DETAILED ACTION
In the reply filed 6/13/2025, claims 1, 2, 12, 22, 25, and 26 are amended, and new claim 27 is added. Claims 1-7, 11-13, 15-17, 21-27 are currently pending, with claims 4, 6, 7, 21, and 23 withdrawn.
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 Objections
Claim 24 is objected to because of the following informalities: the eighth line of claim 12 recites: “the front truck”. In the recitation, “truck” should be corrected to read as “trunk”. Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 6/13/2025. These drawings are not acceptable. The drawings include new matter.
New/replacement figures reveal details of components which are not present in the original disclosure. These details include at least the following:
Replacement Figs. 1B, 3C, 3D add physical structure to the front trunk, including but not limited to vertical sidewalls.
The original drawings/disclosure suggests the front trunk 104 was present in the Figs. 3C, 3D. The replacement Figures add an oval structure and point to this structure as the front trunk 104. By adding the oval structure and labeling it as the front trunk, replacement figures 3C, 3D contradict the original figures.
Replacement Fig. 4A suggest that the primary battery is also located in the front trunk, under power source 102.
Replacement Fig. 4A adds callout 103. The original disclosure is silent regarding what the referenced element is, and those having ordinary skill in the art would, upon review the original figures, not reasonably conclude this structure is an electrical connection.
Replacement Fig. 4D adds a callout for the front trunk storage unit, and the oval structure is added. No support is found for oval front trunk being located in the vehicle simultaneously with the storage unit.
Replacement Fig. 5E adds a callout for a remote device. The figure also adds callouts for the power source and electrical connection. No support is found for remote device attached to the vehicle, electrically connected to the power source, with the power source in the vehicle.
For these reasons, the drawings received on 6/13/2025 have not been entered. Please see MPEP 608.02(h).
Because the replacement drawings are not entered, some of the previously-applied objections to the drawings are maintained.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the fasteners (introduced in claim 13), seat of the vehicle (introduced in claim 25), the electrical connection (claim 22), and the primary battery (claim 24) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to sufficiently show a front trunk that is removable/detachable from the vehicle and from the power source as described in the specification. Please see the 35 USC § 112 discussion below for details regarding the front trunk and indefiniteness. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The amendments to the specification (6/13/2025) refer to the replacement figures. The amendments to the specification include reference numerals which are only present in the replacement figures. The Specification should not include matter which specifically references/relates to drawings which have not been entered. Please see the discussion above for reasons why the drawings were not entered.
Appropriate correction is required.
The amendment filed 6/13/2025 is objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132(a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132(a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure includes at least the following:
Paragraph [0040] includes an amended portion as follows: “Lastly, as shown in FIG. 4E and discussed herein, the power source 102 may be used in remote locations, such as during camping, allowing users to directly plug a remote device 109 into the power source 102 located in the front trunk 104, as shown in FIG. 4E, or directly plug the remote device 109 into the power source 102 when the power source 102 is removed from the front trunk 104.” This new passage describes features for which no support is found in the original disclosure, yielding new matter.
New matter has been identified in drawings filed (but not entered) 6/13/2025. Portions in the specification which specifically reference/relate to these drawings and elements shown only in these drawings accordingly contain new matter.
Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-3, 5, 11-13, 15-17, 22, 24-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Independent Claim 1 is amended to recite: “an opening to provide access between the cabin and the front trunk to access the power source” The original disclosure does not suggest that the access provided by the opening is to access the power source. As such, claim 1 introduces new matter. Additionally, when the battery is installed in the front trunk, and the trunk is installed on the frame, it appears that the trunk would block access to the power source. Claim 12 introduces new matter for the same reasons as claim 1.
Claim 25 recites: “wherein the opening aligns with a seat of the vehicle”. Alignment between a seat and the opening is not found in the original disclosure. As such, claim 25 introduces new matter
Claim 26 recites: “a front trunk storage unit that is configured to be installed when the power source is removed”. Support for this limitation is not found in the original disclosure. As such, claim 26 is understood to introduce new matter.
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 1-3, 5, 11-13, 15-17, 22, 24-27 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.
The front trunk (introduced in independent claims 1 and 12) is not understood. Specifically, it is unclear whether the front trunk is a space located in the front of the vehicle, selectively occupied by a power source, or whether is it a physical element. The drawings refer to the front trunk as element 104, however element 104 does not point to any specific physical element. See, for example, Applicant’s own Figs. 1B and 3C, which portray the elected invention:
PNG
media_image1.png
404
464
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
402
433
media_image2.png
Greyscale
The metes and bounds of the front trunk are not understood. What structure encompasses the front trunk? How is the front trunk secured to/supported by the frame? How is the battery secured to/removable from the front trunk? If the front trunk is a space, how is it removable?
