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 statements filed on September 27, 2023, October 31, 2024 and May 5, 2026 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 14 line 3, change “the charging space” to --a charging space--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Honda Motor Co (JP 6924165 B2; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Honda).
Regarding claim 1, Honda discloses a battery charger (201; see figures 6 and 7) for charging a battery (10), the battery charger (201) comprising: a charging space (see figure 6) configured to accommodate a battery (10); a support space (see figure 6) to support a battery (10); a seating part (233; see figure 3) on which the battery (10) inserted into the charging space is seated (see figure 6), and a guide part (231) that guides the a position of the battery (10) seated on the seating part (see figures 6 and 7), wherein the guide part (231) extends from the support space into the charging space (see figures 6 and 7), and the guide part (231) being movable from the charging space toward the support space by an external force (see figures 6 and 7).
Regarding claim 2, Honda discloses the battery charger (201), wherein: the guide part (231) is disposed at an edge of the cross section of the battery charger (see figures 6 and 7).
Regarding claim 3, Honda discloses the battery charger (201), wherein a battery (10) inserted into the battery charger (201) is disposed in a biased manner to contact a vertex on of a cross section of the battery charger (201, see figures 6 and 6) such that, the guide part (231) is disposed-spaced apart from the vertex (see figures 6 and 7).
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.
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.
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honda Motor Co (JP 6924165 B2; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Honda) in view of Chengdu Chengguang (CN 111555406; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Chengdu).
Regarding claim 13, Honda discloses a battery charger (1; see figure 1) for charging a first battery (10), the battery charger (1) comprising: a seating part (32) on which the first battery (10) or the second battery inserted into a charging space of the battery charger is seated (see figure 3), and a guide part (30) that guides a position of the first battery (10) or the second battery seated on the seating part; but Honda lacks the battery charger for charging a second battery having different sizes and a guide part that includes a plurality of guide pins, wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part, the guide pin extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide pins is moved away from the charging space. Chengdu teaches a battery charger (see figure 1) having for charging a first battery or a second battery having different sizes (see figure 1), the battery charger (see figure 1) comprising: a seating part (3) on which the first battery or the second battery inserted into a charging space of the battery charger is seated (see figure 3), and a guide part includes a plurality of guide pins (4), wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part (3), the guide pin (4) extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide pins is moved away from the charging space. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide to Honda with a guide part that includes a plurality of guide pins, wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part, the guide pin extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide pins is moved away from the charging space as taught by Chengdu to provide means for supporting different sizes of battery.
Regarding claim 14, Honda discloses a battery charger (1; see figure 1) for charging a first battery (10), the battery charger (1) comprising: a seating part (32) on which the first battery (10) or the second battery inserted into a charging space is seated (see figure 3), and a guide part (30) that prevents movement of the first battery or the second battery seated on the seating part but Honda lacks the battery charger for charging a second battery having different sizes and a guide part that includes a plurality of guide walls, wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part, the guide walls extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide walls is moved away from the charging space. Chengdu teaches a battery charger (see figure 1) having for charging a first battery or a second battery having different sizes (see figure 1), the battery charger (see figure 1) comprising: a seating part (3) on which the first battery or the second battery inserted into a charging space of the battery charger is seated (see figure 3), and a guide part includes a plurality of guide walls (4), wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part (3), the guide walls (4) extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide walls is moved away from the charging space. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide to Honda with a guide part that includes a plurality of guide walls, wherein when the first battery is disposed on the seating part, the guide walls extends into the charging space, and when the second battery is disposed on the seating part, at least one of the guide walls is moved away from the charging space as taught by Chengdu to provide means for supporting different sizes of battery.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 4-12 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 an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reasons for the indication of the allowability of claims 4-12 are:
Regarding claims 4 and 5, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest in combination with the other claimed limitations the battery charger wherein: the guide part comprises a guide pin and an elastic body connected with the guide pin, the guide pin extending into the charging space from the support space such that when the external force is applied to the guide pin, the guide pin moves toward the support space, and when an the external force is removed from the guide pin, the guide pin moves from the support space toward the charging space by a restoration force of the elastic body.
Regarding claims 6-12, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest in combination with the other claimed limitations the battery charger wherein the guide part includes a first guide wall and a second guide wall adjacent to the first guide wall, the first guide wall and the second guide wall extending into the charging space from the support space, such that when the external force is applied to at least one of the first guide wall or the second guide wall, at least one of the first guide wall or the second guide wall moves toward the support space by the external force.
These limitations are found in claims 4-12, and are neither disclosed nor taught by the prior art of record, alone or in combination.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nakasho et al (US 7,187,156), Kim (US 6,348,776), Lloyd et al (US 6,127,802), Bushong et al (US 5,686,811), Felegyhazi. Sr (US 5,057,761) and Fairbanks et al (US 12,603,376) disclose a battery charger.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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August 4, 2026
/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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