)(B)).
Regarding claim 13, modified Wen teaches the battery box of claim 12, wherein the bottom plate is provided with partition bars (partitions 130), and the partition bars divide the cooling flow channel into a plurality of sub-flow channels (Par. 0086, Fig. 6).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Chi et al. (CN 114614161 A).
Regarding claim 15, Wen fails to teach an aerosol fire extinguishing device and a battery management system.
However, Chi teaches an aerosol fire extinguishing device (Par. 0004; “the battery pack has built-in aerosol fire extinguishing devices”, “fire protection system”) and a battery management system (Par. 0036, “thermal management system”; Par. 0037, “BMS”), wherein, the aerosol fire extinguishing device is located above the plurality of batteries or on one side of the plurality of batteries (Par. 0004, the fire extinguishing device must be above or on a side of the batteries to effectively make contact with the fire and extinguish the fire); the aerosol fire extinguishing device further includes a status feedback device (Par. 0037, “fire detector”), and the aerosol fire extinguishing device is configured to be connected to the battery management system through the status feedback device (Par. 0037, “The fire detector will detect the temperature anomaly through the BMS”), the status feedback device is suitable to provide the battery management system with a status quantity of whether the aerosol fire extinguishing device is activated (Par. 0037, the fire detector activates the fire protection system, thus, the device knows whether the device is activated).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery pack taught by Wen by incorporating an aerosol fire extinguishing device and a battery management system, as taught by Chi. An aerosol fire extinguishing device would be incorporated to prevent battery damage due to fire and liquid extinguishers (Par. 0004), and a BMS would be included to automatically extinguish a fire as soon as it is detected (Par. 0037), as stated in Chi.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Zhang et al. (WO 2024/087882 A1, priority date of 10/27/2022).
Regarding claim 16, Wen fails to teach an energy storage container comprising the battery pack of claim 14.
However, Zhang teaches an energy storage container (power cabinet 100), comprising: a battery rack (cabinet 10), and the battery rack is divided into a plurality of independent units (Fig. 6) for accommodating a battery pack (battery pack 311).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the battery pack taught by Wen into an energy storage container, as taught by Zhang. This would be done in order to transport and install multiple battery packs as a whole, as stated in Zhang (Par. 0050).
Regarding claim 17, modified Zhang teaches the energy storage container of claim 16, further comprising a chiller (liquid cooling warehouse 115), a primary pipeline (main pipeline 41), a secondary pipeline and a tertiary pipeline (two branch pipelines 43), wherein, the primary pipeline is connected to a chiller water inlet and a chiller water outlet of the chiller (Par. 0053; the main pipeline 41 is connected to the liquid cooling warehouse 115 through an inlet and an outlet); the secondary pipeline is connected to the primary pipeline (Par. 0052), and the tertiary pipeline is connected between a plurality of battery packs and the secondary pipeline (Par. 0052; one branch pipeline 43 corresponds to multiple battery packs 311 and is connected to the other branch pipeline in parallel); the primary pipeline is configured to deliver cooling liquid from the chiller to the secondary pipeline, or to receive cooling liquid from the secondary pipeline and deliver to the chiller (Par. 0053; as the secondary branch pipeline 43 is connected to the main pipeline’s inlet and outlet, both of these embodiments are taught), and the secondary pipeline is configured to receive cooling liquid of the primary pipeline and deliver to the tertiary pipeline, or to receive cooling liquid of the tertiary pipeline and deliver to the primary pipeline (Par. 0052-53; the secondary branch pipeline must be connected with the tertiary branch pipeline which is connected to the battery packs; as the secondary pipeline is connected to the main pipeline’s inlet and outlet, both of these embodiments are taught). Zhang fails to teach a cooling flow channel of a battery box in the battery packs. Zhang rather only teaches that the tertiary branch pipeline 43 corresponds to the battery packs.
However, Wen teaches a cooling flow channel of a battery box in a battery pack.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the tertiary pipeline of the energy storage container taught by Zhang and deliver cooling liquid to the cooling flow channel of the battery box of the battery pack taught by Wen. This would be done in order to cool the battery packs, preventing heat-related problems such as fires.
Claims 18 & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen, in view of Zhang, and further in view of Xie et al. (CN 216903211 U) and Bodratti et al. (US 2023/0265347 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Wen fails to teach a fire-resisting wall assembly which is provided with a fire-resisting and pressure relief unit.
