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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 5/15/2026 does not place the application in condition for allowance.
In view of the amendment to the claims, the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 of claims 1, 3-16 and 18-21 has been withdrawn.
The addition of claim 22 is acknowledged.
New analysis follows.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to newly amended claims 1 and 15 including “a deflecting plate or fluid supply plate that covers both profile duct mouth openings and fluid duct mouth openings in a fluid- tight manner to fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section” 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.
Regarding applicant’s argument modifying Greber to incorporate the deflecting plate and fluid supply plate of claims 1 and 15 would change the principle of operation of Greber's bottom panel, the examiner respectfully disagrees. The bottom plate of Greber is designed to provide cooling and high rigidity and the dampers provide protection to the cells in case of shock(¶[0114]-[0115] of Greber) and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that while Greber is silent to the exact structure, the cooling circuit 12 of Greber would require some type of closure at the edge of the plates to keep the fluid within the circuit and not have it flow out. Furthermore a plate covering both the heat exchanger and profile structure sections of Greber would t limit the ability of the bottom plate to cool or provide rigidity and may enhance these features(see current rejection of claims 1 and 15 below) . Therefore, modification would not change the principle operation but rather provide a more detailed structure of a required feature. The lateral damper is provided for structural purposes not fluid management.
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.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8-9, 10-14, 15-16, 19, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Greber (US20210031836A1) in view of Harada (US20150140388A1) and Kellner et. al. (US20180337375A1).
Regarding claim 1, Greber discloses a battery device of a motor vehicle (¶[0002]-[0003]), comprising:
a battery housing (cover 30, housing 11 and bottom panel 10, Fig. 1) with a cell stack of rechargeable individual battery cells (i.e. electricity storage cells 3) that are stacked one on top of the other with contact along a stack center axis in a stack direction arranged therein (Fig. 5, ¶[0039], cells 3 within module 2)
the battery housing including a housing base (bottom panel 10 and housing 11, Fig. 1) and the cell stack is arranged and held in a flat manner with contact on the housing base,
wherein for controlling a temperature of the cell stack, the housing base has a heat exchanger section (upper portion of housing base/bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4), with fluid ducts through which fluid is flowable (¶[0097]and [0099]), and the heat exchange section is reinforced via a profile structure (¶[0054] see profile of embossed plates 26 on the lower portion of the housing base, Fig. 4)
wherein the housing base has a profile structure section (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4) that is functionally separate with respect to the heat exchanger section (Fig. 4, see separate sections separated by intermediate plate 22 with the upper section providing cooling fluid and the lower section does not), the profile structure section including hollow profile ducts having a cross-sectional shape different from that of the fluid ducts and wherein the profile structure includes struts that define a truss pattern in cross section(see quadrilateral shapes in Fig. 4 including struts to form sides of shapes), wherein the fluid ducts open out via fluid duct mouth openings on two front surfaces of the base that are oriented transversely to one another, and the hollow profile ducts open out via hollow profile duct mouth openings on the two front surfaces(see duct openings on multiple sides annotated Fig. 1), but does not explicitly disclose,
a deflecting plate arranged on a first front surface of the two front surfaces, the deflecting plate structured and arranged to cover the profile duct mouth openings and the fluid duct mouth openings in a fluid-tight manner to fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section, and
a fluid supply plate arranged on a second front surface of the two front surfaces, the fluid supply plate structured and arranged to cover the profile duct mouth openings and the fluid duct mouth openings in a fluid-tight manner to fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section.
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Harada, related to cooling plates for batteries, teaches a cooling plate 1 for a battery module 100 (Fig. 1) which contains a fluid deflecting plate(end surface part 7D, Fig. 4) a fluid supply plate (end surface part 7B, Fig. 4) and wherein,
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize adding the fluid supply and fluid deflecting plates of Harada to the profile duct openings of Greber such that they cover the duct mouths in a fluid tight manner in order to flow coolant and fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section and would provide the cooling plate with a simple structure and uniform cooling thereby reducing cell life variation(¶[0007]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to have added the cooling plate structures of Harada to the battery device structure of Greber in order to reduce cell life variation.
