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
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mehlo et al (EP 3859853). Mehlo discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - An energy storage unit for a one-wheel vehicle or a two-wheel vehicle driven by an electric motor, comprising:
a sub-housing 6 in which at least two cell stacks are housed, the at least two cell stacks arranged adjacent to each other in the sub-housing, each cell stack including at least two electrochemical energy storage cells 2, the energy storage cells 2 configured as round cells (“The battery arrangement 1 comprises a battery pack 10 with a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 2.” – see Translation), each energy storage cell including two electrical cell poles(see Fig. 1);
at least one cell connector configured to electrically conductively connect the electrical cell poles of the at least two energy storage cells in a series and/or parallel circuit; and
a compression device 4 configured to connect the at least one cell connector to the electrical cell poles of the energy storage cells in an assembled state of the energy storage unit in a non-positive force-fit manner,
wherein a tensile force of the compression device is adjustable outside of the sub-housing.
With regard to claim 2 - wherein: the compression device is configured as at least one rod 4 projecting through the sub-housing 6 with at least one threaded portion 41 attached on an end face, and the tensile force is adjusted by rotating a nut 42 which is screwed to the threaded portion 41.
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) 1-7, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rossberger et al (WO 2018154528) in view of Mehlo et al (EP 3859853).
Rossberger discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - An energy storage unit for a one-wheel vehicle or a two-wheel vehicle driven by an electric motor, comprising:
a sub-housing 5 in which at least two cell stacks 31 are housed, the at least two cell stacks 31 arranged adjacent to each other in the sub-housing 5, each cell stack 31 including at least two electrochemical energy storage cells 30, the energy storage cells 30 configured as round cells (see Fig. 24), each energy storage cell including two electrical cell poles (see Fig. 5);
at least one cell connector 35 configured to electrically conductively connect the electrical cell poles of the at least two energy storage cells 30 in a series and/or parallel circuit (Abstract).
Rossberger fails to explicitly disclose a compression device configured to connect the at least one cell connector to the electrical cell poles of the energy storage cells in an assembled state of the energy storage unit in a non-positive force-fit manner, wherein a tensile force of the compression device is adjustable outside of the sub-housing.
Mehlo teaches:
An energy storage unit for a one-wheel vehicle or a two-wheel vehicle driven by an electric motor, comprising:
a sub-housing 6 in which at least two cell stacks are housed, the at least two cell stacks arranged adjacent to each other in the sub-housing, each cell stack including at least two electrochemical energy storage cells 2, the energy storage cells 2 configured as round cells (“The battery arrangement 1 comprises a battery pack 10 with a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 2.” – see Translation), each energy storage cell including two electrical cell poles(see Fig. 1);
at least one cell connector configured to electrically conductively connect the electrical cell poles of the at least two energy storage cells in a series and/or parallel circuit; and
a compression device 4 configured to connect the at least one cell connector to the electrical cell poles of the energy storage cells in an assembled state of the energy storage unit in a non-positive force-fit manner,
wherein a tensile force of the compression device is adjustable outside of the sub-housing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the energy storage unit of Rossberger with the teaching of Mehlo so as to include the compression device of Mehlo to ensure a tight, secure connection between cells.
With regard to claim 2, Mehlo teaches wherein: the compression device is configured as at least one rod 4 projecting through the sub-housing 6 with at least one threaded portion 41 attached on an end face, and the tensile force is adjusted by rotating a nut 42 which is screwed to the threaded portion 41.
With regard to claim 3, Rossberger discloses at least one cell connector device 35 having a carrier layer 45, wherein the at least one cell connector 35 is arranged on the carrier layer 45, such that the compression device presses at least one of the electrical cell poles of the energy storage cells 30 in the assembled state of the energy storage unit against a spring-elastic contact element 49 of the at least one cell connector 35 in a direction of the carrier layer 45.
With regard to claim 4, the combination of Rossberger with Mehlo discloses wherein: the at least one cell connector device 35 is arranged between the at least two cell stacks 31, and the at least one cell connector 35 is arranged in each case along a longitudinal axis of the energy storage unit on two opposed end faces of the carrier layer 35, such that the compression device presses the electrical cell poles of two adjacent energy storage cells of the at least two cell stacks in the assembled state of the energy storage unit in each case against the contact elements 49 of the at least one cell connector in the direction of the carrier layer 35 (see Figs. 22 and 23).
