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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10 October 2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 4-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1 and 4-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1 or 2) as being anticipated by Son et al. (WO 2021/177761 a copy of which is attached, using US PG Pub 2025/0046910 as an English equivalent, newly cited).
In regard to claim 1, Son et al. teach an energy storage device, characterized by comprising: a control box (lower battery module 10), arranged in a first compartment of the energy storage device; and a baffle (drainage guide unit 30), arranged entirely within in the first compartment, located above the control box, and covering the control box 20,
the baffle 30 comprises a first end (left side in figure 15 below) and a second end (right side in figure below), and the baffle gradually moves away from a bottom of the energy storage device from the entire first end to the entire second end (figure annotated below), and
the first compartment comprises a first wall (rack case 20) and a second wall (another wall of rack case 20) that face each other in a horizontal direction, wherein the first end and the second end are respectively connected to the first wall and the second wail (figure 15 annotated below, see figure 1, 2, 7 and 16, paragraphs [0039-0072]).
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In regard to claim 4, the first end and the second end are distributed along a first direction (vertical in figure above); and the baffle further comprises a third end and a fourth end that are distributed along a second direction, and the baffle gradually moves away from the bottom of the energy storage device from the third end to the fourth end, wherein the second direction (horizontal) is perpendicular to the first direction (see annotated figure 15).
In regard to claim 5 and 20, the baffle 30 is provided with a drainage port (connected to discharge pipe 40), wherein the drainage port is located at a joint of the first end and the third end, and the drainage port is located on and at a lower end of the obliquely inclined baffle at a joint of the first end and the third end (figure 15 – paragraph [0114]).
In regard to claim 6, an orthographic projection of the drainage port 40 on a horizontal plane fall outside an orthographic projection of the control box 10 on the horizontal plane (figure 15).
In regard to claim 7, a through hole communicating with the drainage port is provided on a bottom wall of the first compartment (frame 11, paragraph [0045-0048]).
In regard to claim 8, the control box 10 is a main control box, a control panel (control module) is provided on a side of the main control box, the baffle 30 is arranged obliquely, and an end of the baffle distal to the control panel is inclined toward the bottom of the energy storage device (paragraph [0051], figure 3).
In regard to claim 9, the baffle 30 comprises a main body portion and an extension portion (pipe connection portion 39 and/or backflow barrier 35) that are connected to each other, wherein the extension portion extends in a direction away from the bottom of the energy storage device (figure 3 and 4 – paragraph [0051-0060]).
In regard to claim 10, the baffle 30 is arranged obliquely, the baffle comprises a first end and a third end that are close to the bottom of the energy storage device, the extension portion 35, 39 is arranged on both an edge of the first end and an edge of the third end, and the extension portion arranged on the edge of the first end and the extension portion arranged on the edge of the third end are apart from each other to form the drainage port 40 (paragraph [0051-0065], figures 1-4).
In regard to claim 11, the main body portion and the extension portion are integrally formed (figure 3).
In regard to claim 12, the baffle 30 is connected to a compartment wall (rack case 20) of the first compartment through a bolt (fastener illustrated in figure below).
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In regard to claim 13 and 14, a first limiting member (bottom support member or lower auxiliary member 80) is provided on the compartment wall of the first compartment, and the first limiting member is located below the baffle for supporting the baffle (paragraph [0118], figure 16 above).
In regard to claim 15, a second limiting member (top frame or upper auxiliary member 80) is further provided on the compartment wall of the first compartment, and the second limiting member is located above the baffle (paragraph [0118], figure 16 above).
In regard to claim 16, the first limiting member comprises a first portion and a second portion that are connected to each other, wherein the first portion is connected to the first wall or the second wall, and the first wall and the second wall are two walls of the first compartment that face each other in the horizontal direction; and the second limiting member comprises a third portion and a fourth portion that are connected to each other, wherein the third portion is connected to the first wall or the second wall, and the second portion and the fourth portion both extend toward the inside of the first compartment (paragraph [0116], figure 16 above - note all components of the prior art battery device are reasonably considered “connected”).
In regard to claim 17, the first limiting member and/or the second limiting member is connected or fixed to the compartment wall of the first compartment through welding, riveting, bolting (illustrated above), or bonding (prior art is structure is generically considered bonded together).
In any event, the Examiner notes that claim 17 is drawn to product by process limitations. Per MPEP 2113, “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985)
In regard to claim 18, a battery (within module 10) is arranged above the baffle 30 (paragraph [0041] - the figure may be rotated in any direction to meet the claimed orientation term “above”).
In regard to claim 19, as “the water-cooling unit” is not positively required (because a battery is described in the prior art and the claim uses the terminology “or” i.e., “water cooling unit or battery is arranged above the baffle”) this limitation fails to distinguish the claim from the prior art. In any event, the prior art teaches a box and a ventilation apparatus (see illustrated fan on battery modules).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US Pubs 2022/0320651 teach a battery box with baffle structures considered relevant to the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nicholas P D'Aniello whose telephone number is (571)270-3635. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tong Guo can be reached on 571-272-3066. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723