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 .
Foreign Priority Documents
The Korean foreign priority document(s) 10-2022-0166952, submitted under 35
U.S.C. § 119 (a)-(d), was/were been received on April 29, 2024 and placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed April 29, 2024, November 12, 2024, January 3, 2025, April 13, 2026 & August 27, 2026 has/have been received and complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner, and an initialed copied is attached herewith.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 would be allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art is silent to the cover member being filled between the sealing portions of adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells.
The prior art, such as CHOI et al., KR-20210122511-A, teaches a battery module (battery cell stack 120; Fig. 3), comprising: a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells (plurality of battery cells; Fig. 3), each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead (leads 112; Fig. 3), the plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other through the electrode leads (plurality of secondary batteries are assembled in series/parallel connected battery pack; BACKGROUND-AR, paragraph 2; Examiners Note: series or parallel connection requires all the cells to be electrically connected to meet load demands); a module case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space (module case 200; Fig. 3); and a cover member on a side portion of the cell assembly in which the electrode leads protrude in the internal space of the module case (cover member 130 a side portion of the cell assembly 120 in which the electrode leads 112 protrude in the internal space of the module case 200; Fig. 3). However, the reference does not teach or suggest the cover member being filled between the sealing portions of adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells. Therefore, the instant claim would be allowable over the prior art of record.
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(s) 1-4 & 6, 8-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHOI et al., KR-20210122511-A in view ZHU et al., CN-113140852-A.
With respect to claim 1, CHOI teaches a battery module (battery cell stack 120; Fig. 3), comprising: a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells (plurality of battery cells; Fig. 3), each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead (leads 112; Fig. 3), the plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other through the electrode leads (plurality of secondary batteries are assembled in series/parallel connected battery pack; BACKGROUND-AR, paragraph 2; Examiners Note: series or parallel connection requires all the cells to be electrically connected to meet load demands); a module case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space (module case 200; Fig. 3); and a cover member on a side portion of the cell assembly in which the electrode leads protrude in the internal space of the module case (cover member 130 a side portion of the cell assembly 120 in which the electrode leads 112 protrude in the internal space of the module case 200; Fig. 3).
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With respect to claim 3, wherein the module case comprises a body frame in which at least one of a front side and a rear side is an open end (body frame 200 has opposing open ends; Fig. 3), and an end plate coupled to the open end of the body frame (opposing end plates 300 at opposing open ends of body frame 200; Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 4, the electrode leads are located at a side near the end plate in the cell assembly (leads 112 are on the sides of the cell assembly 111 and located near the end plates 300; Fig. 3), and wherein the cover member is interposed between the electrode lead of the cell assembly and the end plate (cover member 130 via between the cell assembly 111 and the end plate 300; Fig. 3). With respect to claim 6, the cover member is filled in a side portion where the electrode leads protrude in the module case (cover member on the side of the electrode leads 112; Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 8, the cover member entirely fills a space from an upper end to a lower end of the cell assembly at afront or arear of the cell assembly (cover member 130 completely covers upper end to a lower end of the cell assembly 120, there is a bent edge at the bottom of cover member 130 that encases the bottom of cell assembly 120 at afront and arear of the cell assembly 120; Fig. 3). With respect to claim 9,
an upper end and a lower end of the cover member bent toward the cell assembly (cover member 130 is bent edge at the top and bottom to encases the cell assembly 120; Fig. 3). With respect to claim 10, the cover member is configured to entirely cover the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells from an upper end to a lower end of the electrode leads (cover member 130 completely covers upper end to a lower end of the cell assembly 120 including electrode leads, there is a bent edge at the bottom of cover member 130 that encases the bottom of cell assembly 120 at afront and arear of the cell assembly 120; Fig. 3). With respect to claim 11, at least one side of an upper portion and a lower portion of the module case has a venting hole (venting hole 410 on the upper portion of the module case; Figs. 5 & 9). With respect to claim 12, further comprising a vent provided on the outer side of a portion where the venting hole is formed in the module case and configured to allow the venting gas discharged from the venting hole to move (vent 420 on the upper portion of the module case; Figs. 5 & 9).
With respect to claim 13, a battery pack comprising a battery module Fig. 10).
With respect to claim 14, A vehicle comprising a battery module (an electric vehicle, and a hybrid vehicle; 2 paragraphs above REFERENCE-SIGNS-LIST). With respect to claim 15, further comprising a bus bar (bus bar 320; Fig. 3), wherein the electrode leads are connected to the bus bar (bus bar 320; Fig. 3), and wherein the cover member is on opposite sides of the bus bar (cover member 130b is on opposite sides of the bus bar 320; Fig. 3).
