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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on October 9, 2024 and April 23, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasui et al. (Published U.S. Patent Application US 20110274951 A1), hereinafter referred to as Yasui, in view of Haruhiko et al. (EP 2290728 A1), hereinafter referred to as Haruhiko.
Regarding claim 1, Yasui teaches a battery module (“a power storage pack”) (see e.g., Abstract). Yasui teaches the battery module 100 comprises battery unit 40, wherein the battery unit 40 includes two or more battery cells 45 each having a vent mechanism (“at least one power storage block including at least one power storage device including an exhaust valve”) (see e.g., paragraph [0050]). Yasui teaches the battery module 100 comprises a housing 30 and lid 20 to accommodate the plurality of battery units 40 (see e.g., paragraph [0050]) and includes a discharge path for gas generated from the battery cells (“a pack case accommodating the at least one power storage block and including an exhaust port”) (see e.g., paragraph [0060] and Figure 4B). Yasui teaches a heat-absorbing member (“a hollow member”) integrated with each other to secure a contact state between each battery cell 45 and be in close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the battery unit (see e.g., paragraph [0095]). Yasui teaches the heat-absorbing member is interposed between the housing 30 and the battery unit (the “hollow member interposed between the pack case and the at least one power storage block”) (see e.g., Figure 10B). Yasui teaches the heat-absorbing member is provided on the side surface facing the vent hole 17 of the battery cells (“a part of the hollow member facing the exhaust valve of the at least one power storage device”) (see e.g., paragraph [0058]). Yasui teaches the heat-absorbing member has an opening (see e.g., Figure 12A) and an outer surface that is connected to the discharge path for gas generated from the battery cells in the housing 30 (“the hollow member including an opening and an outer surface any of which is connected to the exhaust port of the pack case”) (see e.g., Figure 10A).
Yasui does not explicitly teach a resin filler interposed between the at least one power storage device and the hollow member.
However, Haruhiko teaches a battery pack (see e.g., paragraph [0001]). Haruhiko teaches the battery pack comprises battery blocks 3 housed in a battery case 3, wherein each battery block 10 has a plurality of batteries (see e.g., paragraph [0008]). Haruhiko teaches the battery case is provided with hollow partitions 32 enclosing hollow regions 33 open at the surfaces of the battery case 3 between adjacent battery blocks 10 (see e.g., paragraph [0042]). Haruhiko teaches the battery pack is filled with a potting resin 7 (“a resin filler”) in a manner that embeds the battery blocks 10 housed in the battery case 3 (see e.g., paragraph [0050]). Haruhiko teaches all batteries 1 can be completely embedded in the potting resin 7 (see e.g., paragraph [0030]), and the potting resin 7 adheres closely the batteries 1 of the battery blocks the inside of the battery case 3 by filling an vacancies to form ideal thermal coupling between the potting resin 7 and the battery case 3 (see e.g., paragraph [0050]) in order to effectively dissipate heat retained between the plurality of battery blocks (see e.g., paragraph [0007]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that one of ordinary skill would modify the battery module of Yasui to include a potting resin that completely embeds the individual batteries, as taught by Haruhiko, to have a battery module with a resin filler between the battery units and the heat-absorbing member (the “resin filler interposed between the at least one power storage device and the hollow member”) in order to effectively dissipate heat retained between the plurality of battery blocks (see e.g., paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 2, Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the individual batteries 1 are completely embedded in the potting resin 7 (see e.g., Haruhiko paragraph [0030] and Figure 4); therefore, the potting resin would be interposed between the vent of the battery units and the heat-absorbing member (“wherein the resin filler is interposed between the exhaust valve of the at least one power storage device and the hollow member”).
Regarding claim 3, Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the heat-absorbing member is integrated with each other to secure a contact state between each battery cell 45 and be in close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the battery unit (see e.g., Yasui paragraph [0095]), in the shape of a flexible bag (“wherein the hollow member is in a shape of a flexible bag”) (see e.g., Yasui Figure 12A). Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the heat-absorbing member is formed of heat-absorbing films (see e.g., Yasui paragraph [0051]) comprising resins (“wherein the hollow member is made of a resin) (see e.g., Yasui paragraph [0052]). Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the individual batteries 1 are completely embedded in the potting resin 7 (see e.g., Haruhiko paragraph [0030] and Figure 4); therefore, the potting resin would be interposed between the heat-absorbing member on the surface of battery closer to the vent (“the outer surface of the hollow member includes a part facing an end, closer to the exhaust valve, of the at least one power storage device, the part adhering to the resin filler”).
Regarding claim 4, Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the instantly claimed invention of claim 1, as previously described.
Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the battery unit includes two or more battery cells (“wherein the at least one power storage device comprises a plurality of power storage devices”) (see e.g., Yasui paragraph [0050]). Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the battery unit includes a spacer 290 that restricts a distance between the battery cells (“the plurality of power storage devices includes a holder that restricts a distance between the power storage devices”) (see e.g., Yasui paragraph [0096]). Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the spacer exposes the outer peripheral of the battery cells (“the holder exposes a part of the plurality of power storage devices”) (see e.g., Yasui Figure 13B). Yasui, as modified by Haruhiko, teaches the individual batteries 1 are completely embedded in the potting resin 7 (see e.g., Haruhiko paragraph [0030] and Figure 4); therefore, the potting resin would be in contact with the peripheral edges of the battery units that are in contact with the heat-absorbing members (“the resin filler is in contact with a surface of the part of the power storage devices, the surface being exposed from the holder”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haino et al. (Published U.S. Patent Application US 20200220147 A1) teaches a battery module, wherein a potting resin thermally coupled to the lead plate (see e.g., Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Katherine N Higgins whose telephone number is (703)756-1196. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays - Thursdays 7:30-4:30 EST, Fridays 7:30 - 11:30 EST.
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/KATHERINE N HIGGINS/Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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