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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/02/2023 was filed on the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
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, a second cross-sectional extent of the bearing recess (18) along the second degree of freedom of translation (y) is greater than a corresponding second cross-sectional extent of the bearing elevation (19) of claim 5 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: lines 4-5 recite, “a battery-receiving chamber,” claim should be amended to recite –the battery-receiving chamber--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 11 improperly depends on itself. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-10, 12-15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu [US 8,605,458].
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a plug connector assembly comprising: a housing component (fig. 5; 51, 52): a corresponding mating plug connector (fig. 2; 12); an electrical plug connector (fig. 5; 53, 54), which is electrically and mechanically connectable along a first degree of freedom of translation (fig. 5; downward direction) to the corresponding mating plug connector (12); and at least one elastic element (fig. 5; 55), which connects the electrical plug connector (53, 54) indirectly or directly to the housing component (51, 52) and which allows movement of the electrical plug connector (53, 54) relative to the housing component (51, 52) along the first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction) and/or along a second degree of freedom of translation (figs. 8 and 9; movement from fig. 8 to fig. 9 displays not only a downward motion of 53/54 but also a backward motion as well because there is a degree of rotation of 53/54; see mark-up below from figs 8 and 9) and/or along a third degree of freedom of translation; and characterized by at least one floating bearing assembly (fig. 5; 522, 513) for delimiting the movability of the electrical plug connector (53, 54) along at least one of the degrees of freedom of translation (1st and 2nd), the at least one floating bearing assembly (522, 513) having a bearing recess (513) and a bearing elevation (522) receivable in the bearing recess (513); and wherein the at least one elastic element (55) applies an elastic restoring force to the electrical plug connector (53, 54) to bring the electrical plug connector (53, 54), in an unplugged state (fig. 8), into a defined spatial starting position (position of 53, 54 in fig. 8).
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Mark-up
Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses wherein at least one elastic element (55), is functionally involved in the connection between the electrical plug connector (53, 54) and the housing component (51, 52); and the at least one elastic element (55), is or are arranged between the electrical plug connector (53, 54) and the housing component (51) in such a way that a primary elastic travel (downward) of the particular at least one elastic element (55) is effective substantially along the first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction).
Regarding claim 3, Liu discloses wherein the at least one elastic element (55) is functionally involved in the mechanical connection between the electrical plug connector (53, 54) and the housing component (51, 52); and the at least one elastic component (55) is or are movable along the second degree of freedom of translation (backward; see mark-up above, due to the small degree of rotation, 55 will also rotate with 52), and/or along the third degree of freedom of translation.
Regarding claim 4, Liu discloses wherein the bearing recess (513) is formed in the housing component (51, 52); the bearing elevation (522) is rigidly connected to the plug connector (53, 54; through screws 56, see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Liu discloses an extension element (52), which is connected rigidly and directly to the electrical plug connector (53, 54); and to which there is fastened a plug-side end portion (portion of 55 adjacent to 52) of the at least one elastic element (55) is fastened to the extension element (52).
Regarding claim 8, Liu discloses wherein the at least one elastic element (55) is a torsion spring.
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses at least one rotation center (see mark-up above; rotation center), about which the electrical plug connector (53, 54) is tiltable in order to allow movement along the second degree of freedom of translation (backward direction) and/or along the third degree of freedom of translation.
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses wherein rotation center (rotation center) is formed by one of the at least one floating bearing assembly assemblies (513, 522).
Regarding claim 12, Liu discloses wherein the electrical plug connector (53, 54) and the housing component (51, 52) form a second positioning assembly (53, 52) from a first support element (52) and a second support element (53) for the first support element (52); and wherein the second support element (53) is displaced along the first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction) relative to the first support element (52) by the elastic restoring force acting on the electrical plug connector (53, 54) in order to reach a defined supported position of the electrical plug connector (53, 54) relative to the housing component (51, 52).
Regarding claim 13, Liu discloses a battery-receiving container (fig. 2; 32, 32 receives 1 which has an internal battery) having at least one wall (wall of 32); and the housing component (51, 52) is a wall part (fig. 2; 51 and 32 are integral parts) of a battery-receiving container (32).
Regarding claim 14, Liu discloses a battery assembly comprising: a plug connector assembly (fig. 2; 5, 32), the plug connector assembly (5, 32) having a housing component (51, 52), a corresponding mating plug connector (12), an electrical plug connector (53, 54), which is electrically and mechanically connectable along a first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction) to the corresponding mating plug connector (12), and at least one elastic element (55), which connects the electrical plug connector (53, 54) indirectly or directly to the housing component (51, 52) and which allows movement of the electrical plug connector (53, 54) relative to the housing component (51, 52) along the first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction) and/or along a second degree of freedom of translation (backward direction, see mark-up above) and/or along a third degree of freedom of translation, and at least one floating bearing assembly (513, 522) for delimiting the movability of the electrical plug connector (53, 54) along at least one of the degrees of freedom of translation (downward and backward), the at least one floating bearing assembly (513, 522) having a bearing recess (513) and a bearing elevation (522) receivable in the bearing recess (513), and wherein the at least one elastic element (55) applies an elastic restoring force to the electrical plug connector (53, 54) to bring the electrical plug connector (53, 54), in an unplugged state (fig. 8), into a defined spatial starting position (fig. 8 position); and an electrical energy store (1), which comprises the corresponding mating plug connector (12).
Regarding claim 15, Liu discloses wherein the bearing recess (513) is formed as a slot oriented along the first degree of freedom of translation (downward direction).
Regarding claim 17, Liu discloses a battery-receiving container (fig. 2; 31, 32) having at least one wall (32); and the housing component (51, 52) is fastenable to a wall part (51 is fastened to 31 by 514 of fig. 5) of a battery-receiving container (31, 32).
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) 5, 11 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu [US 8,605,458] in view of WO 2009/146878.
Regarding claim 11, Liu discloses wherein at least one floating bearing assembly (513, 522) is formed as a first positioning assembly (513, 522).
Regarding claims 5, 11 and 16, Liu does not disclose wherein a first cross-sectional extent of the bearing recess (18) along the first degree of freedom of translation (x) is greater than a corresponding first cross-sectional extent of the bearing elevation (19); and/or a second cross-sectional extent of the bearing recess (18) along the second degree of freedom of translation (y) is greater than a corresponding second cross-sectional extent of the bearing elevation (19) [claims 5 and 16]; wherein the bearing recess (18) has, on a plug-side end, a cross-sectionally reduced portion (25), so that the bearing elevation (19) is pressed into the cross-sectionally reduced portion (25) on account of the elastic restoring force [claim 11].
Regarding claims 5, 11 and 16, WO ‘878 teaches wherein a first cross-sectional extent (fig. 7; cross-section of 12 along x axis of fig. 1) of the bearing recess (fig. 7; 12) along the first degree of freedom of translation (fig. 1; arrow C) is greater than a corresponding first cross-sectional extent (fig. 7; cross-section of 14 along x axis) of the bearing elevation (fig. 7; 14); and/or a second cross-sectional extent (fig. 7; cross-section of 12 along z axis of fig. 1) of the bearing recess (12) along the second degree of freedom of translation (fig. 2; arrow B) is greater than a corresponding second cross-sectional extent (fig. 7; cross-section of 14 along z axis) of the bearing elevation (14); the bearing recess (12) has, on a plug-side end (figs. 2 and 7; bottom of 12), a cross-sectionally reduced portion (fig. 7; narrowed portion of 12), so that the bearing elevation (14) is pressed into the cross-sectionally reduced portion (narrowed portion of 12) on account of the elastic restoring force (fig. 2; 7 in the expanded state).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate a first cross-sectional extent of the bearing recess along the first degree of freedom of translation is greater than a corresponding first cross-sectional extent of the bearing elevation; and a second cross-sectional extent of the bearing recess along the second degree of freedom of translation is greater than a corresponding second cross-sectional extent of the bearing elevation and the bearing recess having, on a plug-side end, a cross-sectionally reduced portion, so that the bearing elevation is pressed into the cross-sectionally reduced portion on account of the elastic restoring force as suggested by WO ‘878 for the benefit of providing improved maneuverability of floating connector parts in order to optimize mating of self-aligning connectors.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831