How does the trunk connect to the frame? Upon review of the claims, and considering the context of the whole original disclosure, those having ordinary skill would not reasonably be able to understand what the front trunk is, how/where it is physically positioned, and how it interacts/interfits with other claimed components. Regarding limitations involving the front trunk, the disclosure does not reveal a cohesive or definite invention. The disclosure generically presents various features, however the disclosure is largely silent on how or if these features are usable together. Upon review of the claims, as supported by the original disclosure, those having ordinary skill in the art would not readily understand the front trunk and its functional interactions with other claimed components.
In claim 2, there is improper antecedent basis for “a frame”, because a frame is introduced in amended claim 1.
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) 1-3, 5, 11-13, 15-17, 22, 24-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salter (US 11,951,854) in view of Kim (KR 102273991), Robert (US 2020/0254887) and Bollinger (US 10,676,137).
Regarding claim 1, Salter teaches: a vehicle comprising:
a front trunk (the storage portion which accepts battery units 32);
a power source (including battery units 32) removably stored in the front trunk and configured to supply power to the vehicle and one or more remote devices (see column 4, lines 50-56); and
a cabin (22) located behind the front trunk and configured to hold a person.
Relevant elements are best shown at least in Figs. 1-3.
Salter fails to disclose the front trunk being removably secured to a frame of the vehicle configured to support the front trunk.
Kim teaches: a front trunk removably secured to a frame of the vehicle configured to support the front trunk. See Figs. 1-3 and 7, and the first paragraph on page 5 of the attached translation. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide the front trunk from Salter being removably secured to a frame of the vehicle configured to support the front trunk, as suggested by Kim; the motivation being: attachment to the frame keeps the trunk from unwanted movement, and removability of the trunk would yield accessibility to the portions under the trunk for repair/maintenance.
Salter fails to disclose: the power source having an AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business. Robert teaches a power source (32) having an AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business. See Figs. 4D and 9. See also [0043], [0045], [0076], and [0076]. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide the power source from Salter with AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business, as suggested by Robert. The motivation being: to provide convenient charging of the power source without depleting or imposing excess wear on the traction battery.
Salter fails to disclose: a divider as claimed. Bollinger teaches: a divider (including 24, 44) separating the cabin and the front trunk and having an opening (at the door 44) to provide access between the cabin and the front trunk. See Fig. 5 from Bollinger. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide Salter with a divider separating the cabin and the front trunk and having an opening to provide access between the cabin and the front trunk, as suggested by Bollinger. The motivation being: so that the passenger(s) can be selectively isolated from the front storage. Such a wall would reduce noise in the passenger compartment, and would effectively seal the compartment sufficiently for controlled temperature and airflow. Bollinger also realizes an advantage where the divider has a door (44), which permits expanded storage space.
As such, the combination teaches: the opening (from Bollinger) provide access between the cabin and the front trunk to access the power source (from Salter).
Regarding claim 2, the combination further teaches:
wherein the front trunk is removably secured to a frame of the vehicle, wherein the frame is configured to support the front trunk, and wherein the front trunk is configured to be removed from the vehicle. See Figs. 1-3 and 7, and the first paragraph on page 5 of the attached translation from Kim.
Regarding claim 3, the combination further teaches: a vehicle hood and a vehicle grille, wherein the front trunk defines a cavity extending below the vehicle hood and behind the vehicle grille. See Figs. 4 and 5, and column 5, lines 33-50 from Salter.
Regarding claim 5, Salter further teaches: a front trunk accessory (“cargo”) configured to correspond with the cavity and replace the front trunk once removed. See column 1, lines 44-47. It is well known in the art that front trunks are used to store/carry accessories such as luggage, groceries, etc. It is further well known that once an item is removed from a storage compartment, the compartment is free to store other items/accessories. Bollinger teaches a front trunk accessory (“cargo” 42) configured to correspond with front cavity. See Fig. 2. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide the combination with a front trunk accessory, as suggested by Bollinger; the motivation being: so that when the front trunk and battery are not needed, the space can be utilized to transport other items. This would allow storage space in the vehicle to be efficiently used, as opposed to being simply empty. Accordingly, the combination teaches a front trunk accessory configured to correspond with the cavity and replace the front trunk once removed.
Regarding claim 11, the combination further teaches: one of the one or more openings is configured to allow the person to extend through the opening from the cabin to the front trunk when the power source is removed. See Fig. 5 from Bollinger.
Regarding claim 12, Salter teaches: a vehicle comprising:
a front trunk (the storage portion which accepts battery units 32);
a power source (including battery units 32) removably stored in the front trunk (see column 4, lines 59-63) and configured to supply power to the vehicle and one or more remote devices (see column 4, lines 50-56);
a cabin (22) located behind the front trunk and configured to hold a person; and
Relevant elements are best shown at least in Figs. 1-3.
Salter fails to explicitly disclose: a frame configured to support the front trunk, wherein the front trunk is detachable from the frame.
