DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. This Non-Final office action is in response to application 18/155,422, application filed on 01/17/2023. Claims 1-15 are currently pending in this application.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/17/2023 and 09/16/2025, respectively, is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
5. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
6. Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The rejection is as follows:
Claim 10 recites the limitation "wherein the recess is configured ….", on line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
8. Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by McClelland (US PG Pub No. 2015/0318638).
9. With respect to claim 1, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) (see adapter 10 for providing power, wherein plug element 16 is mated or interfaced with receptacle element 14, and includes at least one magnet 28 and magnet 26, para 46-47) for charging a transport refrigeration unit, TRU [Examiner’s Note: the recitation of “a transport refrigeration unit” is interpreted as merely intended use, and has no recited relationship with the functional or structural elements recited in the body of the claim], the magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) comprising:
a first electrical connector (1) (see receptacle element 14 of Fig 12, and electrical connector interface portion, para 58-64, see Fig 12) comprising:
a socket (10) having a closed end and an open end (see receptacle as socket, closed end at/near electrical contacts 22/68/70, para 60-63, see Fig 12);
a first magnetic body (13) (magnet 74 of Fig 12, para 60-63) comprising
a first electrical contact (14) (see electrical contacts at 22/68/70 of Fig 12, see Fig 12, see para 60-63),
wherein the first magnetic body (13) is slidable in the socket (10) (see piston cylinder 62 of Fig 12 including magnet 74 to slide towards or away from conductive plate 60, see Fig 12, para 60-63);
a resilient biasing element (12a; 12b; 12c) (see piston spring 66 of Fig 12, para 60-63) configured to bias the first magnetic body (13) towards the closed end of the socket (10) (see piston spring 66 to bias piston cylinder towards or away from electrically conductive plate 60); and
a second electrical contact (15) fixed towards the open end of the socket (10) (see second electrical contact as conductive plate 60 of receptacle/socket 14 of Fig 12, para 60-63);
a second electrical connector (see second electrical connector portion of interface at 16 of Fig 12, plug element 16, see Fig 12, para 60-63) (2) comprising:
a second magnetic body (23) comprising a third electrical contact (29) (see magnetic body 28 of plug 16 of Fig 12, acting as second magnetic body, para 60-63, Fig 12);
wherein, in an unplugged configuration in which the first electrical connector (1) is disengaged from the second electrical connector (2), the resilient biasing element (12a; 12b; 12c) is configured to maintain a separation between the first electrical contact (14) and the second electrical contact (15) (see plug 16 separated from receptacle socket 14, no counter-force exerted on piston spring 62/64, causing the first contacts to move away from the exposed/open electrical contact 60, see para 60-63, Fig 12; magnetic piston spring is in normally [maintained] open position, para 62); and
wherein, in a plugged configuration in which the first electrical connector (1) is engaged to the second electrical connector (2), at least one of the first magnetic body (13) and the second magnetic body (23) is configured to be magnetically attracted to the other of the first magnetic body (13) and the second magnetic body (23), such that the first electrical contact (14) engages the second electrical contact (15) (see piston spring attracted to magnetic contact 60 when magnetic contact 60 approaches other magnetic contact 28 of plug 16, electrical contacts 22/70 contact electrical contact 60 through the movement of the piston spring 63/62 and toward making contact with electrical/magnetic contact 28 of plug 16, see para 63, Fig 12).
10. With respect to claim 2, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a first electrical cable (11) extending through the closed end of the socket (10) and connected to the first electrical contact (14) (see male connector 22 on closed end of socket/receptacle 14 of Fig 12, wherein male connector 22 is electrically connected to electrical contact 70 by a wire with slack as shown in Fig 61, and described as being maintained in connection regardless of the position of the piston spring, para 61).
11. With respect to claim 3, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1,
wherein a first end of the resilient biasing element (12a) is fixed towards the closed end of the socket (10) (see biasing element 66 piston spring of Fig 12 which is on a closed end of the socket/receptacle 14, para 60-65, Fig 12); and
wherein a second end of the resilient biasing element (12a) is attached to the first magnetic body (13) (see rod 64 as part of biasing piston spring element 64/66, which as is other side attached to the magnetic body 62, which is a piston cylinder of ferro-magnetic material, para 61, Fig 12);
wherein the first magnetic body (13) is configured to stretch the resilient biasing element (12a) when actuated such that a restoring force is generated by the resilient biasing element (12a) (see spring in stretched mode in Fig 12, and see restorative force when magnets of receptacle 14 and plug 16 are engaged/dis-engaged, Figs 12-13).
12. With respect to claim 4, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 2,
wherein a second [end] of the resilient biasing element (12b) is fixed towards the open end of the socket (10) (see second end of resilient biasing element piston spring 66/64 as shown in Figs 12-13, where second end of piston spring biasing element is fixed toward the open end of receptacle/socket 14, as shown in Fig 12, para 60-65); and
wherein a first end of the resilient biasing element (12b) is fixed to the first electrical cable (11) (see electrical cable as shown in Fig 12 between element 22 and element 70, where cable is on fixed on the closed side of the piston spring resilient element 63/64, Fig 60-65);
wherein the first magnetic body (13) is configured to pull the first electrical cable (11) towards the open end when actuated and thereby compress the resilient biasing element (12b), such that a restoring force is generated by the resilient biasing element (12b) (see electrical cable in pulled position as shown in Fig 13, as compared to cable in slack state as shown in Fig 12, para 60-65).
