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 under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP 2023-075181, filed on 04/28/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 04/10/2024 and 04/28/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings received on 04/10/2024 were reviewed and are acceptable.
Specification
The specification filed on 04/10/2024 was reviewed and is acceptable.
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, 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komura et al. (JP 2012216360 A; hereinafter “Komura”; see attached machine translation for reference).
Regarding claim 1, Komura discloses a cooling device (cooling body; [0006]) for cooling (improve cooling; [0004]) a vehicle battery module [0006] that includes (i) a plurality of battery cells arranged in a predetermined direction (a plurality of batteries, each having an external terminal and arranged in a manner toward each other; [0006]) and (ii) a bus bar electrically connecting between external electrodes of each adjacent two of the battery cells ([t]he negative terminal 60 and positive terminal 50 of two adjacent batteries 30 are connected to each other by a busbar 40; [0016]), the cooling device comprising: a cooling pipe portion configured to guide a cooling liquid onto the battery module ([a] flow path may be formed within the cooling body through which a heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the outside world flows; [0008]) such that at least a portion of the bus bar and the cooling liquid are in thermal contact with each other (the cooling body 100 is positioned between the multiple batteries 30 and the busbar 40, and is thermally connected to the multiple batteries 30 and the busbar 40; [0024]); and a battery cooling circuit (flow path; [0008]) configured to cool the bus bar (the cooling element can efficiently cool both the terminal connection member and the battery; [0008]; [t]he busbar 40 is placed on the external terminal; [0016]), by circulating the cooling liquid ([e]xamples of heat transfer fluids include liquids; [0035]) between the cooling pipe portion and a cooler (connected to an external load . . . via wiring that is routed outside the battery module 10; [0017]).
With respect to the limitation wherein the cooling device is suitable for cooling a vehicle battery module that includes (i) a plurality of battery cells arranged in a predetermined direction and (ii) a bus bar electrically connecting between external electrodes of each adjacent two of the battery cells, it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which the claimed article is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed article from a prior art article satisfying the claimed structural limitations (see MPEP 2114(II)). Therefore, while the intended use language of the claim has been considered, it is noted that the prior art cooling device is capable of performing the functions as claimed because the cooling device can be included in a battery module suited for a vehicle, which allows for the prior art to perform the functions as claimed.
Regarding claim 5, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura further discloses that the cooling pipe portion has a pipe wall having an electrical insulation property ([t]he first heat transfer layer 102 electrically insulates the cooling plate 104 from the battery 30 and also serves to thermally connect the cooling plate 104 from the battery 30; [0025]).
Regarding claim 7, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura further discloses that the cooling pipe portion has a width dimension substantially the same as a dimension of each of the battery cells that is measured in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction in which the battery cells arranged (see 1.1. Modified figure 1 of Komura ‘360 below, wherein Lb is substantially the same as Lc), and is disposed on a surface of the battery cells on which the bus bar is provided (cooling body disposed between the plurality of batteries and the terminal connecting member; [0006]; see 1.1. Modified figure 1 of Komura ‘360 below).
<1.1. Modified figure 1 of Komura ‘360>
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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.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komura et al. (JP 2012216360 A; hereinafter “Komura”; see attached machine translation for reference), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Smith et al. (US 20200127351 A1; hereinafter “Smith”).
Regarding claim 2, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura further discloses that heat transfer fluids include liquids such as water; [0035].
Komura fails to disclose that the cooling liquid is composed of an oil or an ion-exchanged water having an electric conductivity reduced by an ion-exchange membrane.
Smith teaches, directed to a battery module, that the liquid in the module (in contact with the cells) may be a specially engineered fluid (e.g., 3M™ Novec™ 7100, 7200, 7300 fluids) that is nonconductive (e.g., the liquid is electrically insulating); [0029]. Smith further teaches [d]irect liquid cooling includes systems that fully submerge the energy storage device in a non-conductive fluid (e.g., mineral oil); [0015].
Komura and Smith are analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely energy storage devices.
Before the effective filing date of the current invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to use a nonconductive liquid, such as ion-exchanged water or mineral oil, as the coolant liquid, with the reasonable expectation that doing so would allow the liquid to disperse easily within a complex geometry that needs to have heat transfer [0029], as suggested by Smith.
Regarding claim 3, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura discloses that the cooling pipe portion covers a side surface of the bus bar (the busbar 40 is placed on the upper surface of the second heat transfer layer 106, and the tip portion of the external terminal is inserted through the through hole of the busbar 40; [0032].
Komura further discloses that [t]he cooling body 100 is provided with through holes [0027], and that the external terminals of the battery 30 are inserted through the through-hole 108 [0027].
Komura fails to disclose that the cooling portion pipe brings the cooling liquid into direct contact with the side surface of the bus bar.
Smith teaches, directed to a battery module, that [t]he cooled liquid 440 circulates around the headers of the cells 410 and the busbar 420; [0084]. Smith further teaches that [t]he headers 110 may be in contact with a busbar 120, which is also submerged in the liquid [0055].
Before the effective filing date of the current invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to bring the cooling liquid into direct contact with the side surface of the bus bar, with the reasonable expectation that doing so would improve the thermal performance compared to indirect liquid cooling [0015], as suggested by Smith.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komura et al. (JP 2012216360 A; hereinafter “Komura”; see attached machine translation for reference), in view of Smith et al. (US 20200127351 A1; hereinafter “Smith”), as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Sugimoto et al. (JP 2013089511 A; hereinafter “Sugimoto”; see attached machine translation for reference).
Regarding claim 4, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura further discloses that the cooling pipe portion is a flat pipe (the upper surface of the second heat transfer layer 106 can be made flat by making the thickness of the first heat transfer layer 102, the cooling plate 104, and the second heat transfer layer 106 uniform in the planar direction; [0030]).
Komura fails to disclose that the cooling part portion is disposed around the bus bar.
Sugimoto teaches, directed to a battery module, that the first temperature control duct . . . extends in the direction of extension of the bus bars . . . surrounding the bus bars 61, 63, 65, and 67; [0026].
Komura and Sugimoto are analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely secondary batteries.
Before the effective filing date of the current invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have the cooling pipe portion disposed around the bus bar, with the reasonable expectation that doing so would allow for concentrated temperature control of the conductive members [0036], as suggested by Sugimoto.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komura et al. (JP 2012216360 A; hereinafter “Komura”; see attached machine translation for reference).
Regarding claim 6, Komura discloses all of the claim limitations set forth above.
Komura fails to explicitly disclose that the pipe wall having the electrical insulation property is a flexible sheet made of a resin layer, or a laminated sheet including a plurality of kinds of layers that include the resin layer, and discloses that Alumina is a suitable material for the first heat transfer layer 102 and the second heat transfer layer 106, which perform these functions; [0025].
However, Komura discloses that a heat transfer piping 112 can be made of any material with good thermal conductivity, such as metals like Al or insulating resins like polyimide; [0037].
Komura is analogous prior art to the current invention because they are concerned with the same field of endeavor, namely battery modules.
Before the effective filing date of the current invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to make the first and second heat transfer layers with an insulating resin such as polyimide, with the reasonable expectation that doing so would allow the cooling device to be fixed using adhesive instead of by brazing using solder [0037], as suggested by Komura.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hiroe et al. (US 20200185800 A1) discloses a system for cooling a battery mounted on a vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA N LIZARAZU whose telephone number is (571)272-9697. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 5712703879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.N.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1725
/JAMES M ERWIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725 09/10/2026
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