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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 8/1/24, 11/20/24, and 6/17/25 have been considered by the examiner.
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 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kenney et al. (US 2016/0036104).
Regarding claim 1, Kenney teaches a liquid cooling plate, or battery cell heat exchanger (14), comprising:
a plate body, or cold plate heat exchanger (14) comprising mating plates (16, 18), defining a cooling chamber, or flow passage (20), provided with liquid inlet and outlet, or cooling fluid inlet and outlet (27, 29), wherein the cooling chamber communicates with outside through the inlet and outlet (Figures 1, 2, and 7 [0029]-[0030]);
a separator, or flow barrier (33), installed to the plate body, wherein along a direction in which the inlet and outlet (27, 29) are distributed, the cooling chamber (20) is divided into cooling flow-channels, or parallel flow channel portions (32), by the separator, and adjacent ones of the cooling flow-channels communicated with each other via U-shaped flow passage portion (34) (Figures 2 and 7, [0030]);
wherein the separator (33) is non-uniformly distributed at the plate body (18) (Figure 7, [0044]).
As for claim 2, Kenney teaches first (32(1)) and second (32(2)) flow-channels having different cross-sectional areas ([0044]) and further teaches, as is seen in annotated Figure 7 below, a central axis exists and a preset angle of 0° is set between the central axis and first direction:
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As for claim 3, it is further seen in annotated Figure 7 above that the first flow-channel (32(2)) is located above the central axis and the second flow-channel (32(2)) is located, partially, between the central axis and the first flow-channel.
Regarding claim 4, Kenney teaches that the flow-channel areas decrease as claimed (Figure 7, [0044]).
With regard to claims 5 and 8, Kenney teaches a plurality of separating members (33) extending from sidewalls, or peripheral flange portion (37), and forming channels and gaps as claimed (Figure 7, [0040]).
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.
Claims 6-7 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenney.
The teachings of Kenney as discussed above are incorporated herein.
Regarding claims 6-7 and 9-11, Kenney teaches the separator members of claims 5 and 8 but is silent on the dimensions of the separator members.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to select appropriate sizes for various elements, such as separating member length and height, in order to appropriately proportion those members for the intended purpose of providing flow channels. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 IV
Further regarding claims 6-7 and 9-11, Kenney teaches that providing a variable channel width of the fluid passage portions is result effective for achieving temperature uniformity across the heat exchanger plates ([0044]). The skilled artisan will easily understand that the channel width variability is used to control the flow volume in the channels, and that flow volume is controlled by the dimension of the channel. Therefore, the examiner finds that the skilled artisan will easily recognize, based on the teachings of Kenney at, e.g., [0044], that the changing other channel parameters, than the width will also result in changes in flow volume. Furthermore, changing the dimensions of the separators will change the channel sizes in order to control flow and thereby achieve temperature uniformity. It has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.05 II
With further regard to claim 11, Kenney teaches three separating members (33) to create four parallel flow passage portions (32), and further suggests that additional flow passage portions, i.e. 32(n), may be formed by additional separating members ([0040]). Kenney further teaches that the actual number of parallel flow passage portions (32) may vary depending on the specific application of the product in terms of the required overall size, heat transfer and pressure drop requirements, size of battery cells, etc. ([0030]).
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to provide additional separating members and place those members as appropriate in order to meet the requirements of the specific application. It has been held that duplication and rearrangement of parts require only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 VI B,C
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenney as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Silk et al. (US 2014/0272518).
The teachings of Kenney as discussed above are incorporated herein.
Kenney teaches the liquid cooling plate of claim 1 but is silent on the structure of the separator as required by claims 12-13.
Silk teaches a liquid cooling plate, or heat exchange assembly (50), comprising
a plate body having a top wall, or first plate (52), and bottom wall, or second plate (53), arranged oppositely in the thickness direction (Figure 2);
a separator comprising a dividing body, or compliant members (56), provided with first and second transition portions, or top and bottom, connected to the walls by compressive force (Figure 3, [0017]);
wherein a thickness of the first and second transition portions are greater than the thickness of the dividing body, or middle portion wherein the side walls of the second transition portions are an arc surface, as required by claim 13 (Figure 4, [0027]).
Silk further teaches that the shape and construction of the separator, or compliant members, is desirable for providing a heat exchange assembly that may adapt to expansions and contractions within the system ([0004]).
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to form the separator of Kenney of compliant members such as taught by Silk in order to form the liquid cooling plate with the ability to adapt to expansions and contractions within the system.
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenney as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2022/0352575).
The teachings of Kenney as discussed above are incorporated herein.
Regarding claims 14 and 15, Kenney teaches the a battery pack comprising cells installed on a bottom plate formed by the liquid cooling plate of claim 1 (Figure 1) but is silent on a case.
Kim teaches a battery pack comprising a case comprising a cover, or upper plate (22), defining a receiving cavity for cells (100) with a bottom plate, or lower frame (210), wherein the bottom portion of the lower fame is a liquid cooling plate, or heat sink (300) (Figure 4, [0046]). Kim further teaches that the upper plate is for covering the upper surface of the battery cell stack ([0044]).
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to provide a cover such as suggested by Kim in the battery pack of Kenney in order to provide protection for the cells.
As for claim 15, Kim is silent on providing the liquid cooling plate between the bottom plate and the cells; however, the examiner finds that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to form the liquid cooling plate above the bottom plate of Kenney in view of Kim, for example to provide additional protection of the plate or to ensure better cooling of the cells if a heat insulating is selected for the bottom plate. It has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 VI C
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALIX ECHELMEYER EGGERDING whose telephone number is (571)272-1101. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 4:30pm.
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/ALIX E EGGERDING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
