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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 21 November 2025 has been entered.
Applicant’s amendments have overcome the previous drawing objection and 35 USC 112 rejection. However, the Applicant’s amendments have provided grounds for additional 35 USC 112(a) rejections.
Applicant’s arguments, filed 21 November 2025 with respect to the rejections under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. However, after conducting an updated search, additional references were identified, which teach the amended portions of the claims. Therefore, the claims remain rejected as obvious in view of the prior art.
Status of the Claims
In the amendment dated 21 November 2025, the status of the claims is as follows: Claims 21, 25, 32, 35 and 40 have been amended. Claims 33-34 have been cancelled. Claims 41-42 are new.
Claims 21-32 and 35-42 are pending.
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 21-32 and 35-42 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.
The “welder configured to removably couple” and the “energy storage caddy … configured to removably couple” of claims 21, 32, and 40 are not mentioned in the original Specification or in the original set of Claims. Although MPEP 2163 permits claim limitations that are based on “inherent disclosure,” the examiner could not find any evidence in the Specification, which would imply removable connections for the cables. Additionally, the arguments filed 21 November 2025 refer to fig. 2 of the drawings as well as paragraphs 0013-0014, 0017-0020, 0022, 0024, 0026, 0028, and 0034 of the specification, but the examiner could not find any mention of removable couplings in these paragraphs. As a result, by adding claim limitations that recite structure that is “removably” coupled to welding cables, the Applicant introduces new matter into the patent application. The Applicant can overcome this rejection by deleting “removably” form the claims.
Claim 41 recites a “utility power cable” with a “first end” and a “second end” that is been the welder and a utility power source. Although the specification discloses that “in certain embodiments, the welder 12 may also be coupled to an external utility power, such as a utility 24 (e.g., a power grid),” there is no disclosure of a cable to perform this coupling. Instead, the only cables that are disclosed in the specification are the cables 30 and 32 between the welder and the energy storage caddy (fig. 2). As a result, by adding claim the limitation “utility power cable,” the Applicant introduces new matter into the patent application.
Claims 22-31, 35-39, and 42 are rejected based on their dependency to the independent claims.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 21-25, 28, and 30-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1) and Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1).
Regarding claim 21, Albrecht ‘046 teaches a welding system (fig. 2), comprising:
a welder (fuel cell 40, fig. 2; a welder is defined as “a machine used in welding;” the fuel cell is construed as a “welder” because it is a machine used to provide primary power in welding, para 0022) configured to supply a welding power output (fuel cell output 88, fig. 6; “primary source of power for welding and/or auxiliary operations,” para 0031) for a first welding type (“the weld power converter 46 may condition power for use in …a stick welding process,” para 0023; construed as the power required for stick welding); and
an energy storage caddy (energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, fig. 2), the energy storage caddy configured to receive the welding power output from the welder (“the fuel cell 40 may be configured to input power directly to the power conversion circuitry 44, as indicated by arrow 54, or to the energy storage device 42 for further use,” para 0028; arrows from the fuel cell 40 to the weld power converter 46 and the energy storage device 42, fig. 2), wherein the energy storage caddy comprises:
an energy storage device (energy storage device 42, fig. 2) configured to provide a supplemental power output (supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; “one or more supplemental sources (e.g., an energy storage device,” para 0031); and
power electronics (weld power converter 46, fig. 2) configured to:
combine the welding power output and the supplemental power output to produce a total power output (power demand of the system 90, fig. 6; construed as the sum of the fuel cell output 88 and the supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; para 0028 describes how the weld power converter controls the output power provided for welding operations); and
condition the total power output to create a second welding type different from the first welding type (“the weld power converter 46 may condition power for use in a MIG welding process,” para 0023; MIG welding is construed as a different welding process than stick welding).
