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 listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered. Specification The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc . In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains phrases which can be implied, such as “There are disclosed” and “according to the present invention” . A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b). Drawings Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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. 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, the “lifting means” of claim 2; the “cone shape” of claim 3; “measuring a temperature” as recited in claim 15; and the elements of claim 16 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. The drawings are objected to for containing “unlabeled generic box elements” ( see 52, 62, 90 , Figure 2) . Correction is required in accordance with 37 CFR 1.83 as stated below . Further, 37 CFR 1.83 – Content of Drawing: (a) The drawing in a nonprovisional application must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. However, conventional features disclosed in the description and claims, where their detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention, should be illustrated in the drawing in the form of a graphical drawing symbol or a labeled representation ( e.g., a labeled rectangular box ). In addition, tables that are included in the specification and sequences that are included in sequence listings should not be duplicated in the drawings. (b) When the invention consists of an improvement on an old machine the drawing must when possible exhibit, in one or more views, the improved portion itself, disconnected from the old structure, and also in another view, so much only of the old structure as will suffice to show the connection of the invention therewith. (c) Where the drawings in a nonprovisional application do not comply with the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the examiner shall require such additional illustration within a time period of not less than two months from the date of the sending of a notice thereof. Such corrections are subject to the requirements of § 1.81(d) . [31 FR 12923, Oct. 4, 1966; 43 FR 4015, Jan. 31, 1978; paras. (a) and (c) revised, 60 FR 20195, Apr. 25, 1995, effective June 8, 1995; para. (a) revised, 69 FR 56481, Sept. 21, 2004, effective Oct. 21, 2004; para. (a) revised, 78 FR 62368, Oct. 21, 2013 ] Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claim s 4 and 17-18 are 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 term “ sharp ” in claim s 4 and 17 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “ sharp ” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the “first and second discharge members” have been rendered indefinite . The term “ gradually ” in claim 18 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “ gradually ” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the recitation “adjusting the contact area” ha s been rendered indefinite . 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, 3-4, 13, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by DORING (US Pub. No. 2013/0127421) . Regarding claim 1 , DORING discloses a discharge processing device for used batteries ( ¶ 0023 : FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an energy storage arrangement for safely discharging an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto ; ¶ 0024 : the energy accumulator 1 and/or the energy control circuit 10 can be damaged by incorrect use of the energy accumulator 1 or by an accident if the energy accumulator 1 is arranged, for example, in a vehicle ) , the discharge processing device comprising: at least one first discharge member (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3; ¶ 0023: an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto. The energy storage arrangement also has a reservoir container 7 containing a conductor medium 6, a triggerable discharging device 9 which is connected to the reservoir container 7, a collecting container 8 and contactors 11 and 12 which are connected to the electric lines 4 and 5 and controlled by the energy control circuit 10 ) connected to cathodes of battery cells provided in a used battery module (1, Fig. 3) , a used battery pack, or a used battery rack (¶ 0026: the electrodes in the interior of the energy accumulator 1 (separator fracture, penetration of the cells during recovery etc.) ) ; at least one second discharge member connected to anodes of the battery cells (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3; ¶ 0023, 0026: see above) ; and a water tank body (8, Fig. 3) configured to store salt water (6, Figs. 1 & 3 ; ¶ 0025 : an electrically conductive conductor medium is discharged into the pole space, serving as a collecting container 8, of the cells (see FIG. 1) and/or a space around the contactors 11 and 12 of the energy control circuit 10 (see FIG. 3). The energy accumulator 1 is discharged in a controlled fashion by electrically connecting the energy accumulator poles 2, 3 directly (or indirectly via the lines 4, 5 and the contactors 11, 12 of the energy control circuit 10) by means of the electrically conductive conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0028 : the conductor medium 6 has, as an electrically conductive material, a salt which is dissolved in a non-conductive foam, gel, paste, micro-emulsion or in a non-conductive fluid. Here, for example quaternary mixtures of salt, water, oil and surfactant or ternary mixtures of surfactant, water and a co-solvent can be used or the conductor medium 6 can have anionic or cationic surfactants dissolved in water. Depending on the selection of the surfactant, a foam, a gel, a paste or a fluid can be formed ) in which the first discharge member and the second discharge member are immersed, and perform discharge of the battery cells ( ¶ 0030 : poles 2 