Kellner, related to batteries, teaches a side wall 14 which covers cooling ducts 34(¶[0040]) and structural cavities 24(¶[0037])(Fig. 2).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized extending the fluid supply and deflecting plates of modified Greber to cover both profile duct openings and fluid duct openings would result in a highly stable structure(¶[0016]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to have extended the fluid supply and deflecting plates of modified Greber to result in a highly stable structure.
Regarding claim 3, modified Greber discloses a battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses wherein:
the profile structure is defined by the heat exchange section (embossed plate 26 defines the profile structure within the heat exchange section).
Regarding claim 4, modified Greber discloses a battery device according to claim 3, and Greber further discloses wherein hollow profile ducts (slots within embossed plate 24, ¶[0054], Fig. 4) that are parallel to one another (¶[0056], each groove is at same angle and therefore parallel to one another) and have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]).
Regarding claim 5, modified Greber discloses a battery device according to claim 4, and Greber further discloses wherein the cross-sectional shape of the hollow profile ducts are constant in terms of surface area over an entire length of a respective hollow profile duct (¶[0056], each groove is at same angle and shape providing a constant surface area).
Regarding claim 8, modified Greber discloses a battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses wherein:
the fluid ducts of the heat exchanger section (i.e. slots) that are parallel to one another (¶0054], all at the same angle therefore parallel) and the parallel ducts have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]) and through which fluid is flowable (¶[0101] the cooling circuit is defined by embossed plate 26), the plurality of fluid ducts being connected to one another so as to communicate fluidically (¶[0097] the cooling circuit 12 is a closed circuit and guides the heat transfer fluid),
wherein a fluid path for fluid, along which the heat exchanger section can be flushed by fluid (¶[0097]), extends through the plurality of fluid ducts (¶[101], see embossed plate 26 forms the cooling circuit).
Regarding claim 9, modified Greber discloses a battery device according to claim 8, and Greber further discloses wherein flow cross sectional surfaces of the plurality of fluid ducts, through which fluid is flowable, define the cross-sectional shape that is quadrangular, polygonal, or circular shape (see shape of the cooling portion may be multiple shapes, ¶[0054]) and are constant in terms of surface area over an entire length of a respective fluid duct (¶[0055], each groove is at same angle and shape providing a constant surface area).
Regarding claim 10, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 8, and Harada additionally teaches a fluid path which is meander-shaped (see arrows defining meander path in figure 4, ¶[0039]) and extends parallel with respect to the stack center axis, so that the heat exchanger section can be flown through in the stack direction or transversely thereto in a direction of a stack center transverse axis (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses wherein at least one of:
the housing base is provided by a single base (bottom panel 10, Fig. 1), and
the single base body has the heat exchanger section (upper portion of bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22), and the profile structure section (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses wherein:
the housing base is structured as an extruded profile (¶[0054] see plates 24 and 26 which define the housing bottom are part of the extrusion profile) and the profile layers may be welded together into a single part(¶[0060]-[0062]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to construct the heat exchanger and profile structure sections as a one-piece design as Greber describes the use of these sections as a single piece after welding.
The use of a one-piece, integrated construction instead of the structure disclosed or taught in the prior art would have been within the ambit of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 968, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding claim 13, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses the cell stack has a stack center transverse axis that stands vertically on the stack center axis and, together with the stack center axis, spans a cell plane (X/Y plane which contains the cells within the modules 2, Fig. 1)
the profile structure section has hollow profile ducts (slots within embossed plate 24, ¶[0054], Fig. 4) that are parallel to one another (¶[0056], each groove is at the same angle and therefore parallel to one another) and in each case define a profile duct center axis, wherein the hollow profile ducts span a plane (X/Y plane of the lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4).
