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 .
Status of the Claims
The status of the claims as filed in the reply dated 4/10/2026 are as follows:
Claims 1, 4, and 5 are amended,
Claim 3 is canceled,
Claims 1, 2, and 4-13 are currently pending.
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, 2, 4-6, and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0355645, previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Jeong discloses a vehicle thermal management system (fig 1), comprising:
a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem including a compressor (144), an accumulator (158) disposed on an upstream side of the compressor (as refrigerant flows from the accumulator to the compressor), and a refrigerant circulation path (155) fluidly connected to the accumulator;
a coolant subsystem including a coolant heater (126) and a coolant circulation path (127) fluidly connected to the coolant heater,
a battery chiller (157) including a refrigerant passage fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation path (155) and a coolant passage fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (127),
wherein the accumulator includes a refrigerant passage fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation path and includes a coolant passage fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (fig 1),
wherein the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (157) is located on an upstream side of the refrigerant passage of the accumulator (158, as refrigerant flows from the battery chiller to the accumulator) in the refrigerant circulation path.
Regarding claim 2, Jeong further discloses wherein the coolant heater (126) is located on an upstream side of the coolant passage of the accumulator (158, as coolant flows from the coolant heater to the accumulator).
Regarding claim 4, Jeong further discloses wherein the coolant passage of the battery chiller is located on a downstream side of the coolant passage of the accumulator (as coolant flows from the accumulator to the battery chiller) in the coolant circulation path (127).
Regarding claim 5, Jeong further discloses wherein:
the HVAC subsystem further includes an interior condenser (145) disposed on a downstream side of the compressor (140, as refrigerant flows from the compressor to the interior condenser), a refrigerant control valve (159) disposed on a downstream side of the interior condenser (as refrigerant flows from the interior condenser to the refrigerant control valve), an exterior heat exchanger (146) disposed on a downstream side of the refrigerant control valve, and a chiller-side expansion valve (152) disposed on the upstream side of the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (125), and
the chiller-side expansion valve is configured to allow a refrigerant to flow from any one of the exterior heat exchanger and the interior condenser to the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (fig 1).
Regarding claim 6, Jeong further discloses wherein the refrigerant circulation path (155) includes a heating-side bypass line (155c) extending from an upstream point of the refrigerant control valve (159) to an upstream point of the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (125).
Regarding claim 9, Jeong further discloses wherein the coolant subsystem further includes a battery (176) and a coolant control valve (129) fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (127), and wherein the coolant control valve is configured to control a flow of a coolant passing through the battery, the coolant heater (126), the coolant passage of the accumulator (158), and the coolant passage of the battery chiller (125).
Regarding claim 10, Jeong further discloses wherein the coolant heater (126) is located on a downstream side of the battery (176).
Regarding claim 11, Jeong further discloses wherein the coolant subsystem further includes a battery bypass line (128) extending from an upstream point of the battery (176) to a downstream point of the battery.
Claim(s) 1, 3, and 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Durrani et al. (PCT Publication WO2020242096A1, “Durrani”, previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Durrani discloses a vehicle thermal management system (fig 1), comprising:
a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem including a compressor (1), an accumulator (15) disposed on an upstream side of the compressor (as refrigerant flows from the accumulator to the compressor), and a refrigerant circulation path (fig 1) fluidly connected to the accumulator; and
a coolant subsystem including a coolant heater (33) and a coolant circulation path (fig 1) fluidly connected to the coolant heater,
wherein the accumulator includes a refrigerant passage fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation path and includes a coolant passage fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (fig 1).
Regarding claim 3, Durrani further discloses a battery chiller (9) including a refrigerant passage fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation path (fig 1) and including a coolant passage fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (fig 1).
Regarding claim 5, Durrani further discloses wherein:
the HVAC subsystem further includes an interior condenser (2) disposed on a downstream side of the compressor (1, as refrigerant flows from the compressor to the interior condenser), a refrigerant control valve (3) disposed on a downstream side of the interior condenser (as refrigerant flows from the interior condenser to the refrigerant control valve), an exterior heat exchanger (4) disposed on a downstream side of the refrigerant control valve, and a chiller-side expansion valve (8) disposed on the upstream side of the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (9), and
the chiller-side expansion valve is configured to allow a refrigerant to flow from any one of the exterior heat exchanger and the interior condenser to the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (fig 1).
Regarding claim 6, Durrani further discloses wherein the refrigerant circulation path (fig 1) includes a heating-side bypass line (11) extending from an upstream point of the refrigerant control valve (3) to an upstream point of the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (9).
Regarding claim 7, Durrani further discloses wherein the chiller-side expansion valve (8) includes a first port (1) fluidly communicating with the refrigerant passage of the battery chiller (9), a second port (2) fluidly communicating with the exterior heat exchanger (4), and a third port (3) fluidly communicating with the heating-side bypass line (11).
Regarding claim 8, Durrani further discloses wherein the chiller-side expansion valve (8) is configured to allow the first port (1) to be fluidly connected to at least one of the second port and the third port (3) by an actuator (as the valve must have an actuator).
Regarding claim 9, Durrani further discloses wherein the coolant subsystem further includes a battery (connected to heat exchanger 19) and a coolant control valve (26) fluidly connected to the coolant circulation path (fig 1), and wherein the coolant control valve is configured to control a flow of a coolant passing through the battery, the coolant heater (33), the coolant passage of the accumulator (15), and the coolant passage of the battery chiller (9).
Claim(s) 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Durrani as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Jeong (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0355645, previously cited).
Regarding claim 10, Durrani discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Durrani does not explicitly disclose wherein the coolant heater is located on a downstream side of the battery. Jeong, however, discloses wherein a coolant heater (126) is located on a downstream side of the battery (176). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Durrani to provide the heater downstream of the battery such as taught by Jeong in order to allow for more precise temperature control of the battery (as Jeong teaches controlling the coolant temperature with data from temperature sensor 7).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Durrani and Jeong discloses all previous claim limitations. Durrani further discloses wherein the coolant subsystem further includes a battery bypass line (22) extending from an upstream point of the battery (connected to heat exchanger 19) to a downstream point of the battery.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Durrani and Jeong discloses all previous claim limitations. Durrani further discloses wherein the coolant subsystem further includes a distribution valve (25) configured to allow the coolant discharged from the coolant control valve (26) to be directed to at least one of the battery (connected to heat exchanger 19) and the battery bypass line (22).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Durrani and Jeong discloses all previous claim limitations. Durrani further discloses wherein the distribution valve (25) includes an inlet port (see annotated fig 1 below) fluidly communicating with the coolant control valve (26), a first outlet port (see annotated fig 1 below) fluidly communicating with the battery (connected to the heat exchanger 19), and a second outlet port (see annotated fig 1 below) fluidly communicating with the battery bypass line (22).
PNG
media_image1.png
392
722
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/10/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues (pages 5-8) that in Jeong the battery chiller is on a downstream side of the refrigerant passage 155 of the accumulator and not upstream as required by the claims. The Examiner respectfully disagrees; as refrigerant flows from the battery chiller to the accumulator it is interpreted as being on an upstream side.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached at (571)270-7740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights