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 .
1. Claims 1-10 have been presented for examination.
Priority
2. The instant application is a CON of PCT/CN2021/089657, filed 4/25/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. Acknowledgement is made to the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/12/2023 & 3/2/2025. The information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
4. Claims 1-3 & 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng et al. (CN206059754U), hereinafter Feng, the examiner referencing the provided “Machine Translation of CN206059754U – Feng” document, and Zhou et al. (CN104709364A), hereinafter Zhou, the examiner referencing the provided “Machine Translation of CN104709364A – Zhou” document.
Regarding claim 1, Feng discloses an electric charging port, comprising:
a charging port box, comprising two bottom surfaces, multiple side surfaces and at least two charging sockets, and the two charging sockets being located on different side surfaces [0010, 0012-0015, & 0031];
a rotation shaft, respectively fixedly connected with the two bottom surfaces [0012-0015 & 0031]; and
a sealed box, the charging port box being located inside the sealed box and rotatably connected with the sealed box through the rotation shaft, a side surface of the sealed box being provided with a charging opening [0010, 0012-0015, 0031, & 0033].
Regarding claim 9, Zhou discloses a charging port box, comprising two bottom surfaces, multiple side surfaces and at least two charging sockets, and the two charging sockets being located on different side surfaces [0010, 0012-0015, & 0031];
a rotation shaft, respectively fixedly connected with the two bottom surfaces [0012-0015 & 0031]; and
a sealed box, the charging port box being located inside the sealed box and rotatably connected with the sealed box through the rotation shaft, a side surface of the sealed box being provided with a charging opening [0010, 0012-0015, 0031, & 0033].
With respect to claims 1 & 9, the teachings of Feng have been discussed above.
Feng is silent with respect to explicitly disclosing a sealing ring being arranged at the charging opening, as recited in claim 1, and an electric vehicle, comprising a vehicle body, an electric charging port, arranged in a body cover panel of the vehicle body, and a sealing ring being arranged at the charging opening, as recited in claim 9.
Zhou teaches, regarding claim 1, a sealing ring being arranged at the charging opening [0010-0012], and, regarding claim 9, an electric vehicle, comprising a vehicle body, an electric charging port, arranged in a body cover panel of the vehicle body, and a sealing ring being arranged at the charging opening [0010-0013].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to further employ the sealing features of Zhou within the system of Feng for at least the benefit of improving performance and safety [0005, 0006, & 0008].
Regarding claim 2, Feng, as modified above, discloses the electric charging port according to claim 1, wherein the charging port box is substantially configured as a prism, a cross section thereof is substantially configured as a triangle, and the two charging sockets are located on two different side surfaces of the prism [0010, 0012-0015, & 0031].
Regarding claim 3, Feng, as modified above, discloses the electric charging port according to claim 2, wherein the triangle is substantially configured as an equilateral triangle [0010, 0012-0015, & 0031].
Regarding claim 6, Feng, as modified above, discloses the electric charging port according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating motor, wherein the rotating motor is arranged on a first end of the rotation shaft and is used to drive the charging port box to rotate, so as to switch the charging socket or turn off the charging socket [0012-0015, & 0031-0034].
Regarding claim 7, Feng, as modified above, discloses the electric charging port according to claim 1, wherein the sealed box is a hollow cylinder, the charging opening is arranged on a side surface of the hollow cylinder, and a shape of the charging opening coupled with a shape of the side surface of the charging port box [0012-0015, & 0031].
Regarding claim 8, Zhou, as modified above, discloses the electric charging port according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the sealing ring is adapted to the shape of the charging opening, a first side of the sealing ring is fixedly connected with a box body of the sealed box, and a second side of the sealing ring interferes with the side surface of the charging port box [0010-0012].
Regarding claim 10, Zhou, as modified above, discloses the electric vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the body cover panel is provided with a vehicle body opening at the charging port box, and the charging opening on the sealed box coupled with the vehicle body opening [0010-0013].
5. Claims 4 & 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng, Zhou, and Zhuang et al. (CN103587481A), hereinafter Zhuang, the examiner referencing the provided “Machine Translation of CN103587481A – Zhuang” document.
With respect to claims 4 & 5, the teachings of the combination of Feng and Zhou have been discussed above.
This combination is silent with respect to explicitly disclosing wherein the two charging sockets are respectively a fast charging socket and a slow charging socket, and a fast charging base and a slow charging base are respectively arranged in the two charging sockets, as recited in claim 4, and wherein the fast charging socket and the slow charging socket are staggered on the side surface of the charging port box, as recited in claim 5.
Zhuang teaches, regarding claim 4, wherein the two charging sockets are respectively a fast charging socket and a slow charging socket, and a fast charging base and a slow charging base are respectively arranged in the two charging sockets [0025-0027] and, regarding claim 5, wherein the fast charging socket and the slow charging socket are staggered on the side surface of the charging port box [0025-0027].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to further employ the charging socket features of Zhuang within the combination of Feng and Zhou for at least the benefit of providing for reduced development and production costs while improving vehicle appearance and aesthetics [0006].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL whose telephone number is (571)270-1301. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F,7-3 EST. If the examiner cannot be reached by telephone, he can be reached through the following email address: paultep.savusdiphol@uspto.gov
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G. Lee can be reached on (571) 272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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