However, Xie teaches an energy storage container (Par. 0001) comprising a fire-resisting wall assembly (fireproof isolation panels 14), which is arranged in a battery rack (container body 1) longitudinally and transversely (Fig. 2), and the fire-resisting wall assembly is also provided with a fire-resisting unit (Par. 0052; fireproof partitions 14 prevent the spread of fire) which can form a cold wall effect and a container wall effect (Par. 0052; fireproof partitions 14 contain the spread of fire, thus helping to keep each compartment cooler).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the energy storage container taught by modified Wen by incorporating a fire-resisting wall assembly, as taught by Xie. This would be done in order to prevent the spread of fire between adjacent battery packs/clusters and to isolate each area, as stated in Xie (Par. 0043, 0052).
Modified Wen additionally fails to teach the fire-resisting wall assembly as a pressure relief unit.
However, Bodratti teaches a fire-resisting and pressure relieving wall assembly (Par. 0002, a fiber-containing fire protection material is placed between individual cells; Par. 0028, 0038 the material is made of a ceramic and/or polycrystalline fiber matrix, and matrices result in openings in the material which allow pressure to be released), which is arranged in a battery pack (Par. 0002, the composition is used for fire protection between individual cells).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fire-resisting wall assembly taught by modified Wen by forming it from a material which is pressure-relieving, as taught by Bodratti. One of ordinary skill would have determined that this would result in a prevention of explosions due to overpressured compartments.
Regarding claim 20, Wen fails to teach a battery rack with a frame, cluster frame, and a plurality of clamping slots.
However, Xie teaches a battery rack (container body 1) comprising a frame (container body 1; Fig. 20 of the present application shows that the battery rack 61 and frame 611 are the same part), a cluster frame (Fig. 1; battery clusters 2 are held in cluster frames), and a plurality of clamping slots (Fig. 2; the fire isolation board 14 is clamped between two guide rails 12), the cluster frame is located in the frame (Fig. 1), the cluster frame is used for installing the battery pack (Fig. 1; the cluster frame holds several battery packs in each cluster), the plurality of the clamping slots are respectively provided on the cluster frame (Fig. 1, 8; the clamping slots sit directly against the cluster frames, thus, in this case, the clamping slots are on the cluster frames), and the fire-resisting wall assembly is clamped on the cluster frame through the clamping slots (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the energy storage container taught by modified Wen by incorporating a frame, cluster frame, and clamping slots, as taught by Xie. One of ordinary skill would have determined that this would be done in order to secure the battery clusters and fire-resisting wall assemblies in the container.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 19 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. The limitations of claim 18 must also be included.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 19 of the present application would be found allowable because prior art fails to teach “the fire-resisting and pressure relief unit comprises a plurality of micropores, the micropores are provided on the fire-resisting wall assembly, the micropores are through holes, a projected area of the micropores in any plane perpendicular to the through holes direction of the micropores is less than or equal to 1mm2, wherein the fire-resisting wall assembly comprises: a fire-resisting wall between battery clusters, which is used to be erected between two adjacent battery clusters, and each of the battery clusters includes a plurality of the battery packs; a fire-resisting wall between battery packs, which is used to be erected between two adjacent battery packs; wherein the projected area of the micropores on the fire-resisting wall between battery clusters in any plane perpendicular to the through holes direction of the micropores is smaller than that of the projection of the micropores on the fire-resisting wall between battery packs in any plane perpendicular to the through holes direction of the micropore.” The closest prior art references are Xie and Bodratti et al. (US 2023/0265347 A1). However, the references neither teach nor reasonably suggest the combination of features claimed.
Bodratti is the closest prior art. Bodratti teaches a fire-resisting wall assembly (Par. 0002, composition for fire protection between battery cells; fire protection material 100) comprising a plurality of micropores (Par. 0028, 0038; the material 100 contains microporous additives). Bodratti fails to teach a projected area of the micropores, rather only teaching their composition and their weight percentage in the fire protection material 100.
Xie teaches a fire-resisting wall (fire isolation board 14) placed between two adjacent battery clusters (Fig. 1-2), and placed between battery packs (Fig. 1-2; the fire isolation boards 14 are placed between adjacent battery clusters, which are made of battery packs; thus, the fire isolation boards 14 are placed between battery packs as well).
The combination of Xie and Bodratti does not provide any suggestion towards a projected area of the micropores on any of the fire-resisting walls, thus, there is no demonstrated need for these limitations.
Conclusion
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/CAMERON M BAIRD/ Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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