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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I, figures 1 & 2 and claims 1-4, 6-7, 9-13, 15, 16 and 18 in the reply filed on 7/31/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 5, 8, 14 and 17 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/31/2026.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 7, 10-13, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao et al. (US Pub No 2021/0283441 A1) in view of Delmage (US Pat No 162,041).
Re claim 1, Cao et al. show an energy storage apparatus (Fig. 2), characterized in comprising:
a box (see annotated figure);
at least one heat generation module (9) mounted in the box, each of the at least one heat generation module (9) comprising a plurality of heat generation devices (paragraph 0004 – “cells in the lithium battery pack”) arranged at intervals to form a corresponding heat generation region (see annotated figure);
a water supply pipeline (6) mounted at the box; and
at least one water outlet portion (see annotated figure) disposed at the box and corresponding to the heat generation region (see annotated figure), each of the at least one water outlet portion being in communication with a water outlet end (8) of the water supply pipeline (6) and configured to spray water to the heat generation region (see annotated figure) corresponding to the water outlet portion (see annotated figure).
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Cao et al. does not teach a water outlet portion configured to spray water in a sweeping motion.
However, Delmage shows a water outlet portion (Figs. 1 & 2) configured to spray water in a sweeping motion (col. 2, lines 30-48) onto a heat generation region (col. 2, line 45).
The substitution of one known element (water outlet portion in Cao) for another (water outlet portion as shown in Delmage) would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention since the substitution of the water outlet portion shown in Delmage would have yielded predictable results, namely, a local release in Cao et al. to release fire extinguishing agent into the lithium battery energy storage.
Re claims 2 & 11, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show the water outlet portion (Delmage – Figs. 1 & 2) comprises at least one water spraying head (Delmage – Fig. 1) rotatably disposed in the box (see annotated figure) and configured to spray water to at least two of the plurality of heat generation devices (Cao – paragraph 0004) in the heat generation region (see annotated figure) corresponding to the water outlet portion (Delmage – Figs. 1 & 2).
Re claims 3 & 12, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show each of the at least one water spraying head (Delmage – Fig. 1) comprises: a main portion (Delmage – A) rotatably disposed in the box, the main portion defining a main cavity (Delmage – inside A), the main cavity being in communication with the water outlet end (Cao – 8) of the water supply pipeline (Cao – 6); and a plurality of blades (Delmage – C) circumferentially arranged at an outer wall of the main portion (Delmage – A), each of the plurality of blades having an auxiliary cavity (Delmage – inside C) in communication with the main cavity, each of the plurality of blades having at least one water spray hole (Delmage – a, f) at a surface of the blade, and the at least one water spray hole being in communication with the auxiliary cavity (Delmage – inside C).
Re claims 4 & 13, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show the water outlet portion comprises a plurality of water spraying heads (Cao – Fig. 2/see annotated figure) arranged at intervals in a direction in which the plurality of heat generation devices (Cao – paragraph 0004) is arranged, where 1 < A < M, wherein A represents a total number of water spraying heads of the water outlet portion (Cao – Fig. 2/see annotated figure), and M represents a total number of the heat generation devices (Cao – paragraph 0004) in the heat generation region (see annotated figure) corresponding to the water outlet portion (Cao shows 2 water spray heads in each heat generation region as well as two lithium battery energy storage packs, to which each lithium battery energy storage pack includes multiple cells, thus 1 < 2 < at least 4 (more than one cell per storage pack with 2 storage packs in the heat generation region)).
Re claims 6 & 15, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show the at least one heat generation module (Cao - 9) comprises a plurality of heat generation modules (Cao – 9) and the at least one water outlet portion comprises a plurality of water outlet portions (see annotated figure), the plurality of heat generation modules (Cao – 9) being in a one-to-one correspondence (Cao – Fig. 2) with the plurality of water outlet portions (see annotated figure), and the plurality of water outlet portions being arranged at intervals in a direction in which the plurality of heat generation modules is arranged (Cao – Fig. 2).
Re claims 7 & 16, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show the water supply pipeline (Cao – 6) comprises: a water delivery pipeline (see annotated figure); and a plurality of water spraying pipelines (Cao – 8/see annotated figure) in a one-to-one correspondence (Cao – Fig. 2) with the plurality of heat generation modules (Cao – 9), each of the plurality of water spraying pipelines (Cao – 8/see annotated figure) having a water outlet end in communication with a water outlet portion (see annotated figure) and a water inlet end in communication with a water outlet end of the water delivery pipeline (see annotated figure).
Re claim 10, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show an energy storage system (Cao – Fig. 2), characterized in comprising:
a power generator (Cao – 1); and
the energy storage apparatus according to claim 1 (see above),
wherein the energy storage apparatus is electrically connected to the power generator (paragraph 0062 & Fig. 2).
Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao et al. (US Pub No 2021/0283441 A1) in view of Delmage (US Pat No 162,041) and further in view of Butler et al. (US Pub No 2006/0289176 A1).
Re claim 9, Cao et al. as modified by Delmage show at least one detector (Cao – 14) disposed in the box (see annotated figure) and configured to detect environmental information (Cao – paragraph 0070) of at least one heat generation region; a water supply (Cao – 3) configured to drive water to flow into the water supply pipeline; and a controller (Cao – 2) electrically connected to the detector and the water supply, the controller being configured to control the water supply based on the environmental information (Cao – paragraphs 0065 & 0070).
Cao et al. as modified by Delmage does not teach a water supply pump.
However, Butler et al. disclose a water supply pump (paragraph 0040; Fig. 2, 109).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the motivation to have the system of Cao et al. as modified by Delmage include a water supply pump as taught by Butler et al. to provide pressure in the delivery pipes in fluid communication with the spray heads (Butler – paragraph 0040).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cowan, Lindbloom, Katzer, Simonetti and Wang all show rotating spray heads.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN MICHAEL CERNOCH whose telephone number is (571)270-3540. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 8am-5pm.
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STEVEN MICHAEL CERNOCH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/STEVEN M CERNOCH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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