Albrecht ‘046, fig. 2
PNG
media_image1.png
2304
1238
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Albrecht ‘046 does not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple to a first end of a weld power cable on a secondary side of the welder, an energy storage caddy physically separate from the welder and the energy storage caddy is configured to removably couple to a second end of the weld power cable to receive the welding power output from the welder via the weld power cable.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Borchert teaches a welder (power supply unit 10, fig. 2; para 0019) configured to couple to a first end (annotated in fig. 2 below) of a weld power cable (cable 20, fig. 2; provides “power,” para 0021) on a secondary side of the welder (annotated in fig. 2 below), an energy storage caddy (power conversion unit 28, fig. 2; “energy storage device,” para 0028) physically separate from the welder (fig. 2) and the energy storage caddy is configured to couple to a second end (annotated in fig. 2 below) of the weld power cable to receive the welding power output from the welder via the weld power cable (“two cables 20 and 24, are used to connect the auxiliary power conversion unit 28 to the power supply unit 10,” para 0021).
Borchert, fig. 2 (annotated)
PNG
media_image2.png
580
485
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Borchert, by placing the fuel cell 40, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a housing and then placing the energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a separate housing, where the respective housings were connected by cables, as taught by Borchert, in order to use a power conversion unit that is portable and connected to the power supply using cables, for the advantage of facilitating easy transfer of a smaller separate power conversion unit between welding sites instead of having to move a larger power supply unit, and also enabling replacement of the smaller power conversion unit in the event that maintenance is required instead of having to replace the larger power supply unit (Borchert, para 0017).
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert do not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple; the energy storage caddy is configured to removably couple.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Ihde teaches a welder (power supply 12, fig. 1) configured to removably couple (connector 38 with male connector assembly 48, fig. 1; removable using the threads 106 in the fitting 108, fig. 3; para 0024); the energy storage caddy (the energy storage caddy is construed as being in the position of the wire feeder 14, fig. 1) is configured to removably couple (connector 52 with female connector assembly 50, fig. 1; removable using the threads 120, fig. 3; para 0025).
Ihde, fig. 3
PNG
media_image3.png
1293
584
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046/ Borchert, in view of the teachings of Ihde, by using a male connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power supply unit 10 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, and by using a female connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power conversion unit 28 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, in order to use releasable male and female connectors so that the cable can be disconnected, for the advantage of facilitating the separate transportation and storage of the cable as well as maintenance, e.g., the cable could be replaced or repaired if it were to become damaged.
Regarding claim 22, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the first welding type is a stick welding type (“the weld power converter 46 may condition power for use in …a stick welding process,” para 0023; construed as the power required for stick welding) and the welding power output is a constant current output (“the fuel cell 40 may be configured to continuously output a constant amount of power,” para 0026; “ensuring proper current flow,” para 0019; construed as providing a constant amount of current as a result of providing a constant amount of power), the power electronics further configured to condition the total power output for the second welding type including a metal inert gas arc (“MIG welding process, a pulse MIG welding process,” para 0023), plasma welding (“plasma welding process,” para 0023), multi-process welding (“a modified short circuit process,” para 0023), or induction (“induction heating process,” para 0023).
Regarding claim 23, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the power electronics (weld power converter 46, fig. 2) are further configured to adjust or modify one or more properties of the welding power output and the supplemental power output to produce the total power output (“The power conversion circuitry 44 is configured to receive the one or more power inputs and to convert such inputs to the amount and type of power needed by the welding system,” para 0023; fig. 6).
Regarding claim 24, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the one or more properties of the welding power output, the supplemental power output, or the total power output (power demand of the system 90, fig. 6) includes voltage (“voltage level desired,” para 0024), amperage (“current level desired,” para 0024; the power demand of the system 90 in fig. 6 is construed as being the voltage times the current), an output waveform, or a phase.
Regarding claim 25, Albrecht ‘046 teaches further comprising control circuitry to synchronize (sequencing in time shown in fig. 6) operation of the welder (power from the fuel cell 88, fig. 6) and the energy storage caddy (supplemental power 92, fig. 6) based on at least one of the one or more properties (power demand of the system 90, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 28, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the power electronics are further configured to condition the total power output for regulated metal deposition welding processes (“adapted to monitor a power output demand level of the hybrid welding device and to regulate the third power output for the welding operation based on the power output demand level,” para 0006).
