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.
(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 1-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hickey (US-20230318118-A1), hereafter referred to as Hickey.
Regarding Claim 1, Hickey teaches a traction battery pack system (“electric-drive vehicles equipped with such systems for cooling lithium-class traction battery packs,” paragraph 6), comprising: an enclosure assembly that provides an interior volume (104 in Fig. 3; 202 in Fig. 4); an injection shield arranged to subdivide the interior volume of the enclosure assembly into a first interior volume section and a second interior volume section (106/110 in Fig. 3); a battery module housed within the second interior volume section (120 in Fig. 3; 274 in Fig. 4); and the injection shield including a plurality of injection holes configured to spray a cooling fluid onto portions of the battery module (110 in Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 2, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid is a dielectric fluid (“thermal management systems with multi-purpose dielectric fluid reservoirs for liquid-immersion cooled battery assemblies,” paragraph 6).
Regarding Claim 3, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 1, comprising a fluid manifold extending outside of the interior volume of the enclosure assembly (250 and 254 in Fig. 4; “While differing in appearance, it is envisioned that any of the features and options described above with respect to the battery pack 100 and ATM system 104 of FIGS. 2 and 3 may be incorporated, singly and in any combination, into the battery module 200 and LIC system 204 of FIG. 4,” paragraph 36, making explicitly that features disclosed separately in Figs. 3 and 4 are taught to be combinable).
Regarding Claim 4, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 3, comprising a runner pipe fluidly connecting the fluid manifold to the second interior volume section (“runners 265 originate at the battery case 202 and terminate at fluid inlet ports 257 on the vent manifold body 255,” paragraph 42; 265, 202, and 254/255 in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 5, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 4, wherein the fluid manifold and the runner pipe cooperate to establish a dedicated vent gas exit flow path for expelling a battery vent byproduct from the enclosure assembly during a battery thermal event (“When the burst discs 259 fail, LIC fluid 211 and vent gases 213 are allowed to flow into and through the auxiliary vent manifold 254 to the coolant reservoir 240,” paragraph 42; Fig. 4 shows that the burst discs 259 are located within the runner pipes, and the vent gas exit flow path leads through runner pipes, then the manifold, and ultimately exits via gas valve 260).
Regarding Claim 6, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of injection holes are configured to spray the cooling fluid onto top surfaces of a plurality of battery cells of the battery module (110 in Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 7, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interior volume is part of a closed loop cooling circuit of an immersion cooling system configured for circulating the cooling fluid (Fig. 4 shows that the cooling circuit is a closed loop, and that loop includes the interior volume 201/202).
Regarding Claim 8, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 7, wherein the immersion cooling system includes an inlet pipe fluidly connected to the first interior volume section (246/248 in Fig. 4 and 106 in Fig. 3; “While differing in appearance, it is envisioned that any of the features and options described above with respect to the battery pack 100 and ATM system 104 of FIGS. 2 and 3 may me incorporated, singly and in any combination, into the battery module 200 and LIC system 204 of FIG. 4,” paragraph 36, making explicitly that features disclosed separately in Figs. 3 and 4 are taught to be combinable), and an outlet pipe fluidly connected to the second interior volume section (250/252 and 254/256 in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 9, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 8, wherein the immersion cooling system includes a liquid-gas separator fluidly connected to the outlet pipe (“Packaged downstream from the auxiliary manifold 254 and battery case 202 are one or more gas valves 260, each of which is fluidly connected to the main coolant reservoir 240 and actively/passively activated to evacuate vent gases from the LIC system 204,” paragraph 43; Fig. 4 shows the combined liquid-gas separator/reservoir is fluidly connected to the outlet pipes 256 and 252), and a reservoir fluidly connected to the inlet pipe (240 in Fig. 4, which is shown to be fluidly connected to inlet pipe 248).
Regarding Claim 10, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 9, a comprising a heat exchanger arranged between the reservoir and the inlet pipe [“a heating element or a heat sink (collectively represented at 244 in FIG. 4) may be disposed inside the main coolant reservoir 240, as shown, or may be mounted to or separately fluidly coupled with the main coolant reservoir 240,” paragraph 37].