With regard to claim 5, Rossberger discloses wherein at least two cell connectors 35 arranged on the end faces of the carrier layer 45 are configured as a conductor plate that encompasses the carrier layer 45 to electrically connect the electrical cell poles of at least a portion of the energy storage cells of the at least two cell stacks together 31.
With regard to claim 6, the combination of Rossberger with Mehlo discloses wherein the at least one cell connector device 35 comprises at least one elastic-spring component arranged between the carrier layer 45 and the at least one contact element 49 of the at least one cell connector 35 (see marked up figure below), such that the compression device presses at least one of the electrical cell poles of the energy storage cell in the assembled state of the energy storage unit against the at least one contact element in the direction of the carrier layer 45 against a spring force, which results from a first spring force of the contact element and a further spring force of the at least one spring component.
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With regard to claim 7, Rossberger discloses wherein in the assembled state of the energy storage unit, the at least one spring component 49 causes a frictional adhesion contact to the energy storage cell 30 in an area of the electrical cell pole of the energy storage cell 30 (see Figs. 22 and 23).
With regard to claim 10, Rossberger discloses wherein: each cell stack comprises a plurality of hollow cylindrical bores 36 for receiving the energy storage cells 30, and a longitudinal gap is along a longitudinal axis of the energy storage unit in each bore, such that at least one spring mounted longitudinal web 21 of a bore adjacent to the longitudinal gap causes a radial fixation of the round cell, and an inner diameter of a bore without the longitudinal web is larger than an outer diameter of the energy storage cell respectively accommodated therein.
With regard to claim 11, Rossberger discloses wherein the carrier layer 45 of the cell connector device 35 and the cell stacks 31 each comprise a plurality of positive locking elements to their mutual mechanical connection (see Figs. 22 and 23).
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dodman et al (US 8,469,381) in view of Mehlo et al (EP 3859853). Dodman discloses a vehicle, comprising: an electric motor 142 (Abstract); and an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit operably connected to the electric motor 42 and releasably connectable to the vehicle or fixedly integrated in the vehicle, wherein the vehicle has two wheels.
Dodman fails to explicitly disclose wherein the energy storage unit is according to claim 1. Mehlo teaches an energy storage unit according to claim 1. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the vehicle of Dodman with the teaching of Mehlo such that the vehicle includes the energy storage unit according to claim 1 to allow for an improved holding of battery cells, whereby a reliable mechanical fixation of the battery cells, in particular in the case of mechanical forces and changing ambient temperatures, is made possible.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rossberger and Mehlo, as applied to claims 1-7, 10, and 11, above, and further in view of Gilton et al (US 11,437,687). Rossberger and Mehlo fail to explicitly disclose wherein the spring component consists of an elastomer, a foam, and/or a synthetic polymer. Gilton teaches a power unit comprising a plurality of cells 1 and a cell connector device 4 wherein the cell connector device 4 comprises at least one elastic-spring component 50 arranged between a carrier layer and the at least one contact element 7 of the cell connector (see Fig. 3), wherein the spring component consists of an elastomer, a foam, and/or a synthetic polymer (“The spacer printed circuit (5) has contact surface (7), which are pressed downwards by a resiliently deformable material (50), for example, an elastomer cup.” – column 8, lines 1-3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the energy storage device of Rossberger and Mehlo with the teaching of Gilton such that the elastic spring component comprises an elastomer cup to allow for it to be more resiliently deformable.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rossberger and Mehlo, as applied to claims 1-7, 10, and 11, above, and further in view of Abadia et al (FR 2922378). Rossberger and Mehlo fail to explicitly disclose wherein the carrier layer is made of a polyamide or polypropylene. Abadia teaches an Electrical Energy Storing Device comprising a carrier layer 22 made from a polyamide (“Connection members 20 are overmolded by a plastic material, for example polyamide, to form the insulating support 22 as a flat-faced plate.” – see translation). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the energy storage device of Rossberger and Mehlo with the teaching of Abadia such that the carrier layer is made of a polyamide to form the carrier layer as a flat-faced insulating support.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 August 8, 2026
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