Regarding claim 30, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the power electronics are further configured to condition the total power output for pulse capable welding processes (“pulse MIG welding process,” para 0023).
Regarding claim 31, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the power electronics include a buck converter, a boost converter, a buck/boost converter, or any combination of the buck converter, boost converter, or buck/boost converter (para 0023).
Claims 26-27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1) and Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1) as applied to claims 21, 23, 25, and 28 above and further in view of Heraly et al. (US-6034350-A).
Regarding claim 26, Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the power electronics to output the supplemental power output to provide additional amperage for the welding power output to clear a short during a metal inert gas arc welding operation.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Heraly teaches wherein the control circuitry (background circuit 54, controller 56, and power selector 70, fig. 2) is further configured to control the power electronics (power circuit 46, fig. 2) to output the supplemental power output (“a control circuit to monitor the supplemental voltage, the control circuit providing a first control signal at the control input of the power circuit to enable the flow of output current when the magnitude of the supplemental voltage at the welding output is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined magnitude.,” claim 1; the additional “output current” is construed as the claimed “supplemental power output”) to provide additional amperage for the welding power output (“controller 56 enables power circuit 46 to provide a low level of output current that ramps up to a final level of, for example, 40 amperes,” column 5, lines 45-48) to clear a short (“when the short is detected,” column 5, line 42) during a metal inert gas arc welding operation (“metal inert gas (MIG)… Although the method and apparatus of the present invention is preferably directed to a TIG welding process, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may have applications in many other welding operations,” column 1, lines 15-23; although Heraly teaches TIG welding, construed such that the method taught by Heraly has application in MIG welding).
Heraly, fig. 2
PNG
media_image4.png
471
614
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046 to include, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the power electronics to output the supplemental power output to provide additional amperage for the welding power output to clear a short during a metal inert gas arc welding operation, in view of the teachings of Heraly, by using the power from the batteries in the energy storage device 42 to increase the amount of current that is provided to the welding torch , as taught by Albrecht ‘046, such as when a short circuit has been detected, as taught by Heraly, in order to use a lift arc method for generating a spark to start the welding process, where current increases and is regulated to warm the electrode but not melt the electrode, which prevents the problems associated with a scratch method for starting an arc, which may result in contamination causing failure in the weld (Heraly, column 1, line 43 to column 2, line 19; MIG welders, like TIG welders, can use scratching to start an arc).
Regarding claim 27, the combination of Albrecht ‘046 in view of Borchert, Ihde, and Heraly as set forth above regarding claim 26 teaches the invention of claim 27; specifically, Heraly teaches wherein the control circuitry (background circuit 54, controller 56, and power selector 70, fig. 2) is further configured to control output of the total power output (“a control circuit to monitor the supplemental voltage, the control circuit providing a first control signal at the control input of the power circuit to enable the flow of output current when the magnitude of the supplemental voltage at the welding output is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined magnitude.,” claim 1; the additional “output current” combined with the “supplemental voltage” is construed as the claimed “total power output”) to provide high energy (“40 amperes,” column 5, line 48) for a short duration (“20 milliseconds,” column 5, line 63) to start an arc during a metal inert gas arc welding operation (“The method of FIG. 3 preferably starts a DC TIG process,” column 5, lines 9-10; “metal inert gas (MIG),” column 1, line 16).
Regarding claim 29, the combination of Albrecht ‘046 in view of Borchert, Ihde, and Heraly as set forth above regarding claim 26 teaches the invention of claim 29; specifically, Heraly teaches wherein the power electronics (power circuit 46, fig. 2) are further configured to condition the supplemental power output (“a control circuit to monitor the supplemental voltage, the control circuit providing a first control signal at the control input of the power circuit to enable the flow of output current when the magnitude of the supplemental voltage at the welding output is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined magnitude.,” claim 1; the additional “output current” is construed as the claimed “supplemental power output”) for low amperage duty for the regulated metal deposition welding processes (“controller 56 enables power circuit 46 to provide a low level of output current,” column 5, lines 46-47; pulser circuit 62 in fig. 2 is construed as controlling the pulsing of the current level to provide a low duty cycle of output current).