13. With respect to claim 5, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient biasing element is a helical spring (12a; 12b) (see piston spring element and helical portion of spring, Fig 12, para 60-65; see rotational spring, para 68, torsion spring, para 68).
14. With respect to claim 6, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 2,
wherein the resilient biasing element is a spring-loaded winding mechanism (12c) located in the socket (10) (see piston spring element and helical portion of spring, Fig 12, para 60-65; see rotational spring, para 68, torsion spring, para 68);
wherein the first electrical cable (11) is at least partially wound around the spring-loading winding mechanism (12c) (see piston spring, including electrical connection at/near piston spring, para 60-68, Figs 12-13); and
wherein the first magnetic body (13) is configured to pull the electrical cable (11) towards the open end when actuated and thereby rotate the spring-loaded winding mechanism (12c), such that a restoring force is generated by the spring-loaded winding mechanism (12c) (see electrical cable in pulled position as shown in Fig 13, as compared to cable in slack state as shown in Fig 12, para 60-65).
15. With respect to claim 7, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1,
wherein, in the plugged configuration, the first electrical connector (1) is configured to readily disengage from the second electrical connector (2) when pulled in a disengaging direction to the second electrical connector (2) (see spring in stretched mode in Fig 12, and see restorative force when magnets of receptacle 14 and plug 16 are engaged/dis-engaged, Figs 12-13; see electrical cable in pulled position as shown in Fig 13, as compared to cable in slack state as shown in Fig 12, para 60-65).
16. With respect to claim 8, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the socket (10) and the second electrical contact (15) encapsulate the first electrical contact (14) (see socket/receptacle 14 and the plug 16, wherein receptacle and plug are together forming an electrical connection, para 60-68, Figs 12-13).
17. With respect to claim 9, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the socket (10) comprises a recess defined between the second electrical contact (15) and the open end (see piston chamber 61 of Fig 12, forming an open space/recess where piston spring and rod move into when engaged with the plug 16, para 60-68, Figs 12-13).
18. With respect to claim 10, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the second electrical connector (2) comprises a cap (20) defining a hollow in which the second magnetic body (23) is located (see second electrical connector 16, which has a closed end/cap, Fig 12, para 60-68; hollow space defined by the plug 16, Fig 12, para 60-68);
wherein the third electrical contact (29) protrudes from the hollow (see third electrical magnetic contact 28 of electrical connector 16, which is at the end of the hollow space defined by the plug 16, Fig 12, para 60-68); and
wherein the recess is configured to receive the third electrical contact (29) (see third electrical magnetic contact 28 of plug 16 of Fig 12, wherein the magnetic contact fits within a recess at the tip/end of the plug 16, see Fig 12, para 39, 50, 83).
19. With respect to claim 11, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 9,
wherein, in the plugged configuration, the socket (10) and the cap (20) encapsulate each of the first electrical contact (14), the second electrical contact (15) and the third electrical contact (29) (see plugged configuration shown in Fig 13, where first, second, and third electrical contact are interfaced together as one unit/encapsulation, para 60-68).
20. With respect to claim 12, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1,
wherein, in the plugged configuration, the second electrical contact (15) is adjacent to and in electrical communication with each of the first electrical contact (14) and the third electrical contact (29) (see plugged configuration shown in Fig 13, where first, second, and third electrical contact are electrically interfaced together as one unit/encapsulation, para 60-68).
21. With respect to claim 13, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (100; 300) as claimed in claim 1,
wherein each of the first magnetic body (13) and the second magnetic body (23) are formed of a non-conductive material (see non conductive material, ferro-magnetic material for magnetic components, para 60-68); and
wherein each of the first electrical contact (14) and the third electrical contact (29) comprise a conductive material located on the first magnetic body (13) and the second magnetic body (29) respectively (see conductive material for electrical contacts, para 50-68).
22. With respect to claim 14, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (300) as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
an outlet (301) (see electrical socket, para 6-7, electrical outlet, para 8) comprising a plurality of first electrical connectors (1) (see socket/outlet with electrical connectors, para 60-68, 85-90),
wherein each of the first electrical connectors (1) are located within a first housing (see socket and plug with electrical contacts, Figs 12-13, para 60-68, 85-90); and
an inlet (302) comprising a plurality of second electrical connectors (2), wherein each of second electrical connectors (2) are located within a second housing (see socket and plug with electrical contacts, Figs 12-13, para 60-68, 85-90).
23. With respect to claim 15, McClelland teaches:
A magnetic electrical plug interface (300) as claimed in claim 11,
wherein the outlet (301) comprises an earth socket (310) (see earthing magnet, para 45); and
wherein the inlet comprises an earth pin (329) (see earthing magnet, para 45);
wherein the earth pin (329) protrudes a greater distance from the second housing than any of the third electrical contacts (29) (see para 45-47, Figs 12-13, para 60-68, 85-90).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUCHIN PARIHAR whose telephone number is (703)756-1970. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8am-5pm.
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/SUCHIN PARIHAR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851