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 .
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US-20110262797-A1) in view of Fujiwara et al. (US-20200194753-A1).
Kim teaches a battery module formed by stacking a plurality battery cells and includes an upper, lower and side frames and end plates as shown in Fig. 2 (¶ 0041 -¶ 0042). In ¶ 0044, Kim explains that the frames and end plates support the battery cells. The frames and side plates here form an enclosure in which the cells are arranged. Thus, the battery module taught by Kim reads on a battery system comprising a plurality of battery cells stacked in a housing. In ¶ 0039, Kim teaches that the stacked unit battery cells may be supported at both ends by end plates and are accordingly compressed and fixed so as not to further extend horizontally due to expansion and contraction. As shown in Fig. 2, these endplates are disposed on opposing ends of the battery stack. Kim teaches a pressure control unit comprising an elastic plate inserted between the end plates and the unit battery cells that adjusts the pressure applied to the stack (¶ 0040). In ¶ 0012, Kim teaches that the control unit is coupled to the endplate via a screw support. Since the endplates are coupled to the pressure control unit that applies pressure to the battery stack, the endplates taught by Kim read on an endplate positioned at one end of the housing, and positioned on a cell disposed at a distal end among the plurality of battery cells, the endplate being configured to provide a surface pressure toward the plurality of battery cells. Kim also teaches a plurality of frames (side frames) positioned at peripheries of the plurality of battery cells with respect to the plurality of battery cells (¶ 0044 and Fig. 2). In ¶ 0021, Kim teaches that the frames (side frame) are coupled to the end plates via screws as shown in Fig. 2 below. These screws read on a plurality of support bodies connected to the endplate while penetrating the plurality of frames in a direction toward the plurality of battery cells. As shown in Fig. 2 below, Kim shows the pressure control unit is configured to be in contact with the end plate (¶ 0012). Kim also teaches that the control unit controls an amount of pressure applied to the unit battery cells in restraining the amount of displacement thereof
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due to expansion and contraction (¶ 0023). However, Kim does not teach a pressure sensor.
In a similar field of endeavor, Fujiwara teaches a power storage device comprising a stack of secondary batteries and a pair of endplates provided on both sides of the battery stack as shown in Fig. 5 (¶ 0005). Fujiwara teaches a pressurizing unit between at least one of the end plates and the battery stack (¶ 0005). In ¶ 0051, Fujiwara teaches that the pressurizing unit is attached to the endplates and presses the battery stack. Similar to Kim, Fujiwara teaches a controller that performs predetermined control of pressure (¶ 0051). Fujiwara’s controller accomplishes this pressure control on the basis of detection information of a pressure sensor that detects pressure acting on the batteries (¶ 0050) and detection information of a displacement sensor for pressurizing the batteries (¶ 0051). As shown in Fig. 5 below, the pressure sensor is positioned on an endplate. This controller allows for the prevention of breakage of the device due to expansion of the electrode assemblies while satisfactorily
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maintaining battery performance such as discharge capacity (¶ 0006 and ¶ 0053).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the pressure control unit taught by Kim to include a pressure sensor that detects the pressure acting on the batteries as taught by Fujiwara. This would predictably allow the pressure control unit taught by Kim to perform predetermined control effectively and allow for the prevention of breakage of the device due to expansion of the electrode assemblies while satisfactorily maintaining battery performance.
With regards to claim 2, In ¶ 0038 and ¶ 0055, Kim teaches that each battery cell may expand or contract during charge or discharge and in this case, a predetermined pressure is applied to the stack accordingly. This expansion reads on a surface pressure transmitted to the endplate changing by swelling of the battery cells. As mentioned earlier, the pressure control unit taught by Kim is configured to control an amount of pressure applied to the unit battery cells in restraining the amount of displacement thereof due to expansion and contraction (¶ 0023). Kim teaches that the control unit comprises a control screw configured to adjust an elasticity of the elastic plate and a screw support coupled to the end plate and supporting the control screw (¶ 0012). Thus, these control screws, as shown in Fig. 2 above, are connected to the endplate while penetrating the frames and therefore read on a support body. As discussed above, Fujiwara teaches a pressure sensor that detects pressure acting on the battery cells. As discussed above, this pressure sensor detects the pressure acting on the batteries taught by Kim which reads on the battery system detecting the swelling (expansion). In ¶ 0069, Kim teaches that the control screws may be turned to adjust the pressure applied to the plates. This reads on adjusting the surface pressure of the endplate by changing tension, positions, or length of the plurality of support bodies. Although modified Kim teaches that the battery system detects the swelling and adjusts the surface pressure, modified Kim does not specifically teach adjusting the surface pressure in response to the detection. According to Fujiwara, the controller uses information from the pressure sensor to adjust the pressure being applied to the battery cells (¶ 0053 - ¶ 0054). This read on the battery system detecting the swelling and adjusting the surface pressure in response to the information detected.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention as effectively filed to further modify the control unit taught by modified Kim to turn the control screws taught by Kim in response to the information detected by the pressure sensor to adjust the pressure applied to the battery cells as one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying the known technique of adjusting applied pressure to battery cells in response to information from a pressure sensor with no unpredictable results. Through this modification, modified Kim renders obvious the battery system detecting the swelling and adjusting the surface pressure of the endplate by changing tension, positions, or lengths of the plurality of support bodies when the surface pressure to be transmitted to the endplate is changed by swelling of the plurality of battery cells.