Claims 32, 35, and 38-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1), Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1), and Albrecht et al. (US-20110114607-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘607).
Regarding claim 32, Albrecht ‘046 teaches a welding system (fig. 2), comprising:
a welder (fuel cell 40, fig. 2; a welder is defined as “a machine used in welding;” the fuel cell is construed as a “welder” because it is a machine used to provide primary power in welding, para 0022) configured to supply a first welding power output (fuel cell output 88, fig. 6; “primary source of power for welding and/or auxiliary operations,” para 0031) with a constant voltage or a constant current (“the fuel cell output 88 remains relatively constant during the entire welding period,” para 0031; power equals voltage times current; construed such that both the voltage and the current are constant because the power output 88 is constant) for a first welding type torch (“a stinger suitable for stick welding operations,” para 0019); and
an energy storage caddy (energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, fig. 2) configured to receive the first welding power output from the welder (“the fuel cell 40 may be configured to input power directly to the power conversion circuitry 44, as indicated by arrow 54, or to the energy storage device 42 for further use,” para 0028; arrows from the fuel cell 40 to the weld power converter 46 and the energy storage device 42, fig. 2), wherein the energy storage caddy comprises:
an energy storage device (energy storage device 42, fig. 2) configured to provide a supplemental power output (supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; “one or more supplemental sources (e.g., an energy storage device,” para 0031); and
power electronics (weld power converter 46, fig. 2) configured to:
combine the first welding power output and the supplemental power output to condition and produce a total power output (power demand of the system 90, fig. 6; construed as the sum of the fuel cell output 88 and the supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; para 0028 describes how the weld power converter “conditions and outputs” the output power provided for welding operations) for the first welding type torch (“stick welding,” para 0023) when the energy storage caddy is electrically connected to the welder via the weld power cable (the energy storage device and the fuel are electrically connected in order to provide an output 60 that meets the power demand for the system, para 0033); and
condition the supplemental output (“the auxiliary power converter 48 may condition power to output 115V, 120V, 200V, 240V, 400V, 460V,” para 0023) to output a second welding power (“the weld power converter 46 may condition power for use in a MIG welding process,” para 0023) for a second welding type torch (“a torch suitable for metal inert gas (MIG) operations,” para 0019).
Albrecht ‘046 does not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple to a first end of a weld power cable on a secondary side of the welder; an electrical connection provided by the weld power cable; an energy storage configured to removably couple to a second end of the weld power cable to receive the first welding power output from the welder; power electronics configured to: condition the supplemental power output to output a second welding power independently of the welder when the energy storage caddy is not electrically connected to the welder.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Borchert teaches a welder (power supply unit 10, fig. 2; para 0019) configured to couple to a first end (annotated in fig. 2 above) of a weld power cable (cable 20, fig. 2; provides “power,” para 0021) on a secondary side of the welder (annotated in fig. 2 above); an electrical connection provided by the weld power cable (power connection, para 0021); an energy storage (power conversion unit 28, fig. 2; “energy storage device,” para 0028) configured to couple to a second end (annotated in fig. 2 above) of the weld power cable to receive the first welding power output from the welder (“two cables 20 and 24, are used to connect the auxiliary power conversion unit 28 to the power supply unit 10,” para 0021).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Borchert, by placing the fuel cell 40, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a housing and then placing the energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a separate housing, where the respective housings were connected by cables, as taught by Borchert, in order to use a power conversion unit that is portable and connected to the power supply using cables, for the advantage of facilitating easy transfer of a smaller separate power conversion unit between welding sites instead of having to move a larger power supply unit, and also enabling replacement of the smaller power conversion unit in the event that maintenance is required instead of having to replace the larger power supply unit (Borchert, para 0017).