CHOI does not teach or suggest: the cover member adhered to a side portion of the cell assembly (claim 1); at least a portion of the cover member is adhered to the electrode leads (claim 2); further comprising a hole in a bottom of the module case, wherein the cover member fills a space between an end of the cell assembly and an end of the module case, and wherein a void in the cover member extends from the cell assembly to the hole in the bottom of the module case (claim 16).
ZHU teaches that it is well known in the art to employ: the cover member adhered to the cell assembly (cover member 214 is attached to the batter cells via adhesive layer 25; Fig. 3; claim 1).
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CHOI and ZHU are analogous art from the same field of endeavor, namely fabricating battery modules with covers and bus bars.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ adhesive layer attached to a the cover member and adhered to the cell assembly taught by ZHU, to adhere the cover of CHOI to the module batter, in order to increase the structure integrity of the cover and improve protection of the cell assembly. The skilled artisan recognizes that adhesive layers can be used in cell assemblies to improve attachment. With respect to the cover being adhered to a side portion of the cell assembly, CHOI teaches the cover is on a side portion of the cell assembly (Fig. 3 of CHOI), thus the adhesive of ZHU may be used to secure the cover attachment on the side portion of the cell assembly. Furthermore, with respect to the placement of the adhesive sheet of ZHU adhered to a side portion of the cell assembly, rearrangement of essential working parts of a device is prima facie obvious. More specifically, shifting the position of parts within a device will not render the device patentable if the positron change does not alter the device’s operation. See In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). MPEP 2144.04.
With respect to at least a portion of the cover member is adhered to the electrode leads (claim 2), it would have been obvious in the battery module of CHOI in view ZHU, in order to increase the structure integrity of the cover and improve protection of the electrode leads. CHOI teaches the cover is on a side portion of the cell assembly (Fig. 3 of CHOI), thus the adhesive of ZHU may be used to secure the cover attachment on the side portion of the cell assembly, which would cover the electrode leads. Furthermore, with respect to the placement of the adhesive sheet of ZHU adhered to a side portion of the cell assembly, which would cover the electrode leads, rearrangement of essential working parts of a device is prima facie obvious. More specifically, shifting the position of parts within a device will not render the device patentable if the positron change does not alter the device’s operation. See In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). MPEP 2144.04.
With respect to further comprising a hole in a bottom of the module case, wherein the cover member fills a space between an end of the cell assembly and an end of the module case, and wherein a void in the cover member extends from the cell assembly to the hole in the bottom of the module case (claim 16); it would have been obvious in the battery module of CHOI in view ZHU, in order to improve attachment of the cover to the cell. CHOI teaches apertures 320 at the top, which can be rearrange at the bottom. See Figure 8 of CHOI.
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(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHOI et al., KR-20210122511-A in view ZHU et al., CN-113140852-A, and further in view of LEI et al. CN-113682252-A.
CHOI in view ZHU teach a battery module (battery cell stack 120; Fig. 3), comprising: a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells (plurality of battery cells; Fig. 3), each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells having an electrode lead (leads 112; Fig. 3), the plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other through the electrode leads (plurality of secondary batteries are assembled in series/parallel connected battery pack; BACKGROUND-AR, paragraph 2; Examiners Note: series or parallel connection requires all the cells to be electrically connected to meet load demands); a module case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space (module case 200; Fig. 3); and a cover member on a side portion of the cell assembly in which the electrode leads protrude in the internal space of the module case (cover member 130 a side portion of the cell assembly 120 in which the electrode leads 112 protrude in the internal space of the module case 200; Fig. 3), as described in the rejection hereinabove. With respect to claim 5, the cover layer includes an adhesive layer (25 of ZHU; Fig. 3).
CHOI does not teach or suggest: the cover member is film (claim 5).
LEI teaches that it is well known in the art to employ: a battery module with a cover member film (thin PCB end cap 8; Fig. 1; claim 5).
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CHOI, ZHU and LEI are analogous art from the same field of endeavor, namely fabricating battery modules with covers and bus bars.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the cover member film LEI, in the battery module of CHOI in view ZHU, in order to flexibly cover the ends of the cell assembly.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Malcolm et al. US Pub. 2015-0037626 teaches a battery module with multiple end caps. See Fig. 6.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Monique Wills whose telephone number is (571) 272-1309. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 5:00 pm.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONIQUE M WILLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1309. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner's supervisor, Tiffany Legette, may be reached at 571-270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Monique M Wills/
Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