the heat exchanger section has fluid ducts (i.e. slots) that are parallel to one another (¶0054], all at the same angle therefore parallel) and in each case define a fluid duct center axis, wherein the fluid ducts span a further plane (X/Y plane of the upper portion of bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4)., and
wherein the further plane of the fluid ducts is arranged in a sandwich-like manner between the plane of the hollow profile ducts and the cell plane (see sandwich structure, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, Greber further discloses wherein:
the housing base are provided via at least one one-piece (housing base 10 including pieces lower 18, upper 20, intermediate 22, embossed lower 24 and embossed upper 26 plates, Fig. 3), aluminum (¶[0052] and ¶[0058], see may be made of aluminum) extrusion profile(¶[0054]) that has the heat exchanger section (upper portion of bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22), and a profile structure section (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22) that together form said profile structure (see profile structure in Fig. 4).
the profile structure section includes has the hollow profile ducts (slots within embossed plate 24, ¶[0054], Fig. 4) that are parallel to one another (¶[0056], each groove is at same angle and therefore parallel to one another) oriented in parallel with respect to the stack center axis as shown in annotated Figure 1, and have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]) wherein
the heat exchanger section includes the fluid ducts (i.e. slots within embossed plate 26, ¶[0054], Fig. 4)) that are parallel to one another (¶0054], all at the same angle therefore parallel) and the parallel ducts have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]) and through which fluid is flowable (¶[0101] the cooling circuit is defined by embossed plate 26), and
wherein the battery housing includes a cover that spans the cell stack (cover 30, Fig. 1) and, with a cover edge oriented towards the housing base, is fixed thereto (¶[0087]).
Harada further teaches wherein, fluid duct walls (3(A-D), Fig. 4) between the adjacent fluid ducts return with respect to the fluid deflecting plate in a region of the fluid duct mouth openings that are covered by the fluid deflecting plate, so that an overflow region (2D, Fig. 4), through which fluid can flow from the one fluid duct into the other fluid duct, is defined between two adjacent fluid ducts (see the channel including the width W3 flowing through the over flow region including the width W4 and into the channel including the width W5),
wherein the fluid supply plate has two supply connections (coolant entrance 4 and coolant exit 5), through which fluid can flow into and flow out of the fluid ducts,
wherein the fluid ducts define a meander-shaped fluid path for fluids (see arrows defining meander path in figure 4, ¶[0039]).
Regarding claim 15, Greber discloses an electrically driven motor vehicle, comprising: a battery device integrated in said motor vehicle and connectable to at least one of a drive train and an on-board system of the motor vehicle (¶[0003], intended to be installed in a vehicle containing an electric motor which one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize as being connectable to the drive train or other on-board system), the battery device including:
a battery housing (cover 30, housing 11 and bottom panel 10, Fig. 1) with a cell stack of rechargeable individual battery cells (i.e. electricity storage cells 3) that are stacked one on top of the other with contact along a stack center axis in a stack direction arranged therein (Fig. 5, ¶[0039], cells 3 within module 2)
the battery housing including a housing base (bottom panel 10 and housing 11) and the cell stack is arranged and held in a flat manner with contact on the housing base (Fig. 1),
wherein for controlling a temperature of the cell stack, the housing base has a heat exchanger section (upper portion of housing base/bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4), with fluid ducts through which fluid is flowable (¶[0097]and [0099]), and the heat exchange section is reinforced via a profile structure (¶[0054] see profile of embossed plates 26 on the lower portion of the housing base, Fig. 4)
wherein the housing base has a profile structure section (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22, Fig. 4) that is functionally separate with respect to the heat exchanger section (Fig. 4, see separate sections separated by intermediate plate 22 with the upper section providing cooling fluid and the lower section does not), the profile structure section including hollow profile ducts having a cross-sectional shape different from that of the fluid ducts and wherein the profile structure includes struts that define a truss pattern in cross section(see quadrilateral shapes in Fig. 4 including struts to form sides of shapes), wherein the fluid ducts open out via fluid duct mouth openings on two front surfaces of the base that are oriented transversely to one another, and the hollow profile ducts open out via hollow profile duct mouth openings on the two front surfaces(see duct openings on multiple sides Fig. 1), but does not explicitly disclose,
a deflecting plate arranged on a first front surface of the two front surfaces, the deflecting plate structured and arranged to cover the profile duct mouth openings and the fluid duct mouth openings in a fluid-tight manner to fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section, and
a fluid supply plate arranged on a second front surface of the two front surfaces, the fluid supply plate structured and arranged to cover the profile duct mouth openings and the fluid duct mouth openings in a fluid-tight manner to fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section.
Harada, related to cooling plates for batteries, teaches a cooling plate 1 for a battery module 100 (Fig. 1) which contains a fluid deflecting plate( end surface part 7D, Fig. 4) a fluid supply plate (end surface part 7B, Fig. 4) and wherein,
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize adding the fluid supply and fluid deflecting plates of Harada to the profile duct openings of Greber such that they cover the duct mouths in a fluid tight manner in order to flow coolant and fluidically separate the heat exchange section from the profile structure section and would provide the cooling plate with a simple structure and uniform cooling thereby reducing cell life variation(¶[0007]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to have added the cooling plate structures of Harada to the battery device structure of Greber in order to reduce cell life variation.
Kellner, related to batteries, teaches a side wall 14 which covers cooling ducts 34(¶[0040]) and structural cavities 24(¶[0037])(Fig. 2).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized extending the fluid supply and deflecting plates of modified Greber would result in a highly stable structure(¶[0016]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to have extended the fluid supply and deflecting plates of modified Greber to result in a highly stable structure.
Regarding claim 16, modified Greber discloses the electrically driven motor vehicle according to claim 15, and Greber further discloses the profile structure is defined by the heat exchange section (embossed plate 26 defines the profile structure within the heat exchange section).
Regarding claim 19, modified Greber discloses the electrically driven motor vehicle according to claim 15, and Greber further discloses wherein the fluid ducts (i.e. slots) that are parallel to one another (¶0054], all at the same angle therefore parallel) and the parallel ducts have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]) and the hollow profile ducts (slots within embossed plate 24, ¶[0054], Fig. 4) that are parallel to one another (¶[0056], each groove is at same angle and therefore parallel to one another) and have a constant cross-sectional surface (Fig. 4, see cross section of ducts which are parallel to each other providing a constant extrusion profile shape and therefore cross-sectional surface ¶[0054]).
Regarding claim 22, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses wherein: the heat exchanger section lies directly on the cell stack such that a second plane spanned by the fluid ducts of the heat exchanger section is arranged sandwiched between the plane of the hollow profile ducts of the profile structure section and a third plane spanned by the cell stack(see modules 2, Fig. 7).
Claims 6, 7, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Greber (US20210031836A1) in view of Harada (US20150140388A1) and Kellner et. al. (US20180337375A1) as applied to claim 1 and 15 above, and further in view of Haussmann (DE102009058808, reference made to attached English translation).
Regarding claim 6, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, but does not disclose reinforcing elements inserted in the hollow profile ducts of the profile duct section.
Haussmann, related to a cooling device for a vehicle battery, teaches reinforcing elements (i.e. thermal insulation component 29) within cavities of a support component 24 (¶[0084], Fig. 2).
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize adding the thermal insulation component of Haussmann to the hollow profile ducts of the profile duct section of Greber would provide thermal insulation to the battery and improve cooling efficiency(¶0028]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have added the thermal insulation component of Haussmann to the ducts of Greber to improve insulation and cooling efficiency.
Regarding claim 7, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 6, but does not disclose at least one of the reinforcing elements extends over a length of the respective hollow profile duct in a direction of a profile duct center axis of the respective hollow profile duct, in which the at least one reinforcing element is inserted, and the reinforcing elements fill a clear hollow profile cross sectional surface of the respective hollow profile duct in an inserted state, and support themselves with contact on a hollow profile duct wall of the respective hollow profile duct, which frames the respective clear hollow profile cross sectional surface all around.