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert do not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple; the energy storage caddy is configured to removably couple; power electronics configured to: condition the supplemental power output to output a second welding power independently of the welder when the energy storage caddy is not electrically connected to the welder.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Ihde teaches a welder (power supply 12, fig. 1) configured to removably couple (connector 38 with male connector assembly 48, fig. 1; removable using the threads 106 in the fitting 108, fig. 3; para 0024); the energy storage caddy (the energy storage caddy is construed as being in the position of the wire feeder 14, fig. 1) is configured to removably couple (connector 52 with female connector assembly 50, fig. 1; removable using the threads 120, fig. 3; para 0025).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046/ Borchert, in view of the teachings of Ihde, by using a male connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power supply unit 10 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, and by using a female connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power conversion unit 28 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, in order to use releasable male and female connectors so that the cable can be disconnected, for the advantage of facilitating the separate transportation and storage of the cable as well as maintenance, e.g., the cable could be replaced or repaired if it were to become damaged.
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert/Ihde do not explicitly disclose power electronics configured to: condition the supplemental power output to output a second welding power independently of the welder when the energy storage caddy is not electrically connected to the welder.
However, in the same field of endeavor of portable welding systems, Albrecht ‘607 teaches power electronics (weld power converter 26 and controller 12, fig. 1) configured to: condition the supplemental power (power from the battery, block 46, fig. 2) output to output a second welding power (“150 amps,” para 0021) independently of the welder when the energy storage caddy is not electrically connected to the welder (“in such instances, the engine-generator unit may remain OFF while the battery is utilized to meet the commanded output,” para 0021; when the engine-generator is off, it is construed as not being electrically connected).
Albrecht ‘607, fig. 3
PNG
media_image5.png
417
663
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Albrecht ‘607, by using a controller to direct that power from the battery be used when the battery is fully charged, as taught by Albrecht ‘607, instead of power from the primary source of utility power during a MIG welding operation, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in order to use battery power when the commanded weld output is low relative to the power provided by the primary source of utility power, temporarily reducing the load on the utility power system when there might be other competing power load requirements while the welding output is low, e.g., fastening rivets or bolts into beams (Albrecht ‘607, para 0021).
Regarding claim 35, Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose further comprising control circuitry, wherein during a welding operation, wherein the energy storage device is at or near a full charge and the control circuitry controls the welder to enter a low idle or sleep mode when the energy storage device is at or near the full charge.
However, in the same field of endeavor of portable welding systems, Albrecht ‘607 teaches further comprising control circuitry (controller 12, fig. 1), wherein during a welding operation, wherein the energy storage device is at or near a full charge (block 64, fig. 3) and the control circuitry controls the welder to enter a low idle or sleep mode (para 0021) when the energy storage device is at or near the full charge (block 66, fig. 3, where power comes from the battery and not the generator).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046 to include, further comprising control circuitry, wherein during a welding operation, wherein the energy storage device is at or near a full charge and the control circuitry controls the welder to enter a low idle or sleep mode when the energy storage device is at or near the full charge, in view of the teachings of Albrecht ‘607, by using power from the battery when the battery is fully charged, as taught by Albrecht ‘607, instead of power from the primary source of utility power, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in order to use battery power when the commanded weld output is low relative to the power provided by the primary source of utility power, temporarily reducing the load on the utility power system when there might be other competing power load requirements while the welding output is low, e.g., fastening rivets or bolts into beams (Albrecht ‘607, para 0021).
Regarding claim 38, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the power electronics comprises a buck converter, a boost converter, a buck/boost converter, or any combination of the buck converter, boost converter, or buck/boost converter (para 0023).
Regarding claim 39, Albrecht ‘046 teaches wherein the energy storage caddy comprises a charge inverter (charger 78, fig. 5B) configured to charge the energy storage device with the first welding power output (“the charger 78 is configured to receive energy from one or more primary sources 72 and transfer such energy to the battery 80 to restore charge to the battery 80,” para 0029; construed such that utility power can be a primary source 72).
Claim 36 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1), Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1), and Albrecht et al. (US-20110114607-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘607) as applied to claim 32 above and further in view of Albrecht et al. (US-7183517-B2, hereinafter Albrecht ‘517).
Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose further comprising control circuitry configured to control the power electronics to boost the voltage of the first welding power output, combine the boosted first welding power output with the supplemental power output to produce a stick welding power output.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Albrecht ‘517 teaches further comprising control circuitry (boost control circuit 32 and buck control circuit 34, fig. 2) configured to control the power electronics (boost circuit 36 and buck converter 38, fig. 4) to boost the voltage of the first welding power output (“voltage from the received power is boosted,” column 5, line 28), combine the boosted first welding power output with the supplemental power output (“a charger 50 having a charging circuit is connected across batteries 40 48 to provide additional power to the welding-type apparatus,” column 6, lines 2-4) to produce a stick welding power output (fig. 6 shows a “SMAW type process,” column 9, line 64).
Albrecht ‘517, fig. 4
PNG
media_image6.png
453
763
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046 to include, further comprising control circuitry configured to control the power electronics to boost the voltage of the first welding power output, combine the boosted first welding power output with the supplemental power output to produce a stick welding power output, in view of the teachings of Albrecht ‘517, by boosting the voltage during a SMAW type process, as taught by Albrecht ‘517, using the weld power converter during stick welding operations, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in order to increase the voltage to between 45 and 75 volts using a hybrid combination of battery power and power provided from an external power source, because if solely battery power was relied upon, then the number of batteries required from SMAW welding would render the device too cumbersome to be portable and would require an extensive undertaking by a user to make frequent breaks to recharge depleted batteries (Albrecht ‘517, column 1, lines 23-56).
Claim 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1), Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1), and Albrecht et al. (US-20110114607-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘607) as applied to claim 32 above and further in view of Matus et al. (US-20050061791-A1).
Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose wherein the energy storage caddy is integrated with a welding wire feeder.
However, in the same field of endeavor of portable welding systems, Matus teaches wherein the energy storage caddy is integrated with a welding wire feeder (“the wire feeder 20 may be disposed in the power source 12 to provide an integrated MIG welder,” para 0025).
Matus, fig. 2
PNG
media_image7.png
582
501
media_image7.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046 to include, wherein the energy storage caddy is integrated with a welding wire feeder, in view of the teachings of Matus, by integrating the wire feeder 20, as taught by Matus, into the energy storage device 26, as taught by Albrecht ‘517, in order to ease portability by integrating the wire feeder and the power source into a common housing, which provides a relatively compact and portable unit (Matus, para 0003).
Claim 40 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1), Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1), and Vogel (US-20100308026-A1).
Albrecht ‘046 teaches a welding system (fig. 2), comprising:
a stick welder (fuel cell 40, fig. 2; “stick welding operations,” para 0019; a welder is defined as “a machine used in welding;” the fuel cell is construed as a “stick welder” because it is a machine used to provide primary power in welding during power stick welding) configured to supply a constant current power (“the fuel cell output 88 remains relatively constant during the entire welding period,” para 0031; power equals voltage times current; construed such that both the voltage and the current are constant because the power output 88 is constant) output (fuel cell output 88, fig. 6; “primary source of power for welding and/or auxiliary operations,” para 0031);
a user interface (operator interface 50, fig. 2); and
an energy storage caddy (energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, fig. 2), the energy storage caddy configured to receive the constant current power output from the stick welder (“the fuel cell 40 may be configured to input power directly to the power conversion circuitry 44, as indicated by arrow 54, or to the energy storage device 42 for further use,” para 0028; arrows from the fuel cell 40 to the weld power converter 46 and the energy storage device 42, fig. 2), wherein the energy storage caddy comprises:
an energy storage device (energy storage device 42, fig. 2) configured to provide a supplemental power output (supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; “one or more supplemental sources (e.g., an energy storage device,” para 0031); and
power electronics (weld power converter 46, fig. 2) configured to:
combine the constant current power output and the supplemental power output to produce a total power output (power demand of the system 90, fig. 6; construed as the sum of the fuel cell output 88 and the supplemental power output 92, fig. 6; para 0028 describes how the weld power converter controls the output power provided for welding operations); and
condition the total power output (“the weld power converter 46 may condition power for use in a MIG welding process,” para 0023) to create a metal inert gas arc (“MIG welding process,” para 0023) for a metal inert gas type welding torch (“a torch suitable for metal inert gas (MIG) operations,” para 0019).
