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 § 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.
Claim 4-6, 8, 9 and 12 are 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 4-6, 8, 9 and 12 recite the limitation "the battery" in multiple locations. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The independent claim references “a plurality of batteries” or each battery within the plurality but does not provide antecedent basis for a particular single battery.
For the purpose of examination, it is presumed that “the battery compartment” is the component which is provided with a mounting hole in claim 8, to be consistent with the instant specification, as no holes appear to be provided in the actually batteries described in the instant specification. For consistency, when the limitations regarding “the battery” should positively set up antecedent basis to a single battery, or require “each battery of the plurality of batteries”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1 or 2) as being anticipated by Aoki et al. (JP 2007-027011 cited in IDS, see attached machine translation).
In regard to independent claim 1, Aoki et al. teach an energy storage container, comprising:
a battery compartment (case 2 including battery chamber 4) accommodating a plurality of batteries 1,
wherein a venting channel (exhaust holes 6 and exhaust chamber 5) is provided between each battery of the plurality of batteries 1, 1 and a compartment wall (including partition wall 3) of the battery compartment, the venting channel being configured to discharge gases generated inside the battery to the outside of the battery compartment, and an interior space of the venting channel and an interior space of the battery compartment being isolated from each other (via partition wall 3); and
wherein at least one of the compartment wall of the battery compartment or the venting channel is provided with a thermal insulation member (potting material 27 and/or caps 9 of insulating plastic or rubber), the thermal insulation member being configured to thermally insulate the interior space of the battery compartment (see pages 6-10 of the attached machine translation, annotated figure 4 below).
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In regard to claim 2, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein: the venting channel comprises a first venting channel segment (exhaust hole 6) and a second venting channel segment 5; and the plurality of batteries are connected in one-to-one correspondence to a plurality of first venting channel segments (shown as arrows in annotated figure below), the plurality of first venting channel segments 6 being connected to at least one second venting channel segment 5, and the at least one second venting channel segment 4 being connected to the compartment wall of the battery compartment (page 8 of translation, a different annotated version of figure 4 below, note all components of the prior art device are considered “connected”).
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In regard to claim 3, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of batteries are connected in one-to-one correspondence to a plurality of venting channels (exhaust holes 6), the plurality of venting channels being all connected to the compartment wall of the battery compartment 2 (page 8 of translation, annotated figure 4 above, note all components of the prior art device are considered “connected”).
In regard to claim 4, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein: the compartment wall 2 of the battery compartment is provided with a weak region (valve 19), and the venting channel connects the battery with the weak region (by thinning a part); and a thickness of the weak region is less than those of the other regions of the compartment wall, and the weak region is used to rupture when a gas pressure inside the venting channel is greater than a threshold value so as to relieve the gas pressure (page 9 of translation, figure 7 “The discharge valve 19 in FIG. 7 is obtained by thinning a part of the outer wall of the case 2. When the internal pressure in the exhaust chamber 5 becomes higher than the set pressure, the thin portion of the exhaust chamber 5 is destroyed, and the exhaust valve 19 opens the exhaust valve 19.”).
In regard to claim 5, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein: the compartment wall of the battery compartment is provided with a first pressure relief mechanism (valve 19), and the venting channel 5 connects the battery with the first pressure relief mechanism 19; and the first pressure relief mechanism is configured to be actuated when a gas pressure inside the venting channel is greater than a threshold value so as to relieve the gas pressure inside the venting channel (page 9 of translation, figure 7 “The discharge valve 19 in FIG. 7 is obtained by thinning a part of the outer wall of the case 2. When the internal pressure in the exhaust chamber 5 becomes higher than the set pressure, the thin portion of the exhaust chamber 5 is destroyed, and the exhaust valve 19 opens the exhaust valve 19.”).
In regard to claim 6, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein: the battery is provided with a second pressure relief mechanism (safety valve 10 in cap 9), the second pressure relief mechanism being used to be actuated when a gas pressure inside the battery is greater than a threshold value so as to relieve the gas pressure inside the battery; and the venting channel connects the second pressure relief mechanism with the compartment wall of the battery compartment (page 7 of translation, annotated figure 4 above).
In regard to claim 7, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 6, wherein a dimension of the venting channel in a first direction is adapted to a dimension of the second pressure relief mechanism in the first direction, the first direction being parallel to a radial direction of the venting channel (page 7 of translation, arrows in annotated figure 4 above).
In regard to claim 8, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein the battery (compartment) is provided with a mounting hole (through portion 6 of exhaust hole 6, holes in partition wall 3), with a first end of the venting channel 5, 6 being inserted into the mounting hole to realize a connection between the venting channel and the battery (see figure 4 above, page 8).
In regard to claim 9, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 8, wherein a second pressure relief mechanism (safety valves 10) for the battery is correspondingly provided inside the mounting hole towards the battery (page 8 of translation, annotated figure 4 above).
In regard to claim 10, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein a second end of the venting channel (top of venting channel 5, abutting partition wall 3) has a first mounting portion in an annular structure (circular openings including caps 9), the first mounting portion being parallel to and abutting against the compartment wall of the battery compartment to realize a connection between the venting channel 5 and the compartment wall 2, 4 of the battery compartment (page 8 of translation, annotated figure 4 above).
In regard to claim 11, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein the compartment wall 3 of the battery compartment has a second mounting portion (caps 9, potting material 27) extending towards the interior of the battery compartment, the second mounting portion being sheathed into the inner wall or sleeving the outer wall of the venting channel to realize a connection between the venting channel and the compartment wall of the battery compartment (page 8 of translation, annotated figure 4 above – cap 9 sheaths the connection between venting channel sections).
In regard to claim 12, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least one end of the venting channel is provided with a sealing member (safety valves 10), and the venting channel 5 is connected to the battery 1 and/or to the compartment wall 3 of the battery compartment through the sealing member (page 8 of translation, annotated figure 4 above).
In regard to claim 13, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 12, wherein the sealing member is a sealing gasket or soft rubber (page 7 of translation, “The cap 9 is manufactured by molding an insulating material such as plastic or rubber”).
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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cao et al. (CN 112208949 cited in IDS, machine translation attached).
In regard to claim 14, Aoki et al. teach the energy storage container according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation member 9, 27 provided on the at least one of the compartment wall of the battery compartment or the venting channel (see annotated figure above) but does not specifically teach that the insulation comprises rock wool.
However, Cao et al. teach a similar energy storage container for multiple battery cells and the desirability to provide the battery storage compartment (box body 200) with an insulating filling layer 260, 330 such as specifically rock wool which keeps a stable working environment (see page 8 of attached machine translation – “by setting the insulating layer 260, can make the box body 200 keeps a stable working environment; so as to ensure the service life of each component. insulating layer 260 can be selected from rock wool, glass wool, foam glass and so on.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention filed to use rock wool for the insulating material in the energy storage container of Aoki et al. as such maintains a stable working environment for battery cells within a box body as taught by Cao et al.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant’s own USP 11,764,437 newly cited, is considered relevant to the instant claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO whose telephone number is (571)270-3635. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm EST.
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/NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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