Kim teaches: a frame configured to support the front trunk, wherein the front trunk is detachable from the frame a front trunk removably secured to a frame of the vehicle configured to support the front trunk. See Figs. 1-3 and 7, and the first paragraph on page 5 of the attached translation. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide Salter with a frame configured to support the front trunk, wherein the front trunk is detachable from the frame, as suggested by Kim; the motivation being: attachment to the frame keeps the trunk from unwanted movement, and removability/detachability of the trunk would yield accessibility to the portions under the trunk for repair/maintenance.
Salter fails to disclose: the power source having an AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business. Robert teaches a power source (32) having an AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business. See Figs. 4D and 9. See also [0043], [0045], [0076], and [0076]. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide the power source from Salter with AC input for charging the power source from an AC output source of a home or a business, as suggested by Robert. The motivation being: to provide convenient charging of the power source without depleting or imposing excess wear on the traction battery.
Salter fails to disclose: a divider as claimed. Bollinger teaches: a divider (including 24, 44) separating the cabin and the front trunk and having an opening (at the door 44) to provide access between the cabin and the front trunk. See Fig. 5 from Bollinger. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide Salter with a divider separating the cabin and the front trunk and having an opening to provide access between the cabin and the front trunk, as suggested by Bollinger. The motivation being: so that the passenger(s) can be selectively isolated from the front storage. Such a wall would reduce noise in the passenger compartment, and would effectively seal the compartment sufficiently for controlled temperature and airflow. Bollinger also realizes an advantage where the divider has a door (44), which permits expanded storage space.
As such, the combination teaches: the opening (from Bollinger) provide access between the cabin and the front trunk to access the power source (from Salter).
Regarding claim 13, the combination further teaches: the frame comprises two or more body structure components, the two or more body structure components configured to be fastened to the front trunk via a fastener. See Figs. 1-3 and 7, and the first paragraph on page 5 of the attached translation from Kim.
Regarding claim 15, the combination further teaches: the divider defines an opening configured to allow the person to extend through the opening from the cabin to the front trunk. See Fig. 5 from Bollinger.
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches: wherein the power source is a plurality of modular batteries configured to be stacked on top of or next to each other. See at least Figs. 2 and 3 from Salter.
Regarding claim 17, the combination (specifically, Salter) further teaches: a front trunk accessory (“cargo”) configured to correspond with the cavity and replace the front trunk once removed. See column 1, lines 44-47. It is well known in the art that front trunks are used to store/carry accessories such as luggage, groceries, etc. It is further well known that once an item is removed from a storage compartment, the compartment is free to store other items/accessories. Bollinger teaches a front trunk accessory (“cargo” 42) configured to correspond with front cavity. See Fig. 2. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide Salter with a front trunk accessory, as suggested by Bollinger; the motivation being: so that when the front trunk and battery are not needed, the space can be utilized to transport other items. This would allow storage space in the vehicle to be efficiently used, as opposed to being simply empty. Accordingly, the combination teaches a front trunk accessory configured to correspond with the cavity and replace the front trunk once removed.
Regarding claim 22, the combination (specifically, Salter) further teaches: an electrical connection (shown at least in Figs. 6 and 10; the connection is the component shown which connects the power point 36 to the powered device 46) connecting the power source to the one or more remote devices (46), and wherein the electrical connection is configured to connect the power source in the front trunk of the vehicle to the remote device separate from the vehicle.
Regarding claim 24, the combination (specifically, Salter) further teaches: wherein the power source is configured to integrate with the front trunk and configured to be electrically coupled to a primary battery (18) of the vehicle when the power source is integrated with the front truck. See Fig. 1 and column 7, lines 7-21 from Salter.
Regarding claim 25, the combination further teaches: wherein the opening aligns with a seat of the vehicle, and wherein the opening is configured to allow the person to stretch their legs through the opening. See Fig. 5 from Bollinger. See also Fig. 4 from Bollinger, which shows the seat (22) and opening aligned in a same horizontal plane.
Regarding claim 26, the combination further teaches: a front trunk storage unit (30) that is configured to be installed when the power source is removed. See Fig. 2 from Salter.
Regarding claim 27, the combination further teaches: wherein the power source may be electrically coupled to a primary battery of the vehicle in order to extend a driving range of the vehicle. See the Abstract from Salter.
Response to Remarks
Applicant's Remarks filed 6/15/2025 have been fully considered.
Applicant asserts the prior art previously relied upon does not teach the limitations of the claims (see especially independent claims 1 and 12), as amended. Amendments to the claims necessitated a new ground(s) of rejection. Applicant's arguments were made with respect to the claims, as amended, and have been rejected/addressed as provided above.
Specifically, a new interpretation of Salter is relied upon. Element 30 from Salter is no longer mapped to the claimed front trunk. Additionally, Kim is relied upon for teaching the front trunk being removably secured to a frame.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMA K FRICK whose telephone number is (571)270-5403. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M, T, F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Shriver can be reached on (303) 297-4324. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/EMMA K FRICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613