Albrecht ‘046 does not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple to a first end of a weld power cable on a secondary side of the welder via an electrical connection provided by the weld power cable, an energy storage caddy physically separate from the welder, the energy storage caddy configured to removably couple to a second end of the weld power cable to receive the power output from the welder, power electronics configured to: determine a length of the weld cable based on one or more use inputs received via the user interface, condition the total power output based on the length of the weld cable.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Borchert teaches a welder (power supply unit 10, fig. 2; para 0019) configured to couple to a first end (annotated in fig. 2 above) of a weld power cable (cable 20, fig. 2; provides “power,” para 0021) on a secondary side of the welder (annotated in fig. 2 above) via an electrical connection provided by the weld power cable power connection, para 0021), an energy storage caddy (power conversion unit 28, fig. 2; “energy storage device,” para 0028) physically separate from the welder (fig. 2), the energy storage caddy configured to couple to a second end (annotated in fig. 2 above) of the weld power cable to receive the power output from the welder (“two cables 20 and 24, are used to connect the auxiliary power conversion unit 28 to the power supply unit 10,” para 0021).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Borchert, by placing the fuel cell 40, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a housing and then placing the energy storage device 42 and weld power converter 46, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in a separate housing, where the respective housings were connected by cables, as taught by Borchert, in order to use a power conversion unit that is portable and connected to the power supply using cables, for the advantage of facilitating easy transfer of a smaller separate power conversion unit between welding sites instead of having to move a larger power supply unit, and also enabling replacement of the smaller power conversion unit in the event that maintenance is required instead of having to replace the larger power supply unit (Borchert, para 0017).
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert do not explicitly disclose a welder configured to removably couple; the energy storage caddy is configured to removably couple, power electronics configured to: determine a length of the weld cable based on one or more use inputs received via the user interface, condition the total power output based on the length of the weld cable.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Ihde teaches a welder (power supply 12, fig. 1) configured to removably couple (connector 38 with male connector assembly 48, fig. 1; removable using the threads 106 in the fitting 108, fig. 3; para 0024); the energy storage caddy (the energy storage caddy is construed as being in the position of the wire feeder 14, fig. 1) is configured to removably couple (connector 52 with female connector assembly 50, fig. 1; removable using the threads 120, fig. 3; para 0025).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046/ Borchert, in view of the teachings of Ihde, by using a male connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power supply unit 10 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, and by using a female connector assembly, as taught by Ihde, at the power conversion unit 28 connection with the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, in order to use releasable male and female connectors so that the cable can be disconnected, for the advantage of facilitating the separate transportation and storage of the cable as well as maintenance, e.g., the cable could be replaced or repaired if it were to become damaged.
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert/Ihde do not explicitly disclose power electronics configured to: determine a length of the weld cable based on one or more use inputs received via the user interface, condition the total power output based on the length of the weld cable.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Vogel teaches power electronics (weld controller 34, fig. 1) configured to: determine a length of the weld cable based on one or more use inputs received via the user interface (“as total weld cable loop length and cable size, may be entered by an operator via a user interface and used to estimate or calculate the cable resistance,” para 0068), condition the total power output based on the length of the weld cable (“The resistance value may then be utilized by the digital controller with the value of the output current at any given time to correct for cable resistance,” para 0068; correcting the output voltage to compensate for the inductance caused by the cable length is taught in para 0067).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Vogel, by using the operator interface, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, to receive the cable loop length and cable size, as taught by Vogel, in order to measure or estimate the weld cable inductance, so that the voltage loss or lag from this inductance or resistance can be compensated for at the voltage output, to ensure the correct arc voltage value is maintained during the welding operation (Vogel, paras 0050, 0054, and 0065).
Claim 41 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1) and Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1) as applied to claim 21 above and further in view of Diedrick et al. (US-20080073330-A1).
Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose wherein the welder is configured to receive utility power from a utility power source via an electrical connection provided by a utility power weld cable coupled, at a first end of the utility power weld cable, to the welder and, at a second end of the utility power weld cable, to the utility power source (Albrecht ‘046 teaches a cable between a utility power and the power supply in fig. 4 but does not explicitly disclose a cable between utility power and the fuel cell).
