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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 and 6 recites the limitation "first coolant input and output portion". This limitation is unclear and confusing because is unclear how can it be input AND output.
Claim 1 and 6 recites the limitation "second coolant input and output portion". This limitation is unclear and confusing because is unclear how can it be input AND output.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okawa (JP 2014229480A), hereinafter referred to as Okawa, in view of Yupeng (CN 110444831), hereinafter referred to as Yupeng.
Re claim 1 and 6, Okawa teaches a vehicle comprising a heat management system mountable on the vehicle, the vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body (implicit; “electric vehicles”);
a vehicle interior (inherent) disposed inside the vehicle body;
a first wheel (inherent) and a second wheel (inherent) coupled to the vehicle body;
a secondary battery (1) disposed along a predetermined plane in the vehicle body;
a heat exchange plate (6/11) disposed along the predetermined plane in the vehicle body;
an electric motor (inherent on an electric vehicle) configured to drive at least the first wheel using electric power supplied from the secondary battery (inherent on an electric vehicle); and
a refrigerant circuit (10) which includes at least a compressor (3) and a vehicle interior condenser (49) capable of exchanging heat with air in the vehicle interior, and in which a refrigerant is movable between the compressor and the vehicle interior condenser, wherein
the heat exchange plate includes:
a refrigerant input portion (inlet for 6) that allows the refrigerant that has exited from the vehicle interior condenser of the refrigerant circuit to enter the heat exchange plate and a refrigerant output portion (outlet for 6) that allows the refrigerant to enter the compressor from the heat exchange plate; and
a first coolant input and output portion (inlet for 11) that allows a coolant to be input to and output from the heat exchange plate, and a second coolant input and output portion (outlet for 11) that allows the coolant to be input to and output from the heat exchange plate,
in the heat exchange plate, the refrigerant that has entered from the refrigerant input portion is set to exit from the refrigerant output portion, the coolant that has entered from the first coolant input and output portion is set to exit from the second coolant input and output portion,
the refrigerant is capable of exchanging heat with the coolant in the heat exchange plate, and the heat exchange plate is capable of exchanging heat with the secondary battery (the examiner notes that the refrigerant and the heat exchange plate are fully capable of the claim function),
the refrigerant circulates through at least the compressor, the vehicle interior condenser, the heat exchange plate, and the compressor, such that the heat generated by the secondary battery is used to warm the air in the vehicle interior (intended use, see Fig 24 where the system is fully capable of performing said function).
Okawa does not teach the limitation of the coolant that has entered from the second coolant input and output portion is set to exit from the first coolant input and output portion and the coolant that has exited from the first coolant input and output portion of the heat exchange plate is capable of entering the second coolant input and output portion.
However, Yupeng teaches a vehicle comprising a coolant that has entered from a second coolant input and output portion is set to exit from a first coolant input and output portion and the coolant that has exited from the first coolant input and output portion of the heat exchange plate is capable of entering the second coolant input and output portion (see abstract, “Using above technical scheme, it can be achieved that coolant liquid both forward and reverse directions in liquid cooling plate alternately flow, to achieve the purpose that alternately to exchange heat, so that the temperature of the battery pack on liquid cooling plate tends to uniformity, heat exchange efficiency is improved”).
Therefore, at the time the invention was filed it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Okawa and integrated the coolant that has entered from the second coolant input and output portion is set to exit from the first coolant input and output portion and the coolant that has exited from the first coolant input and output portion of the heat exchange plate is capable of entering the second coolant input and output portion, as taught by Yupeng, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency (see Yupeng abstract).
Re claim 2 and 7, Okawa, as modified, teaches the vehicle according to claim 1 and 6. Okawa further teaches the limitation of wherein
the refrigerant circuit further includes a vehicle exterior heat exchanger (42) between the vehicle interior condenser and the refrigerant input portion of the heat exchange plate,
the refrigerant is movable between the compressor, the vehicle interior condenser, the vehicle exterior heat exchanger, and the refrigerant input portion (see Fig 24), and
the refrigerant circulates through at least the compressor, the vehicle interior condenser, the vehicle exterior heat exchanger, the heat exchange plate, and the compressor, such that heat outside the vehicle and the heat generated by the secondary battery are used to warm the air in the vehicle interior (see Fig 24).
Claim(s) 3, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okawa, in view of Yupeng, in view of Taniguchi (US 20230021121), hereinafter referred to as Taniguchi.
Re claim 3 and 8, Okawa, as modified, teaches the vehicle according to claim 1 and 6. Okawa further teaches the limitation of further comprising:
a coolant circuit (12) in which the coolant that has exited from the first coolant input and output portion of the heat exchange plate returns to the second coolant input and output portion, wherein
the coolant circuit includes at least a pump (13) and
the coolant circulates through the heat exchange plate (see Fig 24)
the refrigerant circulates through at least the compressor, the vehicle interior condenser, the heat exchange plate, and the compressor, such that the heat generated by the secondary battery see Fig 24).
Okawa, as modified, does not teach the limitation of the coolant circuit comprising a heater that heats the coolant based on electrical energy.
However, Taniguchi teaches a vehicle comprising a coolant circuit (6) comprising a heater (62) that heats the coolant based on electrical energy.
Therefore, at the time the invention was filed it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Okawa and integrated the coolant circuit comprising a heater that heats the coolant based on electrical energy, as taught by Taniguchi, in order to heat the battery when needed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 9-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (see PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON NIEVES whose telephone number is (571)270-0392. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
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/NELSON J NIEVES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763 10/1/2026
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