DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
Claims 1, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Eftekhari et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0384896.
As to claim 1, Eftekhari et al discloses, in figure 2,
a battery-driver enclosure (the claimed battery-driver enclosure is formed by the combination of lid 68 and tray 70) comprising a first member (lid 68) and a second member (tray 70), wherein the first member and the second member together define the battery-driver enclosure, and wherein the first member and the second member engage at non-adjacent corners of the enclosure (note that all four corners of the lid 68 engage with all four corners of the tray 70 when lid 68 is fixedly attached to the tray 70, and therefore both the adjacent corners and the non-adjacent corners of Eftekhari et al’s battery driver enclosure shown in figure 2 will engage with each other).
As to claim 15, the limitations of this method claim is rejected using the same analysis as set forth above in the rejection of apparatus claim 1.
As to claim 19, note that when lid 68 is fixedly attached to tray 70 in figure 2 of Eftekhari et al, an end wall of lid 68 will abut an end wall of tray 70.
3. Claims 1, 15 and 19 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Taniguchi et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0173449.
As to claim 1, Taniguchi et al discloses, in figure 2,
a battery-driver enclosure (the claimed battery-driver enclosure is formed by the combination of lid 50 and case 20) comprising a first member (lid 50) and a second member (case 20), wherein the first member and the second member together define the battery-driver enclosure, and wherein the first member and the second member engage at non-adjacent corners of the enclosure (note that all four corners of the lid 50 engage with all four corners of the case 20 when lid 50 is fixedly attached to the case 20, and therefore both the adjacent corners and the non-adjacent corners of Taniguchi et al’s battery driver enclosure shown in figure 2 will engage with each other).
As to claim 15, the limitations of this method claim is rejected using the same analysis as set forth above in the rejection of apparatus claim 1.
As to claim 19, note that when lid 50 is fixedly attached to case 20 in figure 2 of Taniguchi et al, an end wall of lid 50 will abut an end wall of case 20.
4. Claims 1, 15 and 19 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Perez, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0280929.
As to claim 1, Perez discloses, in figures 10 and 11,
a battery-driver enclosure (the claimed battery-driver enclosure is formed by the combination of lid 1000 and the bottom portion of enclosure 1100 which the lid 1000 is inserted into) comprising a first member (lid 1000) and a second member (the bottom portion of enclosure 1100 which the lid 1000 is inserted into), wherein the first member and the second member together define the battery-driver enclosure, and wherein the first member and the second member engage at non-adjacent corners of the enclosure (note that all four corners of the lid 1000 engage with all four corners of the above-noted bottom portion when lid 1000 is fixedly attached thereto, and therefore both the adjacent corners and the non-adjacent corners of Perez’s battery driver enclosure shown in figures 10 and 11 will engage with each other).
As to claim 15, the limitations of this method claim is rejected using the same analysis as set forth above in the rejection of apparatus claim 1.
As to claim 19, note that when lid 1000 is fixedly attached to the above-noted bottom portion in figures 10 and 11 of Perez, an end wall of lid 1000 will abut an end wall of the above-noted bottom portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 12-14 are allowed.
Claims 2-11, 16-18 and 20 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: claims 2-14, 16-18 and 20 are allowable for the reasons indicated in paragraph eight of the office action mailed on 02/05/25.
Prior Art Not Relied Upon
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Figure 3 of Rich et al (USP 10,826,139) is also seen to anticipate claims 1, 15 and 19, i.e., Rich et al discloses a battery-driver enclosure (the claimed battery-driver enclosure is formed by the combination of lid 22 and outer case portion 20) comprising a first member (lid 22) and a second member (outer case portion 20), wherein the first member and the second member together define the battery-driver enclosure, and wherein the first member and the second member engage at non-adjacent corners of the enclosure (note that all four corners of the lid 22 engage with all four corners of the outer case portion 20, and therefore both the adjacent corners and the non-adjacent corners of Rich et al’s battery driver enclosure shown in figure 2 will engage with each other).
As to claim 15, the limitations of this method claim is rejected using the same analysis as set forth above in the rejection of apparatus claim 1.
As to claim 19, note that when lid 22 is fixedly attached to outer case portion 20 in figure 2 of Rich et al, an end wall of lid 22 will abut an end wall of outer case portion 20.
Action is Non-Final
7. In view of the above-noted new grounds of rejection against claims 1, 15 and 19, this office action is non-final.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH B WELLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1757. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, REGIS J BETSCH, can be reached at (571)270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH B WELLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 October 14, 2026