Regarding Claim 11, Hickey teaches a traction battery pack system (“electric-drive vehicles equipped with such systems for cooling lithium-class traction battery packs,” paragraph 6), comprising: a battery pack assembly including a battery module housed within an enclosure assembly (104 in Fig. 3; 202 in Fig. 4); an injection shield arranged to subdivide an interior volume of the enclosure assembly into a first interior volume section and a second interior volume section, wherein the battery module is housed within the second interior volume section (106/110 in Fig. 3); a fluid manifold extending outside of the interior volume of the enclosure assembly (246, 250, and 254 in Fig. 4; “While differing in appearance, it is envisioned that any of the features and options described above with respect to the battery pack 100 and ATM system 104 of FIGS. 2 and 3 may me incorporated, singly and in any combination, into the battery module 200 and LIC system 204 of FIG. 4,” paragraph 36, making explicitly that features disclosed separately in Figs. 3 and 4 are taught to be combinable); and a runner pipe fluidly connecting the fluid manifold to the second interior volume section (“runners 265 originate at the battery case 202 and terminate at fluid inlet ports 257 on the vent manifold body 255,” paragraph 42; 265, 202, and 254/255 in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 12, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 11, wherein the fluid manifold and the runner pipe cooperate to establish a dedicated vent gas exit flow path for expelling a battery vent byproduct from the battery pack assembly during a battery thermal event (“When the burst discs 259 fail, LIC fluid 211 and vent gases 213 are allowed to flow into and through the auxiliary vent manifold 254 to the coolant reservoir 240,” paragraph 42; Fig. 4 shows that the burst discs 259 are located within the runner pipes, and the vent gas exit flow path leads through runner pipes, then the manifold, and is ultimately expelled from the battery pack assembly via gas valve 260).
Regarding Claim 14, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 11, wherein an inlet pipe is fluidly connected to the first interior volume section (246/248 in Fig. 4 and 106 in Fig. 3; “While differing in appearance, it is envisioned that any of the features and options described above with respect to the battery pack 100 and ATM system 104 of FIGS. 2 and 3 may me incorporated, singly and in any combination, into the battery module 200 and LIC system 204 of FIG. 4,” paragraph 36, making explicitly that features disclosed separately in Figs. 3 and 4 are taught to be combinable), and an outlet pipe fluidly connected to the second interior volume section (250/252 and 254/256 in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 15, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 14, comprising a reservoir fluidly connected to the inlet pipe (240 in Fig. 4, which is shown to be fluidly connected to inlet pipe 248).
Regarding Claim 16, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 15, comprising a pump arranged between the reservoir and the inlet pipe (“An electronic liquid pump 242 is fluidly coupled to the coolant reservoir 240,” paragraph 37; 242 in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 17, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 16, comprising a heat exchanger arranged between the pump and the reservoir [“a heating element or a heat sink (collectively represented at 244 in FIG. 4) may be disposed inside the main coolant reservoir 240, as shown, or may be mounted to or separately fluidly coupled with the main coolant reservoir 240,” paragraph 37].
Regarding Claim 18, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 14, comprising a liquid-gas separator fluidly connected to the outlet pipe (“Packaged downstream from the auxiliary manifold 254 and battery case 202 are one or more gas valves 260, each of which is fluidly connected to the main coolant reservoir 240 and actively/passively activated to evacuate vent gases from the LIC system 204,” paragraph 43; Fig. 4 shows the combined liquid-gas separator/reservoir is fluidly connected to the outlet pipes 256 and 252).
Regarding Claim 19, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 18, wherein the liquid-gas separator is fluidly connected to the fluid manifold (“Packaged downstream from the auxiliary manifold 254 and battery case 202 are one or more gas valves 260, each of which is fluidly connected to the main coolant reservoir 240 and actively/passively activated to evacuate vent gases from the LIC system 204,” paragraph 43; Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 20, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 18, wherein the liquid-gas separator is fluidly connected to a reservoir (240/260 in Fig. 4).
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hickey in view of Shi et al. (CN-208904183-U, see machine translation), hereafter referred to as Shi.
Regarding Claim 13, Hickey teaches the traction battery pack system as recited in claim 11, but Hickey does not specify wherein the injection shield is positioned between an enclosure cover of the enclosure assembly and a top surface of the battery module, though their disclosure does allow for this configuration (“The coolant line 106 of FIG. 3 may be biased towards the periphery of the battery case 102, as shown, may be biased towards the center of the battery case 102, or may take various other routes throughout the battery case 102,” paragraph 35).
However, Shi teaches a traction battery pack system where the batteries are cooled via an immersion cooling system that sprays coolant onto the batteries. Therein, Shi teaches a battery pack system, wherein an injection shield is positioned between an enclosure cover of the enclosure assembly and a top surface of the battery module (4 in Figs. 1 and 3; “multiple spray holes are evenly arranged on the lower surface of the cover,” paragraph 17; “a pump draws the insulating coolant from the casing into the hollow cavity of the cover, where it drips down the spray nozzles onto the individual cells,” paragraph 18, where the hollow cavity and bottom surface of the cover disclosed in Shi serves as an injection shield, and the upper surface of the cover serves as an enclosure cover).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to take the battery pack system taught by Hickey and modify the enclosure assembly to arrange the injection shield to be between an enclosure cover and the top surface of the battery module, as taught by Shi, to more thoroughly douse the full surface of the batteries in coolant.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORDAN P WILKERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1891. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.
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/JORDAN P WILKERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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