DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits of Application No. 18/840,185. Claims 1-17, 20-21, and 24 are pending. By preliminary amendment, claims 18-19, 22-23, and 25-26 are canceled. Claims 21 and 24 have been amended.
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 statements (IDS) submitted on 8/21/2024 and 1/29/2026 have been considered by the examiner.
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 (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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-9, 17, 20-21, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woehrle (US Patent 9806325).
Regarding claim 1, Woehrle discloses a battery pack, comprising: a housing (battery housing 1) defining a volume; a battery module (e.g. Fig. 2b) arranged within the housing, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells (2) configured to provide an electrical output; and a suppressant canister (dispenser 4) having a suppressant and positioned within the battery module proximate to the plurality of battery cells (Figs. 1-2), wherein the suppressant canister is configured to provide the suppressant to the battery module to mitigate a thermal runaway (claims 1 and 8).
Regarding claim 2, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a matrix within the battery module, and wherein the suppressant canister is arranged within the matrix (in particular embodiment of Fig. 1, has dispenser 4 within the cell due to being nested between the poles).
Regarding claim 5, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1, wherein in response to a failure of the battery pack the suppressant canister is configured provide the suppressant to a battery cell proximate to the suppressant canister (Figs. 1-2 and claim 1, e.g. “in an event of failure of the cell, wherein an interior of the battery housing includes at least one dispenser configured to dispense a flame-inhibiting”).
Regarding claim 6, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1, wherein in response to a failure of the battery pack the suppressant canister is configured to uniformly provide the suppressant to the plurality of battery cells of the battery module (Fig. 2b).
Regarding claim 7, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1, wherein the suppressant canister includes a membrane configured to selectively seal the suppressant within the suppressant canister (column 6, “a dispenser 4 for dispensing a flame-inhibiting, flame-retarding and/or flame-extinguishing, liquid, solid or foam agent which have dispenser openings 5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f which are arranged adjacent to a cut-out area 3 of a cell 2 and can be opened”).
Regarding claim 8, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 7, wherein in response to a failure of the battery pack the membrane is configured to degrade, and the suppressant canister is configured to provide the suppressant to a battery cell proximate the suppressant canister (Where degrade can be interpreted as form mechanical shock, column 6, “these dispenser openings 5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f are configured to be capable of opening in the event of a mechanical shock and/or an increase in temperature and/or a pressure increase above a predetermined limiting value’).
Regarding claim 9, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 8, wherein the failure of the battery pack includes a change in temperature of the battery cell proximate the suppressant canister above a threshold (column 6, “these dispenser openings 5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f are configured to be capable of opening in the event of a mechanical shock and/or an increase in temperature and/or a pressure increase above a predetermined limiting value’).
Regarding claim 17, Woehrle discloses a container system (Figs. 1-2), comprising: a housing (battery housing 1) defining a volume; a battery module (e.g. Fig. 2b) arranged within the housing, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells (2) configured to provide an electrical output; and a suppressant canister (dispenser 4) having a suppressant and positioned within the housing, wherein the suppressant canister is configured to provide the suppressant to the battery module to mitigate a thermal runaway (claims 1 and 8).
Regarding claim 20, Woehrle discloses the container system of claim 17, further comprising a subpack (left two modules are first subpack and right two modules are second subpack) arranged within the housing, wherein the battery module is arranged within the subpack and the suppressant canister is arranged within the subpack and coupled with an external wall of the battery module (Fig. 2b).
Regarding claim 21, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1, comprising: the battery module is a first battery module of a plurality of battery modules (e.g. Fig. 2b).
Regarding claim 24, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 1,comprising: a plurality of subpacks arranged within the housing (left two modules are first subpack and right two modules are second subpack), wherein the battery module is a first battery module of a plurality of battery modules, wherein each of the plurality of subpacks comprising comprises multiple battery modules of the plurality of battery (e.g. Fig. 2b).
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.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woehrle (US Patent 9806325, cited on the IDS) in view of Liu (Chinese document CN108767146, cited on the IDS).
Regarding claim 3, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 2 with a matrix.
Woehrle does not disclose the rows arrangement of the battery cells.