Haussmann teaches the reinforcing elements extends over a length of the respective hollow profile duct in a direction of a profile duct center axis of the respective hollow profile duct (Fig. 6 see extension of 29 through cavities), in which the at least one reinforcing element is inserted, and
the reinforcing elements fill a clear hollow profile cross sectional surface of the respective hollow profile duct in an inserted state((¶[0029], filled cavities), and support themselves with contact on a hollow profile duct wall of the respective hollow profile duct, which frames the respective clear hollow profile cross sectional surface all around (¶0029], see they fill the cavities thus support themselves on the hollow duct wall, Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 20, modified Greber discloses the electrically driven motor vehicle according to claim 15, but does not disclose reinforcing elements inserted in the plurality of hollow profile ducts of the profile duct section.
Haussmann, related to a cooling device for a vehicle battery, teaches reinforcing elements (i.e. thermal insulation component 29) within cavities of a support component 24 (¶[0084], Fig. 2).
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize adding the thermal insulation component of Haussmann to the hollow profile ducts of the profile duct section of Greber would provide thermal insulation to the battery and improve cooling efficiency(¶0028]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have added the thermal insulation component of Haussmann to the ducts of Greber to improve insulation and cooling efficiency.
Claims 18 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Greber (US20210031836A1) in view of Harada (US20150140388A1) and Kellner et. al. (US20180337375A1) as applied to claim 1 and 15 above, and further in view of Lin (CN213042980U, as cited in the IDS dated 7/8/22, reference made to attached English translation).
Regarding claim 18, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 15, and Greber further discloses the heat exchanger section is disposed in an upper housing base half of the housing base (upper portion of bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22), and a profile structure section is disposed in a lower housing base half of the housing base (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22), but does not disclose wherein the fluid ducts are rectangular in cross section and the hollow profile ducts are triangular in cross section.
Lin, related to a cooling bottom plate, teaches a housing base with a liquid cooling portion (14) and a profile structure (i.e. energy-absorbing heat-insulating structural member 20), wherein each liquid cooling portion and profile structure have different shapes including rectangular (see Figs. 1 and 2), and further teaches the shape of the energy-absorbing heat-insulating structural member 20 may be triangular providing energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery(Fig. 5, ¶[n0046]).
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the fluid ducts and profile ducts of Gerber could also have rectangular and triangular shapes as a matter of design choice and to improve energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery.
Therefore it would have been obvious to vary the shape of the ducts according to Lin to provide energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery and because, the change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
The change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding claim 21, modified Greber discloses the battery device according to claim 1, and Greber further discloses the heat exchanger section is disposed in an upper housing base half of the housing base (upper portion of bottom panel 10 defined by upper plate 20, embossed plate 26 and intermediate plate 22), and a profile structure section is disposed in a lower housing base half of the housing base (lower portion of bottom panel 10 defined by lower plate 18, embossed plate 24 and intermediate plate 22), but does not disclose wherein the fluid ducts are rectangular in cross section and the hollow profile ducts are triangular in cross section.
Lin, related to a cooling bottom plate, teaches a housing base with a liquid cooling portion (14) and a profile structure (i.e. energy-absorbing heat-insulating structural member 20), wherein each liquid cooling portion and profile structure have different shapes including rectangular (see Figs. 1 and 2), and further teaches the shape of the energy-absorbing heat-insulating structural member 20 may be triangular providing energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery(Fig. 5, ¶[n0046]).
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the fluid ducts and profile ducts of Gerber could also have rectangular and triangular shapes as a matter of design choice and to improve energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery.
Therefore it would have been obvious to vary the shape of the ducts according to Lin to provide energy absorption and heat insulation to the battery and because, the change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
The change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
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 KAREN J. ARMSTRONG whose telephone number is (703)756-1243. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Barton can be reached at (571) 272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.J.A./Examiner, Art Unit 1726
/JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 14 July 2026
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