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 .
Drawings
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: figures 1 and 3 fail to include an item label for the dashed lines representing a venting gas stream in a venting channel (item 28). The specification only mentions a dashed lines to represent the venting gas stream in figure 3 (paragraph 0055 and 0058), however there are multiple dashed lines in the figures 1 and 3. 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.
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/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 6 recites the limitation "the venting gas stream" in claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the venting gas stream" in claim 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hehne, et al. (US 2023/0017567 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hehne, et al. teaches a battery housing cover (abstract) comprising: a housing (item—2, figure 1, paragraph 0019); a battery cell (item—6, figure 1) accommodated within the housing (paragraph 0019), the battery cell having a venting side with a venting exit (items—7 and 8, figure 1, paragraph 0019); and a housing cover (item—4, figure 1) sealing the battery cell in the housing (paragraph 0005, 0009, and 0019-0020), the housing cover comprising an outer layer (item—9, figure 1, paragraph 0021) and an inner layer (items—13, figure 1, paragraph 0021), the inner layer facing the venting side and forming part of a venting channel (item—5, figure 1, paragraph 0019), the outer layer being coated on its outside surface with an anti-corrosion coating (item—9, figure 1, paragraph 0009 and 0020), wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are spaced from each other such that an air gap (item—16, figure 1) is formed between the outer layer and the inner layer (paragraph 0021).
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Figure 1 from Hehne, et al.
Regrading claim 2, Hehne, et al. further teaches the battery housing cover (abstract) wherein the inner layer (item—13, figure 1) is a plate attached to an inside surface of the outer layer (paragraph 0010).
Regrading claim 3, Hehne, et al. further teaches the battery housing cover (abstract) wherein the air gap extends along a first length, and the venting side extends along a second length, and wherein the first length is smaller than the second length (figure 1).
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Modified Figure 1 from Hehne, et al.
Regarding claim 8, Hehne, et al. further teaches the battery housing cover (abstract) comprises a plurality of the battery cells (item—6, figure 1, paragraph 0019) arranged inside the housing (item—2, figure 1, paragraph 0019), wherein the housing cover (item—15, figure 1) comprises a plurality of steel plates (paragraph 0010 and 0020) attached to an inside surface (item—13, figure 1) of the outer layer (item—9, figure 1) of the housing cover, each of the steel plates facing the venting side of a respective one of the battery cells (figure 1), and wherein an air gap (item—16, figure 1) is formed as a free space confined between each of the steel plates and the outer layer of the housing cover (paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 9, Hehne, et al. further teaches an electric vehicle comprising the battery housing cover as claimed in claim 1 (abstract)
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hehne, et al. (US 2023/0017567 A1) in view of Wei (CN 204991896 U).
Regarding claim 4, Hehne, et al. render obvious the features of claim 1 noted above but do not teach the cover layer having a zinc-nickel coating as an anti-corrosion coating.
Wei teaches a batter case with a steel metal layer wherein the anti-corrosion coating is a zinc-nickel coating (abstract, claims 3 and 4).
Hehne, et al. and Wei both teach batteries used in electric vehicles. Hehne, et al. teach a cover layer with corrosion protection material, thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the zinc-nickel coating per Wei to have an anti-corrosion coating since both manufacture a battery case for electric vehicles.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hehne, et al. (US 2023/0017567 A1) in view of Paczkowski, et al. (US 2023/0019586 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Hehne, et al. render obvious the features of claim 1 noted above but do not teach the outer layer comprise a steel or a steel alloy material.
Paczkowski, et al. teaches a battery case wherein an outer layer comprises a high temperature steel material (item—160, figure 4b, paragraph 0031-0032, and 0057).
Hehne, et al. and Paczkowski, et al. both teach batteries used in electric vehicles. Hehne, et al. teach a battery housing having an outer layer and inner layer, thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the metal case per Paczkowski, et al. to have the battery housing to have both the outer layer and inner layer comprising steel since both manufacture a battery case for electric vehicles.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hehne, et al. (US 2023/0017567 A1) in view of Pröll, et al. (US 2023/0246289 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Hehne, et al. render obvious the features of claim 1 noted above but do not teach the battery case with the inner layer comprises a guide projection protrusion.
Pröll, et al. teaches a battery case with an inner layer comprises a guide projection protrusion (item—29, figure 1, paragraph 0067) protruding from the inner layer into the venting channel (item—24, figure 1, paragraph 0065) and towards the venting exit (item—13 and 27, figure 2 and 5) to guide the venting gas stream (item—V, figure 1) exhausted through the venting exit into the venting channel (paragraph 0068- 0069).
Hehne, et al. and Pröll, et al. both teach batteries used in electric vehicles. Hehne, et al. teach a battery housing comprising an inner layer facing the venting side and forming part of a venting channel, thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the inner layer comprises a guide projection protrusion per Paczkowski, et al. to have the battery housing comprise a guide projection protrusion protruding from the inner layer into the venting channel and towards the venting exit to guide the venting gas stream into the venting channel since both manufacture a battery case for electric vehicles.
Regarding claim 7, Pröll, et al. further teaches the guide projection is a gas splitting projection having a tapered shape with a tip facing the venting exit and is configured to separate the venting gas stream such that the venting gas stream is deflected to opposite sides of the venting channel (figure 1 and 2, paragraph 0068-0069).
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Figure 1 from Pröll, et al.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELVIN MITCHELL FRAZIER whose telephone number is (571)270-5955. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Maria Veronica D Ewald can be reached at (571) 272-8519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.M.F./Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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