Liu discloses wherein the matrix includes the plurality of battery cells arranged in rows (Fig. 3), and wherein the suppressant canister (140) is arranged between a first battery cell and a second battery cell (Fig. 5).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Woehrle to incorporate the suppressant cannister and battery arrangement of Liu with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage to have the suppressant proximate and integrated with the batteries and to protect the adjacent batteries (Liu “broken to release the fire extinguishing material 140 to stop the combustion of the first battery core 21, thereby protecting the second battery core 22”).
Regarding claim 4, Woehrle discloses the battery pack of claim 3, further comprising another suppressant canister having another suppressant, wherein the suppressant canister is arranged between the first battery cell and the second battery cell in a first row, and the other suppressant canister is arranged between a third battery cell and a forth battery cell in a second row (e.g. Liu, Fig. 5).
Claims 10-11 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bito (Japanese document JP2013136266, cited in the IDS) in view of Woehrle (US Patent 9806325, cited on the IDS).
Regarding claim 10, Bito discloses vehicle comprising: a chassis (4); a plurality of tractive elements coupled with the chassis; a prime mover (8) coupled with the plurality of tractive elements (7), the prime mover configured to drive the plurality of tractive elements to propel the vehicle; and a battery pack (11) coupled with the chassis, the battery pack configured to provide power to the prime mover. Bito discloses a fire extinguishing structure of an electric powered vehicle capable of extinguishing a fire from a battery of the electric powered vehicle.
Bito does not disclose some of the suppressant cannister structure.
Woehrle discloses a battery pack, comprising: a housing (battery housing 1) defining a volume; a battery module (e.g. Fig. 2b) arranged within the housing, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells (2) configured to provide an electrical output; and a suppressant canister (dispenser 4) having a suppressant and positioned within the battery module proximate to the plurality of battery cells (Figs. 1-2), wherein the suppressant canister is configured to provide the suppressant to the battery module to mitigate a thermal runaway (claims 1 and 8).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bito to incorporate the suppressant cannister and battery arrangement of Woehrle with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage to have the recognized advantage of the suppressant proximate and integrated with the batteries.
Regarding claim 11, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 10, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a matrix within the battery module, and wherein the suppressant canister is arranged within the matrix (Woehrle, in particular embodiment of Fig. 1, has dispenser 4 within the cell due to being nested between the poles).
Regarding claim 14, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 10, wherein in response to a failure of the battery pack the suppressant canister is configured provide the suppressant to a battery cell proximate to the suppressant canister (Woehrle, Figs. 1-2 and claim 1, e.g. “in an event of failure of the cell, wherein an interior of the battery housing includes at least one dispenser configured to dispense a flame-inhibiting”).
Regarding claim 15, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 10, wherein in response to a failure of the battery pack the suppressant canister is configured to uniformly provide the suppressant to the plurality of battery cells of the battery module (Woehrle, Fig. 2b).
Regarding claim 16, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 10, wherein the suppressant canister includes a membrane configured to selectively seal the suppressant within the suppressant canister (Woehrle, column 6, “a dispenser 4 for dispensing a flame-inhibiting, flame-retarding and/or flame-extinguishing, liquid, solid or foam agent which have dispenser openings 5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f which are arranged adjacent to a cut-out area 3 of a cell 2 and can be opened”).
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bito (Japanese document JP2013136266, cited in the IDS) and Woehrle (US Patent 9806325, cited on the IDS) in view of Liu (Chinese document CN108767146, cited on the IDS).
Regarding claim 12, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 11 with a matrix.
Bito, as modified by Woehrle, does not disclose the rows arrangement of the battery cells.
Liu discloses wherein the matrix includes the plurality of battery cells arranged in rows (Fig. 3), and wherein the suppressant canister (140) is arranged between a first battery cell and a second battery cell (Fig. 5).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bito, as modified by Woehrle, to incorporate the suppressant cannister and battery arrangement of Liu with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage to have the suppressant proximate and integrated with the batteries and to protect the adjacent batteries (Liu “broken to release the fire extinguishing material 140 to stop the combustion of the first battery core 21, thereby protecting the second battery core 22”).
Regarding claim 13, Bito, as modified by Woehrle, discloses the vehicle of claim 12, further comprising another suppressant canister having another suppressant, wherein the suppressant canister is arranged between the first battery cell and the second battery cell in a first row, and the other suppressant canister is arranged between a third battery cell and a forth battery cell in a second row (e.g. Liu, Fig. 5).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim (US Patent Publication 20230335856) discloses a battery pack including thermal spread inhibition structure.
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/LORI WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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