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 § 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 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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhong (CN 213920594 U).
Claim 1: Zhong discloses a heat pump system (FIG.1) of an electric vehicle (intended use), comprising
a compressor (11), a battery cooling passage (91), an outdoor heat exchange passage (80), an electric drive system cooling passage (20), and a heat exchange device (21), wherein the battery cooling passage (91) and the outdoor heat exchange passage (80) are connected in series or in parallel between an inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11) and an outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11), a first heat sink (13 used as heat sink) is arranged on the outdoor heat exchange passage (92), a second heat sink (25 used as heat sink) is arranged on the electric drive system cooling passage (20), and the heat exchange device (21) is connected between the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) and the electric drive system cooling passage (20) to exchange heat.
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Claim 2: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a battery heat exchanger (paragraph [4]: battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchanger device) is arranged on the battery cooling passage (91), and a first intermediate heat exchanger (14) is connected between an inlet pipe (paragraph [65]: one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and an outlet pipe (branch of refrigerant outlet line of heat exchanger from port 121) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device); a first throttle valve (paragraph [65]: expansion valve 66 forming one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) is arranged on the inlet pipe (paragraph [65]: one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and between the first intermediate heat exchanger (14) and the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device); and a pressure regulating valve (79) is arranged on the outlet pipe (branch of refrigerant outlet line of heat exchanger from port 121) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and at a downstream end of the first intermediate heat exchanger (14).
Claim 3: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an indoor heat sink (17) is arranged on the outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11).
Claim 4: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an indoor refrigerating passage (621) connected in parallel with the battery cooling passage (91).
Claim 5: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second intermediate heat exchanger (14) is connected between the inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11) and the outdoor heat exchange passage (92).
Claim 6: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second throttle valve (65) is arranged on the outdoor heat exchange passage (92), and the second throttle valve (65) is connected in parallel with a first valve body (78).
Claim 7: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a valve assembly (24), and a short-out passage (annotated FIG.1) connected between an inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the second heat sink (25) and an outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the second heat sink (25), wherein the valve assembly (24) is configured to selectively communicate with the second heat sink (25) or the short-out passage .
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Claim 8: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with an upstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a first connection passage (81), and a second valve body (71) is arranged on the first connection passage (81); a downstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with the upstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a second connection passage (89), and
a third valve body (79) is arranged on the second connection passage (89); and
the downstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with a downstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a third connection passage (88), and a fourth valve body (78) is arranged on the third connection passage (88).
Claim 9: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the third valve body (79) is a one-way valve conducting in a direction pointing towards the downstream end of the battery cooling passage (91).
Claim 10: Zhong discloses an electric vehicle, comprising a heat pump system, wherein the heat pump system (FIG.1) comprises
a compressor (11), a battery cooling passage (91), an outdoor heat exchange passage (80), an electric drive system cooling passage (20), and a heat exchange device (21), wherein the battery cooling passage (91) and the outdoor heat exchange passage (80) are connected in series or in parallel between an inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11) and an outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11), a first heat sink (13 used as heat sink) is arranged on the outdoor heat exchange passage (80), a second heat sink (25 used as heat sink) is arranged on the electric drive system cooling passage (20), and the heat exchange device (21) is connected between the outdoor heat exchange passage (80) and the electric drive system cooling passage (20) to exchange heat.
Claim 11: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a battery heat exchanger (paragraph [4]: battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchanger device) is arranged on the battery cooling passage (91), and a first intermediate heat exchanger (14) is connected between an inlet pipe (paragraph [65]: one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and an outlet pipe (branch of refrigerant outlet line of heat exchanger from port 121) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device); a first throttle valve (paragraph [65]: expansion valve 66 forming one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) is arranged on the inlet pipe (paragraph [65]: one way throttle branch of refrigerant inlet line of heat exchanger from port 122) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and between the first intermediate heat exchanger (14) and the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device); and a pressure regulating valve (79) is arranged on the outlet pipe (branch of refrigerant outlet line of heat exchanger from port 121) of the battery heat exchanger (battery pack 12 equipped with a heat exchange device) and at a downstream end of the first intermediate heat exchanger (14).
Claim 12: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein an indoor heat sink (17) is arranged on the outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11).
Claim 13: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an indoor refrigerating passage (621) connected in parallel with the battery cooling passage (91).
Claim 14: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a second intermediate heat exchanger (14) is connected between the inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the compressor (11) and the outdoor heat exchange passage (92).
Claim 15: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a second throttle valve (65) is arranged on the outdoor heat exchange passage (92), and the second throttle valve (65) is connected in parallel with a first valve body (78).
Claim 16: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a valve assembly (24), and a short-out passage (annotated FIG.1) connected between an inlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the second heat sink (25) and an outlet pipe (annotated FIG.1) of the second heat sink (25), wherein the valve assembly (24) is configured to selectively communicate with the second heat sink (25) or the short-out passage .
Claim 17: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein an upstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with an upstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a first connection passage (81), and a second valve body (71) is arranged on the first connection passage (81); a downstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with the upstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a second connection passage (89), and
a third valve body (79) is arranged on the second connection passage (89); and
the downstream end of the outdoor heat exchange passage (92) is communicated with a downstream end of the battery cooling passage (91) through a third connection passage (88), and a fourth valve body (78) is arranged on the third connection passage (88).
Claim 18: Zhong discloses the apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the third valve body (79) is a one-way valve conducting in a direction pointing towards the downstream end of the battery cooling passage (91).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure which is relevant to electric vehicle cooling system:
Hariharan (US 2022/0266720 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAMRAN TAVAKOLDAVANI whose telephone number is (313)446-6612. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
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/KAMRAN TAVAKOLDAVANI/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/LEN TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763