and 3 of the energy accumulator 1 and, for example, also parts of the lines 4 and 5 are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6, as a result of which the desired discharging process of the energy accumulator 1 occurs with a discharging current which is given by the established conductivity of the conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0035 : the collecting container 8 encloses some or all of the electrical contact points of the energy control circuit 10 and, for example, also the contactors 11 and 12. These are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6 which is discharged from the correspondingly arranged collecting container 8, as a result of which, in turn, the energy accumulator 1 which is connected by means of the electric connecting lines 4 and 5 is discharged ) . Regarding claim 3 , DORING discloses the first discharge member and the second discharge member each include a plate shape, a cone shape, or a column shape (¶ 0023-0025) . Regarding claim 4 , DORING discloses the at least one first discharge member and the at least one second discharge member have sharp portions that first come into contact with the salt water (¶ 0023-0025) . Regarding claim 13 , DORING discloses a discharge processing method for used batteries ( ¶ 0023 : FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an energy storage arrangement for safely discharging an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto ; ¶ 0024 : the energy accumulator 1 and/or the energy control circuit 10 can be damaged by incorrect use of the energy accumulator 1 or by an accident if the energy accumulator 1 is arranged, for example, in a vehicle ), the discharge processing method comprising: connecting at least one first discharge member (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3; ¶ 0023: an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto. The energy storage arrangement also has a reservoir container 7 containing a conductor medium 6, a triggerable discharging device 9 which is connected to the reservoir container 7, a collecting container 8 and contactors 11 and 12 which are connected to the electric lines 4 and 5 and controlled by the energy control circuit 10 ) to cathodes of battery cells provided in a used battery module (1, Fig. 3) , a used battery pack, or a used battery rack (¶ 0026: the electrodes in the interior of the energy accumulator 1 (separator fracture, penetration of the cells during recovery etc.) ) ; connecting at least one second discharge member to anodes of the battery cells (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3; ¶ 0023, 0026: see above) ; and immersing the first discharge member and the second discharge member in a water tank body (8, Fig. 3) storing salt water (6, Figs. 1 & 3; ¶ 0025 : an electrically conductive conductor medium is discharged into the pole space, serving as a collecting container 8, of the cells (see FIG. 1) and/or a space around the contactors 11 and 12 of the energy control circuit 10 (see FIG. 3). The energy accumulator 1 is discharged in a controlled fashion by electrically connecting the energy accumulator poles 2, 3 directly (or indirectly via the lines 4, 5 and the contactors 11, 12 of the energy control circuit 10) by means of the electrically conductive conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0028 : the conductor medium 6 has, as an electrically conductive material, a salt which is dissolved in a non-conductive foam, gel, paste, micro-emulsion or in a non-conductive fluid. Here, for example quaternary mixtures of salt, water, oil and surfactant or ternary mixtures of surfactant, water and a co-solvent can be used or the conductor medium 6 can have anionic or cationic surfactants dissolved in water. Depending on the selection of the surfactant, a foam, a gel, a paste or a fluid can be formed ) and performing discharge of the battery cells ( ¶ 0030 : poles 2 and 3 of the energy accumulator 1 and, for example, also parts of the lines 4 and 5 are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6, as a result of which the desired discharging process of the energy accumulator 1 occurs with a discharging current which is given by the established conductivity of the conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0035 : the collecting container 8 encloses some or all of the electrical contact points of the energy control circuit 10 and, for example, also the contactors 11 and 12. These are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6 which is discharged from the correspondingly arranged collecting container 8, as a result of which, in turn, the energy accumulator 1 which is connected by means of the electric connecting lines 4 and 5 is discharged ) . Regarding claim 17 , DORING discloses each of the first and second discharge members has a sharp portion at a lower end thereof (¶ 0023-0025) . 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. 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. Claim(s) 2, 7, 14, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING as applied to claim s 1, 3-4, 13, and 17 above, and further in view of HELLMUND ( US Patent No. 1,506,751 ) . Regarding claim 2 , DORING discloses t he discharge processing device as applied to claim 1, but fails to disclose a lifting means provided around the water tank body, and configured to adjust a contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member. HELLMUND discloses a lifting means provided around the water tank body, and configured to adjust a contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member ( page 1, lines 14-26 : a liquid rheostat in which the electrodes are raised and lowered in the liquid by power-actuated means…. means for actuating one or more electrodes slowly in one direction and rapidly in another direction, to vary the resistance of an electrical circuit ; page 1, line 55 – line 59 : a liquid rheostat 1 comprises a tank or compartment 2 containing an electrolyte 3, in which fluid a plurality of electrodes or plates 4 may be immersed ; page 2, lines 51-52 : operation of the motor 39 is governed by a master controller 52 ; page 2, lines 81-86 : energization of the armature 48 and shunt field-magnet winding 49 of the motor 39 causes the motor to drive the worm 43, worm wheel 42 and clutch 40 and, hence, the shaft 29 in a direction whereby the plates 28 are lowered into the electrolyte 3 ) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the lifting means of HELLMUND into the discharge processing device of DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing device including lifting means . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to vary the resistance (HELLMUND, page 1, lines 14-26) and therefore control the current output. Regarding claim 7 , DORING discloses a discharge processing system for used batteries ( ¶ 0023 : FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an energy storage arrangement for safely discharging an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto ; ¶ 0024 : the energy accumulator 1 and/or the energy control circuit 10 can be damaged by incorrect use of the energy accumulator 1 or by an accident if the energy accumulator 1 is arranged, for example, in a vehicle ),, the discharge processing system comprising: a discharge processing device comprising at least one first discharge member (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3; ¶ 0023: an energy accumulator 1 having poles 2 and 3 and electric lines 4 and 5 connected thereto. The energy storage arrangement also has a reservoir container 7 containing a conductor medium 6, a triggerable discharging device 9 which is connected to the reservoir container 7, a collecting container 8 and contactors 11 and 12 which are connected to the electric lines 4 and 5 and controlled by the energy control circuit 10 ) and at least one second discharge member (4, 5, 11, or 12, Fig. 3) that are connected to cathodes and anodes of battery cells provided in a used battery module (1, Fig. 3) , a used battery pack or a used battery rack (¶ 0026: the electrodes in the interior of the energy accumulator 1 (separator fracture, penetration of the cells during recovery etc.) ), and a water tank body (8, Fig. 3) configured to store salt water (6, Figs. 1 & 3; ¶ 0025 : an electrically conductive conductor medium is discharged into the pole space, serving as a collecting container 8, of the cells (see FIG. 1) and/or a space around the contactors 11 and 12 of the energy control circuit 10 (see FIG. 3). The energy accumulator 1 is discharged in a controlled fashion by electrically connecting the energy accumulator poles 2, 3 directly (or indirectly via the lines 4, 5 and the contactors 11, 12 of the energy control circuit 10) by means of the electrically conductive conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0028 : the conductor medium 6 has, as an electrically conductive material, a salt which is dissolved in a non-conductive foam, gel, paste, micro-emulsion or in a non-conductive fluid. Here, for example quaternary mixtures of salt, water, oil and surfactant or ternary mixtures of surfactant, water and a co-solvent can be used or the conductor medium 6 can have anionic or cationic surfactants dissolved in water. Depending on the selection of the surfactant, a foam, a gel, a paste or a fluid can be formed ) in which the first and second discharge members are immersed and perform discharge of the battery cells ( ¶ 0030 : poles 2 and 3 of the energy accumulator 1 and, for example, also parts of the lines 4 and 5 are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6, as a result of which the desired discharging process of the energy accumulator 1 occurs with a discharging current which is given by the established conductivity of the conductor medium 6 ; ¶ 0035 : the collecting container 8 encloses some or all of the electrical contact points of the energy control circuit 10 and, for example, also the contactors 11 and 12. These are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion by the conductor medium 6 which is discharged from the correspondingly arranged collecting container 8, as a result of which, in turn, the energy accumulator 1 which is connected by means of the electric connecting lines 4 and 5 is discharged ); and a controller (¶ 0032: triggering of the discharging device 9 can take place manually here or directly or indirectly in reaction to an event. The discharging device 9 can for this purpose be embodied, for example, as a valve which can be activated manually or, for example, controlled electrically ) configured to adjust a contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members (¶ 0030, 0035: see above). DORING fails to disclose the controller configured to adjust the contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member . HELLMUND discloses a controller configured to adjust the contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member ( page 1, lines 14-26 : a liquid rheostat in which the electrodes are raised and lowered in the liquid by power-actuated means…. means for actuating one or more electrodes slowly in one direction and rapidly in another direction, to vary the resistance of an electrical circuit ; page 1, line 55 – line 59 : a liquid rheostat 1 comprises a tank or compartment 2 containing an electrolyte 3, in which fluid a plurality of electrodes or plates 4 may be immersed ; page 2, lines 51-52 : operation of the motor 39 is governed by a master controller 52 ; page 2, lines 81-86 : energization of the armature 48 and shunt field-magnet winding 49 of the motor 39 causes the motor to drive the worm 43, worm wheel 42 and clutch 40 and, hence, the shaft 29 in a direction whereby the plates 28 are lowered into the electrolyte 3 ). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate a controller adjusting the contact area by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member as disclosed in HELLMUND into the discharge processing system of DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing system including adjusting a contact area by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to vary the resistance (HELLMUND, page 1, lines 14-26) and therefore control the current output . Regarding claim 14 , DORING discloses t he discharge processing method as applied to claim 13, but fails to disclose adjusting a contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member in performing the discharge. HELLMUND discloses adjusting a contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members by selectively elevating and lowering the first discharge member and the second discharge member in performing the discharge ( page 1, lines 14-26 : a liquid rheostat in which the electrodes are raised and lowered in the liquid by power-actuated means…. means for actuating one or more electrodes slowly in one direction and rapidly in another direction, to vary the resistance of an electrical circuit ; page 1, line 55 – line 59 : a liquid rheostat 1 comprises a tank or compartment 2 containing an electrolyte 3, in which fluid a plurality of electrodes or plates 4 may be immersed ; page 2, lines 51-52 : operation of the motor 39 is governed by a master controller 52 ; page 2, lines 81-86 : energization of the armature 48 and shunt field-magnet winding 49 of the motor 39 causes the motor to drive the worm 43, worm wheel 42 and clutch 40 and, hence, the shaft 29 in a direction whereby the plates 28 are lowered into the electrolyte 3 ) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate adjusting a contact area as disclosed in HELLMUND into the discharge processing method of DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing method including adjusting a contact area. The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to vary the resistance (HELLMUND, page 1, lines 14-26) and therefore control the current output. Regarding claim 18 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND teaches adjusting the contact area between the salt water and each of the first and second discharge members comprises gradually increasing the contact area by immersing pointed portions of the first and second discharge members at lower ends thereof (HELLMUND, page 2, lines 81-111) . Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING as applied to claim s 1, 3-4, 13, and 17 above, and further in view of VENKATESAN (US Pub. No. 2005/0092618) . Regarding claim 5 , DORING discloses t he discharge processing device as applied to claim 1, but fails to disclose at least one separator provided in the water tank body and configured to partition a region of the first discharge member and a region of the second discharge member and to electrolyze the salt water. VENKATESAN discloses at least one separator (111, Figs. 2 & 6) provided in the water tank body (112) and configured to partition a region of the first discharge member (104) and a region of the second discharge member (105) and to electrolyze the salt water (¶ 0021, 0037) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the separator of VENKATESAN into the discharge processing device of DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing device including a separator . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide essential gas separation and ensure high-efficiency water electrolysis . Regarding claim 6 , DORING as modified by VENKATESAN teaches the separator includes material selected from the group consisting of fluorine-based sulfonated polymers and fluoropolymers (VENKATESAN, ¶ 0037) . Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING in view of HELLMUND as applied to claim s 2, 7, 14, and 18 above, and further in view of VENKATESAN (US Pub. No. 2005/0092618) . Regarding claim 8 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND teaches t he discharge processing system as applied to claim 7, but fails to disclose at least one separator provided in the water tank body, and configured to partition a region of the first discharge member and a region of the second discharge member and to electrolyze the salt water. VENKATESAN discloses at least one separator (111, Figs. 2 & 6) provided in the water tank body (112) , and configured to partition a region of the first discharge member (104) and a region of the second discharge member (105) and to electrolyze the salt water (¶ 0021, 0037) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the separator of VENKATESAN into the discharge processing system of DORING as modified by HELLMUND to produce an expected result of a discharge processing system including a separator. The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide essential gas separation and ensure high-efficiency water electrolysis. Claim(s) 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING in view of HELLMUND as applied to claim s 2, 7, 14, and 18 above, and further in view of ZHEN (CN211350899; English machine translation is included with office action) . Regarding claim 9 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND teaches t he discharge processing system as applied to claim 7, but DORING fails to disclose a salt water adjustment unit configured to adjust a concentration of the salt water stored in the water tank body of the discharge processing device. ZHEN discloses a salt water adjustment unit configured to adjust a concentration of the salt water stored in the water tank body of the discharge processing device (¶ 0013 , 0025 ) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the salt water adjustment unit of ZHEN into the discharge processing system of DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing system including a salt water adjustment unit . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to control the discharging current/power of the discharge processing system . Regarding claim 10 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND and ZHEN teaches a water supply valve configured to supply water to the water tank body of the discharge processing device (ZHEN, ¶ 0024-0025) . Regarding claim 11 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND and ZHEN teaches a chlorine collection unit configured to collect chlorine generated in the water tank body of the discharge processing device (ZHEN, ¶ 0008, 0010, 0017, 0023, 0028 ) . Regarding claim 12 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND and ZHEN teaches a hydrogen collection unit configured to collect hydrogen generated in the water tank body of the discharge processing device (ZHEN, ¶ 0008, 0010, 0017, 0023, 0028) . Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING as applied to claim s 1, 3-4, 13, and 17 above, and further in view of W OLIN (US P atent No. 6,661,203 ) . Regarding claim 15 , DORING discloses t he discharge processing method as applied to claim 13, but fails to disclose measuring a temperature of the battery cells in performing the discharge; and blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature. W OLIN discloses measuring a temperature of the battery cells in performing the discharge; and [stopping the discharge] when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature ( claim 8 ). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the concept of measuring a temperature of the battery cells in performing the discharge and stopping the discharge when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature as disclosed in WOLIN to the discharging processing method of DORING by blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature into the discharge processing method o f DORING to produce an expected result of a discharge processing method including blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water when the temperature of battery cells exceeds a set temperature . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to prevent battery damage (W OLIN , column 2, lines 43-45 ) . Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING in view of HELLMUND as applied to claim s 2, 7, 14, and 18 above, and further in view of LOWDERMILK (US Patent No. 3,069,345) . Regarding claim 16 , DORING as modified by HELLMUND teachers t he discharge processing device as applied to claim 2, and HELLMUND further discloses the lifting means includes a lifting frame (comprising at least 29, Figs. 2 & 3) disposed in an upper portion of the water body tank and a lifting part ( comprising 30, Figs. 2 & 3) coupled to the lifting frame and the first and second discharge members (page 2, lines 17-34 ) , the lifting part including a cylinder (34, Fig. 2) configured to elevate or lower the [first and second discharge members] ( page 2, lines 26-36 and 81-105 ) . DORING as modified by HELLMUND fails to disclose the lifting part including a clamp configured to hold the first and second discharge members , and the cylinder configured to elevate or lower the clamp . LOWDERMILK discloses the lifting part including a clamp configured to hold the first and second discharge members ( column 1, lines 34-40 and lines 59-65 ). Including the clamp of LOWDERMILK in the lifting part of DORING as modified by HELLMUND would provide the cylinder configured to elevate or lower the clamp . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the lifting means including a clamp as disclosed in LOWDERMILK into the discharge processing device of DORING as modified by HELLMUND to produce an expected result of a discharging processing device with the lifting means including a clamp . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to impart flexibility to the discharge processing device , or to allow for rapid assembly (LOWDERMILK, column 1, lines 37-41) . Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DORING in view of W OLIN as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of HELLMUND (US Patent No. 1,506,751 ) . Regarding claim 19 , DORING as modified by WOLIN teaches t he discharge processing method as applied to claim 15, but fails to disclose blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water comprises: elevating the first and second discharge members so that the first and second discharge members are not immersed in the salt water; or discharging the salt water stored in the water tank body to outside of the water tank body. HELLMUND discloses blocking contact between the first and second discharge members and the salt water comprises: elevating the first and second discharge members so that the first and second discharge members are not immersed in the salt water ; or discharging the salt water stored in the water tank body to outside of the water tank body (page 2, lines 112-129 ) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate blocking contact by elevating the first and second discharge members as disclosed in HELLMUND into the discharge processing method of DORING as modified by W OLIN to produce an expected result of a discharge processing method including blocking contact by elevating the first and second discharge members . The modification would be obvious because one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to vary the resistance (HELLMUND, page 1, lines 14-26) and therefore control the current output. Conclusion The prior art made of record on form PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT MANUEL HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-7916 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Friday 9a-5p ET . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Taelor Kim can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 270-7166 . 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. /Manuel Hernandez/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859 DATE \@ "M/d/yyyy" 3/10/2026 /TAELOR KIM/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859