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Diedrick teaches wherein the welder (welding system 10, fig. 2; includes an engine-driven power supply 14, fig. 2) is configured to receive utility power from a utility power source (“grid power,” para 0020) via an electrical connection provided by a utility power weld cable (cable 38, fig. 2) coupled, at a first end (end of cable 38 with the plug 40, fig. 2) of the utility power weld cable, to the welder and, at a second end of the utility power weld cable, to the utility power source (the end of the cable 38 that connects with the power supply 14, fig. 2).
Diedrick, fig. 2
PNG
media_image8.png
1019
922
media_image8.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Diedrick, by using a cable between the fuel generator and grid power, as taught by Diedrick, that was used to connect with the fuel cell 40, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in order to power alternatively from a generator or from grid power, because depending on the environment, e.g., a construction area, grid power may not be available and fuel from a generator will need to be used, but in other environments, e.g., a manufacturing floor, grid power may be available, in which case, fuel to run a generator is not required (Diedrick, para 0020; adding a cable between the fuel cell and the grid is construed as an additional cable in addition to that already taught by Albrecht ‘046 between the power supply and utility power).
Claim 42 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albrecht (US-20110006046-A1, hereinafter Albrecht ‘046) in view of Borchert et al. (US-20100320183-A1) and Ihde et al. (US-20130186874-A1) as applied to claim 21 above and further in view of Ott et al. (US-20070080154-A1).
Albrecht ‘046 teaches the invention as described above but does not explicitly disclose wherein the energy storage caddy is connected to the welder via a control cable, and the energy storage caddy is configured to transmit a control command to the welder via the control cable, the control command comprising at least one of a commanding current, a voltage, a power/wattage, a wave shape, a portion of a wave shape, a welder output on/off command, or an engine on/off command.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Borchert teaches wherein the energy storage caddy (power conversion unit 28, fig. 8) is connected to the welder (welding power source 10, fig. 8) via a control cable (feedback 102, fig. 8; a cable is not explicitly disclosed although Borchert teaches a cable between 20 between the power conversion unit 28 and the power supply 10, fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046, in view of the teachings of Borchert, by using a feedback connection, as taught by Borchert, between the fuel cell and the power supply, as taught by Albrecht ‘046, in order to use a feedback signal to communicate voltage adjustments at the output based on sensor information, for the advantage of ensuring that the desired power is being supplied at the output (Borchert, paras 0029-0030).
Albrecht ‘046/Borchert do not explicitly disclose the energy storage caddy is configured to transmit a control command to the welder via the control cable, the control command comprising at least one of a commanding current, a voltage, a power/wattage, a wave shape, a portion of a wave shape, a welder output on/off command, or an engine on/off command.
However, in the same field of endeavor of welding systems, Ott teaches the energy storage caddy (wire feeder 14, fig. 2) is configured to transmit a control command to the welder (power source 12, fig. 2) via the control cable (cable 16, fig. 2” transmission of command signals through weld cables 16,” para 0027), the control command comprising at least one of a commanding current, a voltage (paras 0010 and 0055), a power/wattage (not explicitly disclosed), a wave shape, a portion of a wave shape (“carrier wave,” para 0011), a welder output on/off command (paras 0010 and 0055), or an engine on/off command (not explicitly disclosed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Albrecht ‘046 and Borchert, in view of the teachings of Ott, by using a weld cable that is capable of transmitting command signals, as taught by Ott, for the cable 20, as taught by Borchert, in order to use a cable system that includes a feedback control conduit for controlling the welding power source, for the advantage of conveniently allowing the operator to adjust the output of the welding power source if the operator is separated from the welding power source and needs to make power adjustments (Ott, para 0007).
Response to Argument
Applicant's arguments filed 11 November 2025 have been fully considered, but they are moot because the arguments do not apply to the new rejections of Albrecht ‘046 combined with Borchert and Ihde.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 ERWIN J WUNDERLICH whose telephone number is (571)272-6995. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30.
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, Edward Landrum can be reached on 571-272-5567. 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.
/ERWIN J WUNDERLICH/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 2/13/2026