With regards to claim 3, As shown in Fig. 2 above, the plurality of support bodies (screws) are positioned at each end of the frame.
With regards to claim 4, as discussed earlier in ¶ 0069, turning the support bodies (control screws) taught by Kim adjusts the pressure applied. As mentioned above, Kim also teaches that these support bodies (control screws) are coupled to the endplate (¶ 0012). Kim goes on to teach that the pressure to be applied to the battery cells may be set differently for each of battery modules (¶ 0061). This reads on different surface pressures being applied to a surface of the endplate by differently adjusting tension, positions, or lengths of the plurality of support bodies and reads on adjusting tension, positions, or lengths of the plurality of support bodies.
with regards to claim 5, as discussed above, Kim teaches turning the support bodies (control screws) to adjust applied pressure (¶ 0069). The turning of the control screws as taught by Kim reads on the plurality of support bodies (control screws) each comprising a screw and being configured to adjust the surface pressure of the endplate by rotating the screw.
With regards to claim 6, as shown in Fig. 2 above, the screws (control screws) are positioned at each end of the frame, and a number of screws positioned at one end of the frame is equal to a number of screws positioned at another end of the frame.
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With regards to claim 7, as shown in Fig. 2 below, the screws are positioned at each end of a long side of the frame. The long side of the frame is interpreted as the portion of the frame with a longer dimension (top and bottom).
With regards to claim 8, as discussed above, Kim teaches that the pressure to be applied to the battery cells may be set differently (¶ 0061). Kim also teaches that the control unit comprises support bodies (control screws) that are rotated (turned) to adjust applied pressure (¶ 0069). This reads on the screws (control screw) independently rotating. Modified Kim also teaches that the control unit includes a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the battery cells. According to Fujiwara, the controller uses information from the pressure sensor to adjust the pressure being applied to the battery cells (¶ 0053 - ¶ 0054). This reads on the controller using pressure values of the pressure senor to adjust the applied pressure. Modified Kim does not specifically teach that the screws rotate depending on pressure values of the pressure sensor.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention as effectively filed to rotate (turn) the control screws taught by Kim based on information from the pressure sensor included in the pressure control unit taught by modified Kim to adjust the pressure applied to the battery cells as one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying the known technique of adjusting applied pressure to battery cells using information from a pressure sensor to a battery system with no unpredictable results.
With regards to claim 9, Kim does not teach a surface adjustment pad positioned between the plurality of battery cells.
With regards to claim 10, as shown in Fig. 2 above, the size of the plurality of cells is constant. In ¶ 0038, Kim explains that the battery cells may expand or contract when charge or discharge occurs and pressure may be applied to the unit battery cells accordingly. Kim goes on to teach that the battery cells are supported at both ends by end plates and the battery cells are compressed and fixed so as not to further extend horizontally due to the expansion and contraction (¶ 0039). In ¶ 0040, Kim also discusses adjusting the applied pressure to ensure optimal performance. As the module does not further extend due to the discussed controlled compression and fixation, the modules taught by Kim will maintain a constant size. Thus, the battery system taught by modified Kim maintains the plurality of battery cells with constant sizes in the housing by adjusting the surface pressure of the endplate in response to swelling (expansion) in accordance with cycles (charge/discharge) of the plurality of battery cells.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNSUYADOR YUSIF whose telephone number is (571)272-4531. The examiner can normally be reached 7 am - 5 pm (M-R).
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/HUNSUYADOR MUGEESATU YUSIF/Examiner, Art Unit 1743
/ADAM J FRANCIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728
